CEO’s REPORT

Welcome to our November 2024 newsletter.

In opening I would like to pass on my congratulations to our 20 award winners at the NZ Annual Security Awards event held at the Crowne Plaza in September.

It was fantastic to have in excess of 230 attendees there to celebrate excellence within the security industry and to hear some of the fantastic stories about what our workers are achieving. I had the pleasure of sitting with Ministers Mark Mitchell and Nicole McKee along with Sunny Kaushal, Chair for Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime, and Trish McConnell, Registrar for the PSPLA, and all were amazed by the work being performed by the industry and the professionalism and capability of the award category finalists and winners.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, I have been working closely with the NZSA board in finalising our three-year strategic plan and I’m pleased to provide an overview of our key objectives, and links to further detail, in my report below.

 

NZSA 3-Year Strategic Plan
During July we facilitated a two-day meeting for the NZSA Board and Executive team to formalise a Strategy and Business Plan for the next three years.

The plan is built around three key Strategic Objectives:

• Enabling a stronger, smarter, and more effective security industry.
• Advocating for an accountable, safe and thriving security industry
• Listening to, understanding, and promoting our industry and stakeholders

Each of the strategies are supported by key goals and an action plan which is available on the NZSA website.

A critical component of the strategy that targets developing a stronger, smarter and more effective security industry involves the implementation of a stepped NZSA membership structure including a strengthened auditing and accreditation process.

In early 2025 we will hold an online Special General Meeting (SGM) where we will seek member support for the introduction of a new membership category – Provisional Corporate Member – in addition to Corporate Member and Accredited Corporate Member.

It is proposed that new members from 1 April 2025 will be treated as Provisional Corporate Members and must within the first year of membership successfully complete a self-audit and assessment in order to be recognised as a Corporate Member.

The self-audit programme with be at no cost to the member and is intended to ensure that they are operating in accordance with the NZSA Codes of Practice and recognised good practice. Where deficiencies are identified, the NZSA will assist (at no cost) by providing template documents and guidance to assist the member in lifting their standards and performance.

The self-audit is complimentary to the full audit process, which will be expanded to also include an annual self-audit, and we will also look to further strengthen and promote the benefits of Accredited Corporate Membership.

 

Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime
As mentioned in our September report, the government has formed a Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Victims of Retail Crime under the chairmanship of Sunny Kaushal and with members comprising Michael Bell (Michael Hill), Lindsay Rowles (Foodstuffs), Carolyn Young (Retail NZ) and Himanshu Parmar (Community Advocate).

The MAG will be in place for at least two years and is targeted with achieving a reduction of 20,000 victims of retail crime by 2029 and reducing serious repeat youth offending by 15%.

Initial communication from the MAG has indicated that legally empowering security staff to retrieve property and detain offenders will be one of their first priorities and it is pleasing to note that we have already had several productive discussions with the group and that we are closely aligned on matters such as legislation, licensing, training and the need for greater police engagement and support.

We will keep members informed as discussions progress.

 

ACC Premium Consultation
It has recently been announced that the ACC will record a $7.2 billion deficit this year prompting the need to look at significant changes across the work, earner and motor vehicle accounts over the 2026 to 2028 period.

The changes being proposed by ACC result in an average increase in ACC premiums of 14% over the three-year period however the proposed claims framework includes a number of weighting factors that will see certain industry sectors carry an unproportionate amount of increase.

For the security industry, this would see protective security providers (guards, event security, cash-in-transit etc) facing a total increase of 42.6% over the three-years, monitoring companies an increase of 30.8%, and electronic security providers an increase of 4.5%.

We appreciate that this would significantly impact many of our members and the NZSA has provided a comprehensive submission to the consultation providing strong recommendation that measures be taken to ensure appropriate weightings be used and applying a cap to individual levy classifications to prevent large changes to current settings.

We will keep members updated as far as possible.

 

Fees Free/Apprenticeship Boost Updates
The government has recently made several policy changes that impact onto those undertaking the NZCiES (New Zealand Certificate in Electronic Security) Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications.

Fees Free – The Fees Free arrangement for the first year of study or training will finish at the end of 2024. A final-year Fees Free policy will replace it, starting from 1 January 2025. For those who are first-time tertiary learners in 2025, they may be able to get Fees Free for the final year of study or training. If eligible, they will need to apply for their entitlement through IRD from 2026 onwards (for more information visit the FeesFree website.

Apprenticeship Boost – The Apprenticeship Boost support has been targeted at key sectors and occupations. Security Technicians are included within the grouping Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Technology, so the coverage includes Apprentice Security Technicians undertaking the NZCiES Level 4.

 

SSWSD – Security Systems with Smoke Detectors
There has been a change across councils with regards to their approach to enforcement of the NZ Building Act and this has the potential to have significant consequences for those installing and servicing security systems, and our customers.

Our main concern relates to SSWSD (Security Systems with Smoke Detectors) which are a Specified System and require a building consent for installation.

Unfortunately, there are a number of non-compliant legacy systems and as they are identified by council, rectification is required through submission of a building consent or certificate of acceptance.

This can be an expensive process, and we are aware of customers/building owners instructing their security provider to remove the smoke detectors in the mistaken belief that this will address the system and ignoring the increased threat and risks associated with such action.

For guidance on this issue please refer to the NZSA Position Statement Compliance concerns with regards to SSWSD on the NZSA website.

 

ANZSCO Codes
In an earlier newsletter this year we advised that we had made a submission to Stats NZ promoting a replacement for the existing ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) codes that group jobs into “occupations” based on similar tasks and responsibilities.

The ANZSCO codes are used by Immigration NZ for various visa applications for residence, including Job Check applications, which are an employer requirement to support Accredited Employer Work Visas.

Our submission highlighted the existing shortfalls in lumping various jobs into common occupations and also significant variances between role terminology in New Zealand and Australia.

The good news is that it has been announced that the ANZSCO codes will soon be replaced by New Zealand’s own National Occupation List (NOL) with the first version launching on 20 November 2024.

Hopefully this will assist with our lobbying to have Security Technicians to be added to the Immigration Green List and in obtaining accurate and relevant industry data that is specific to our sector rather than being grouped with associated industries and roles.

 

Security of Critical Infrastructure
Whilst attending the ASIAL conference almost every presenter made reference to the SOCI (pronounced Sock-E) Act and how it was influencing, or even dictating, security focus and expenditure in Australia.

The Australian Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI) outlines the legal obligations that apply if you own, operate, or have direct interests in critical infrastructure assets. It also outlines how government can provide support if an incident occurs that impacts onto a critical infrastructure asset.

The SOCI Act applies to 11 specified sectors:

• Communications
• Financial services and markets
• Data storage or processing
• Defence industry
• Higher education and research
• Energy
• Food and grocery
• Healthcare and medical
• Space technology
• Transport
• Water and sewerage

Whilst we have yet to see similar legislation in New Zealand, it is currently on the radar and is an area that our security providers need not only to be aware of but should be planning resources around.

A discussion document Strengthening the resilience of Aotearoa New Zealand’s critical infrastructure system was published in June 2023 and provides a good introduction to the topic and notes that by not having a comprehensive or coordinated approach to critical infrastructure regulation we are increasingly out of step with global best practice.

Given the governments focus on critical infrastructure it is highly likely that regulation will be implemented during this government term.

 

New Member Benefit Programmes – Samsung and Barker Business
We are thrilled to offer a new ground-breaking member benefit programme with Samsung that offers up to 45% in savings on standard retail prices for our members and their staff. Samsung is a well-known and top-end brand, recognised for creating superior electronic products and services that contribute to a better global society. For information on the benefit programme, refer to the launch information later in this newsletter.

In coming weeks, we will also launch a new benefit programme with Barker Business, specialists in business sales and brokerage. For many business owners, succession planning and exit strategies are front of mind issues however it is difficult to obtain independent and skilled advice and guidance. Barker Business have been connecting business owners and buyers for over 15 years and are well experienced in the security sector. We will provide details of the benefit programme offering as part of the launch but will include free and no-obligation business appraisals and significant discounts on the up-front fees (AML checks and marketing) and commissions. Look out for the formal launch in mid-November.

As always, we welcome all comments and feedback on NZSA or industry issues and activity.

Keep safe and well.

Kind Regards
Gary Morrison
CEO

 

NZSA / Security Industry updates

NZSA Accredited Member stories
NZSA is excited to launch two Accredited Member profiles. ADT Security and Alpha Protection Services have shared their stories about being Accredited Members of the NZSA.

NZSA membership accreditation demonstrates your business is operating in alignment with the NZSA Codes of Practice and is a formal, independent verification that you meet those high standards. The benefits go beyond just the certification, the process can highlight areas where you can improve and secure your operations and is a powerful tool to help you win and retain new business. Learn about the value by reading the profiles from Accredited Members.

 

NZSA Strategic Plan – contacting members
As discussed in the CEO Report, part of our Strategic Plan is to listen to, understand, and advocate for our industry and stakeholders.

In order to do this we need to hear from our members about what is important to them and how we can assist.

To begin with, we will be in contact with corporate members to arrange a suitable time in the new year for a 15 minutes phone call to discuss this. Please look out for an email requesting a meeting time.

 

NZSA launching new Member Database
NZSA is excited to launch our new member database with Gecco. The advantages of the new database include:

Membership access that allows members to:

• Update contact details for your NZSA Member listing.
• Manage membership subscriptions and licensed staff numbers
• Improved email and member communications capability
• Enhanced Membership directory to allow the public to search for NZSA Members, Accredited Members and Graded Monitoring Centres based on the data managed by Members.
• Special Interest Groups and Committees – notice boards, discussion groups, emails with SIG or Committee member-only access.
• Access to Member Benefits, Standards and Codes of Practice.

Please keep an eye out for the email notifying you to set up your log in.

 

NZSA Member Benefit – Samsung – now available
NZSA has partnered with Samsung to offer our Members exclusive pricing on all Samsung products. The Samsung member portal can only be accessed via Gecco, the new NZSA Membership database.

Members will receive an email from Gecco requesting you to log in. Please note that this email will be directed to our main contacts – CEO and Finance, and those of you who have completed the Regional or Branch office spreadsheet. This will include instructions for how to log in.

 

Barker Business Brokerage – new Member Benefit
We are please to announce that we are currently in negotiations with Barker Business Brokerage to add to our Member Benefit programme. We will formally introduce this later in the month once we have finalised negotiations.

 

NZSA Christmas Closedown
The NZSA office will close down over the Christmas and New Year period. We will be closed from Monday 23 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 13 Janaury 2025.

 

COA Conflict Management Training – Train the Trainer and Refresher Training for Trainers
The CoA training provides a critical role in giving new entrants into the security industry knowledge of the legislation impacting onto security officers, the essential knowledge and skills to keep them safe in their roles, including de-escalation techniques, and an understanding of expected professional standards.

It is imperative therefore that those who deliver the training have the necessary qualifications and experience, and are confident in delivering the course content.

In the absence of a Standard Setting Body holding responsibility for this, the NZSA has provided a Good Practice Guideline for the provision of Train the Trainer Instruction – a copy can be downloaded from the NZSA website. The Guideline sets clear expectations around pre-requisite training and competency, completion of the Train the Trainer course, and undertaking bi-annual refresher training.

We have also contracted subject matter experts to deliver the Conflict Management Training in accordance with the Guideline standards and to ensure the trainers of the CoA unit standards possess the necessary skills and competence.

For further information and to register please email and [email protected].

Please note: the Conflict Management Refresher course includes assessment activity.

 

Partner updates

Ringa Hora

CoA
Ringa Hora are pleased to confirm that the new skill standards for COA have been registered and appears on the NZQA website.  We acknowledge the time and valuable contributions made by NZSA members to the development of these standards.

The link to the Ringa Hora website can be found here.

You can also access the NZQA website from here to see the change report, new skill standard numbers, and replacement information.

Also, a reminder that the current standards (27360/61/64) will remain valid until December 2026 and the skill standards can be used once the Regulations have changed to incorporate the new information.

2024 Quality Assurance Findings
This report summarises the findings from the Ringa Hora Quality Assurance focus on security providers during 2024.

2024 Security Industry Action Plan
Ringa Hora are pleased to release our 2024 Security Industry Action Plan.  It presents a security industry specific picture, including what’s top of mind for the industry, industry data, and actions that industry, Government and providers at large can take to develop the future workforce together.

The plan can be found here.

 

Ministry of Social Development – Virtual Reality Digital Badges are now live
MSD’s VR training programme now offers job seekers digital badges for their CVs, showcasing their learning records and achievements. This initiative makes it easier for employers to recognise candidates’ strengths and skills. Look out for the badges as records of learning and achievement to help understand the roles job seekers may be best suited for.

VR learning is a scalable, cost-effective way to deliver job awareness and training, so an employee is better prepared to start work. As well as giving a job seeker a taste for what a job is like, it can give a prospective employer an insight into their aptitude and skillset for the job through scenarios. VR helps cater to a wide variety of learning styles. It can be effective for hands-on learners, those who struggle in classroom settings, or job seekers with literacy difficulties.

The programme has been developed with industry, for industry. Learn more about VR Digital Badges and contact [email protected] with any questions or feedback.

MSD delivers VR initiatives in partnership with SkillsVR.

 

Waihanga Ara Rau
Waihanga Ara Rau participated in the Master Electrician Behind the Tools Summit. The Master Electricians Summit regional roadshows have been highly successful in fostering new engagements within the Electrotechnology industry.

Lower Hutt led the way with meaningful discussions around the apprentice models and how to keep the apprentice engaged to complete the apprenticeship with variety of work opportunities.

Hamilton led with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expressing interest, particularly in seeking clearer pathways and consistency in qualifications for apprentices at higher levels.

The Christchurch event was attended by Minister Penny Simmonds who expressed an interest to align trade qualifications with degree level qualifications. A common theme to having a desire towards improved recruitment within the sector, but also clearer pathways toward career progression.

Auckland event rounded off the regional debates of the three previous summits.

Employer Recruitment Methods:

• Some employers are moving away from traditional job advertising platforms (Seek, Trade Me, Job Seekers, LinkedIn) due to overwhelming numbers of CVs, particularly from overseas applicants.
• Instead, they are using social media or word-of-mouth to find candidates.
• Cold calling by job seekers is seen as advantageous.

Challenges in the Electrical Workforce:

• Electronic apprentices are leaving early due to low pay compared to other industries (e.g., hospitality).
• The average age of electronic apprentices is 28 years old.
• There’s a need for government support to assist employers with apprenticeships.

Engaging with Schools:

• Schools should promote awareness of career opportunities in the electronic sector.
• Focus on the pathways available for students entering this sector.

Attraction and Retention in the Electronic Sector:

• Despite the sector’s appeal due to its renewable energy focus and marketability, only 30% of apprentices complete their programs.
• Exit interviews could help identify why apprentices leave the sector and improve retention rates.

 

NZSA Membership

We welcome the following new Corporate Members:

The Connectivity Group Ltd

 

and the following new Associate Company Member:

New Zealand School of Education Ltd

trading as NZSA College

 

and the following new Associate Individual Members:

Craig Taylor

Mark McCall

 

Events

NZISF breakfast meeting
Topic:  Beyond the Board Report: the CISO-Board Relationship in NZ Companies

With cybersecurity finally becoming a priority for boards, this draws into focus the relationship between the board and you, the organisation’s IT Security Manager or CISO. But your interaction with the board is limited and filtered – and do you truly understand the board’s composition, functions, and expectations?

Join us for an eye-opening exploration of the CISO-Board dynamic, tailored specifically to the New Zealand corporate landscape. We’ll consider cybersecurity through the board’s eyes and how to change your interactions into powerful opportunities for organisational change. Don’t miss this chance to boost your own strategic impact and align cybersecurity with boardroom priorities.

Speaker: Stephen Coates

When: 8:00am Thursday 14 November 2024 – via Zoom

For further information and to register please see NZISF.

 

Member Benefits

 

Guardhouse
Guardhouse case study – Watchdog Security

Guardhouse have published a case study about NZSA Member Watchdog Security, and the benefits of using the Guardhouse system. To read the case study please click here.

Guardhouse is an end-to-end workforce management system custom built for NZ security companies. Founded in Australia, Guardhouse is Australia’s leading security specific workforce solution, bringing our product innovation and unique workflow optimisation to the NZ market saving our clients both time and money. Our values that drive your success are customer obsessed, developing unique partnerships, simple yet powerful product design and consistent innovation and R&D.

Some of the funcationality includes, Rostering, Time & Attendance, Payroll & Invoicing + integration to accounting and payroll systemts, Welfare Checks, Incident Reporitng, Compliance Management, Company and Site SOPs with digitial signiture, Customer Portal Access, Tours and Patorls module and much more.

For more information see the Guardhouse website.

 

NZSA HR Advisory Service
A reminder to members that SuccessHR are human resource consultants available for any employment support regarding your employees.

Support offered at no expense to our members is telephone communication support eg. disciplinary, performance. You also have access to individual employment agreements. Any additional support would be charged to you accordingly.

For any support or further information please contact:

Susan Beange
Human Resources Team Lead
[email protected]
021 929 528

Emma Johnston
Human Resources Specialist
[email protected]
021 659 456

 

Strategic Defence
Strategic Defence provides specialist protective products to members of the security industry. These products include stab/ballistic vests, boots, fog-free protective eyewear, hand-held metal detectors, flashlights, and many more. NZSA members qualify for between 10-20% discount. Expert advice, support, and unmatched service.

For more information see the Strategic Defence website.

 

Building Networks Compliance Guidance
Building Networks are the leading authority on building compliance and they are offering a 20% discount for members: Building Networks website.

For industry news, updates, tips and opinions from the frontline, sign up to the Building Networks newsletter or visit their YouTube channel.

 

Mobilcard
NZSA have an agreement with Mobilcard offering members fuel discounts

Key Benefits:

• Up to 16 cents per litre (including GST) discount off the pump price for all diesel and petrol purchased at a discounted Mobilcard acceptor sites. Minimum discount of 12 cents per litre (including GST).
• Available at 330+ sites nationwide. View www.mobilfuelfinder.co.nz to find an acceptor site near you.
• No card or transaction fees.
• No need to manage receipts for tax purposes, all managed under one account.
• Costs can be tracked easily with one monthly invoice. You can also have online access to multiple reports including the fuel consumed by individual vehicles.
• PIN number and purchase restrictions for added security.
• You must be a member of the NZSA to qualify for this offer.

A vehicle consuming 100 litres per week using a discount of up to 6 cents per litre = $6 discount per week.

A vehicle consuming 100 litres per week using the NZSA MOBILCARD discount of up to 16cents per litre = $16 discount per week.

For a company fleet of 20 vehicles that’s potentially an annual saving of over $10,000 per annum.

The discount level is dependent on volume of fuel used per annum.

For further information please email [email protected].

 

First Aid and Refresher Training
Life Care Consultants have extensive experience with first aid training in the security industry and are offering NZSA members a 10% discount on all first aid and refresher training.

For further information please email [email protected].

 

Keeping your team up to date

Like many organisations we are constantly looking for ways to ensure we can communicate effectively with our members and their teams. The best way to stay up to date on NZSA and industry news is via our newsletter. The more people from each company who receive our newsletter, the higher the chance of updates being communicated within the industry.

With this in mind, we welcome you to send us any company contacts who would like to receive our newsletter and we will add them to our distribution list.

Please email any contacts to [email protected].

 

NZSA member referral – strength in numbers

NZSA’s membership has grown strongly over the past year and each new member not only strengthens the Association and the security community, it also enables us to provide you with more benefits and services and a greater voice for the industry. So help grow your community and strengthen your Association by referring a prospective new member.

To refer a prospective member please email details to [email protected].

For details on member benefits please see the NZSA website.