About Us

Every year, each Hobec team dedicates a day to community service. This is an opportunity for our people to spend time out of the office as a team, support initiatives they are passionate about and give back to the communities they care about. Hobec community days take many different forms and cover the whole Bay of Plenty. As the new year kicks off, it’s the perfect time to share some of the activities our people dedicated time to in 2024... In May, Georgina Smith and her property team spent the afternoon at Tauranga Musical Theatre completing a wardrobe makeover, sorting and organizing (and trying on) costumes. TMT is run entirely by volunteers, and it simply wouldn\'t be possible for them to put on the incredible shows they do without the time and energy of their dedicated supporters. Georgina also helps out backstage on their productions, while you’ll find Jeremy Sparrow on stage in the limelight.  John Mackay\'s property and commercial team spent an afternoon at Mount Maunganui Main Beach, cleaning up litter from the dunes. Some interesting things were found, including a road cone and a barbie doll leg.  The corporate and finance team spent an afternoon in July with the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Te Puke Highschool Project K, cooking up a storm of freezer meals for those in the community who might need them. Ruby Bell is also a mentor for Project K students, and this was another fun and rewarding way to work with them.  Tauranga\'s litigation team hit the beach in September and spent the afternoon planting with Coast Care Bay of Plenty, a coastal restoration programme that aims to restore and protect the sand dunes along our Bay of Plenty beaches. Fierce debates regarding optimal hole depth and fertilizer ratios could be heard, as well as Partners trying to find the best reception amongst the dunes to check their emails.  The wonderful women in our family team spent an October morning at Papamoa College for Kura Kai. Kura Kai is an organisation which lives by the value of manaakitanga (generosity and care for others) with a simple kaupapa of “Whānau cooking for Whānau”. They do this by raising funds to purchase chest freezers, which are donated to the High Schools they support. Local community volunteers then give their time, money and resources to cook nutritious meals to keep the freezers well stocked. Our team prepared 15 family-sized meals, which the school then distributes to rangatahi and whānau who need them.  Our Admin, Accounts and AML teams headed over to Rotorua in early October and spent the day clearing and preparing trails ahead of the Whaka 100. As well as getting stuck in with spades and hedge trimmers, Holland Beckett also sponsors the Whaka 100’s huge volunteer contingent, recognising and rewarding those who donate their time and vibes to the event. Many of our team use trails throughout Rotorua’s forests on a regular basis, walking and mountain biking, so seeing what goes in to keeping these maintained and safe to use year-round by so many passionate people was inspiring - not to mention, it’s a beautiful place to spend the day!  In October our HR team, along with some of our Admin and AML team, went across the road to the Tauranga Pregnancy Choice Centre to volunteer for the day. Pregnancy Choice provides information and support to women facing an unexpected pregnancy, including free pregnancy testing, counselling, information about abortion and adoption and support groups. Our people cleared winter clothing and replaced the racks with summer stock, with the winter clothing put out in boxes for people to take for free. They cleaned and disinfected toys, vacuumed and wiped down shelves, and organised the newborn baby donations. They also created baby boxes for expecting mums, and sorted, tagged and priced clothing donations for the Graced Opp Shop and Koha shop. All the earnings raised through the opp shop go towards assisting Pregnancy Choice and the Koha shop, and it is run completely by volunteers (aside from management). As spring growth took hold, our employment team put their green thumbs to use at Awhina House, clearing and tidying the garden to be enjoyed by the women who live there. Awhina House provides transitional housing support and wraparound services for women in need, working with a range of other local providers. Employment law specialist Sophie Law is a trustee of He Kaupapa Kotahitanga Charitable Trust (HKKT) which operates Awhina House, their mission statement is to \"nurture, advocate for, and protect displaced women in Tauranga Moana\" with a vision that \"no woman in Tauranga Moana wake up in the morning without a hopeful future\". Our Whakatāne team spent a Friday in early November painting the new Whakatāne Kiwi Trust space on The Strand, which will be a fun and interactive space for locals and visitors to learn about the Kiwi Trust and the work they do to protect the precious kiwi who live right on the doorstep of Whakatāne. Our team is passionate about this initiative, Jayden McNeil is a trustee, and the firm also sponsors the Trust to help them continue their dedicated work.  To close out the year, our Rotorua office (along with some Tauranga additions) spent a day with Tipu Wai Trust on Tarawera Road. The team purchased and planted native seedlings, and then spent time clearing weeds around previously planted natives. Tipu Wai Trust are a hands-on not-for-profit, who work to restore, regenerate and rebuild the Waiāriki waterways and native fish species.  Community days are a rewarding and insightful part of Hobec’s community commitment, allowing our people to give back and be present in the communities they care about. These wonderful organisations are always on the lookout for help if you have any spare time on your hands. For more information or to get involved in any of the initiatives, see below: Tauranga Musical Theatre Graeme Dingle Foundation Coast Care Bay of Plenty Kura Kai Whaka 100 Tauranga Pregnancy Choice Centre Awhina House Whakatāne Kiwi Trust Tipu Wai Trust

We are proud to be one of the six founding signatories of the Framework for Collaborative Pro Bono in Aotearoa. The country\'s first pro bono network, the Collaborative Framework is a strategic group which aims to enhance access to justice for all New Zealanders, especially our most vulnerable communities. Along with the 25 hour target set for each lawyer, to motivate more pro bono work, the framework provides a network to align with, sharing knowledge to improve efficiencies and the impact of pro bono work nationally. Tim Conder contributed to the development of this initiative, led by Te Ara Ture, along with five other firms - Gilbert Walker, Simpson Grierson, DLA Piper, Russel McVeagh and Luke Cunningham Clere. \"As a litigator, I have seen first hand the challenges that many clients face in accessing justice. This is one of the reasons why I\'ve been so eager to see more lawyers providing Pro Bono (and Legal Aid) services. Te Are Ture has been doing important work in this area, providing Community Law Centres with a network of lawyers who can achieve positive outcomes for clients who would not otherwise have the assistance of a lawyer. But that depends on as many lawyers as possible putting their hand to the wheel.\" Tim sees cross-firm collaboration as key to creating more successful and impactful use of pro bono time. A structured pathway and a platform for collaboration, the group will share ideas and best practice, report on targets, and work together to solve challenges - ensuring pro bono work is more effectively tailored to serve those who need it and facilitating more high-quality services nationally. One of Holland Beckett\'s core values is community and pro bono work plays a key role in our commitment to supporting the communities we are part of. This framework is a significant step towards improving access to justice for the more vulnerable and will support New Zealand lawyers to give back to communities in need. As one of the \'founding firms\', we look forward to many more joining the network to support each other and make a difference together. For more information on joing the collective, you can visit the Te Ara Ture website here: Pro Bono Framework - Te Ara Ture

It’s official. On the morning of 25 September William (Bill) Beau Holland was welcomed to Government House by Dame Cindy Kiro to receive his Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit award (CNZM) at an investiture ceremony.   After a lifetime of dedication to the Tauranga community and further afield, Bill was made CNZM for services to community governance and philanthropy in this year\'s Kings Birthday Honours. The ceremony was for Bill and others to receive their awards.   Having been born and raised, educated and spending most of his life in Tauranga, Bill has a very deep knowledge of the city, business and local community. Holland Beckett was founded by Bill’s late father and Bill was a partner in the firm for 40 years. From that position, he has acted as legal adviser to many of Tauranga’s leading businesspeople and community organisations, and gained recognition as a business leader himself and philanthropist.  He sees this experience as a lawyer as “one thing leading to another”, leading to over 20 years of governance in a range of community trusts and organisations.  Amongst his work, Bill helped found the Acorn Foundation (2003) which he chaired until 2011. He has remained an ambassador for the organisation, which has gifted almost $20 million to the community since its inception.  As the Chair of TECT, Tauranga Energy Community Trust, Bill led the organisation through the period of transformation from a consumer trust into a community trust when they needed a lawyer at the helm. He became a trustee of TECT in 2012 and has been chairperson since 2014.  Bill also serves on a number of national and local charitable trusts, voluntary boards, and advisory committees. He has been a trustee of the Assisting Different Abilities Peoples Trust (Adapt) Trust since 2018, the Wright Family Foundation since 2014, and he was a founding trustee of the Legacy Trust in 2007, established by former mayor Greg Brownless. He was also the chairman of the Tauranga Boys’ College Board of Trustees for 12 years.  Bill has always been and remains humble despite the honour, always shifting the acknowledgement back onto those he worked with. “In any successful organisation like TECT, you need to have a good team of people. Really all I’ve been doing is just part of the team, and I’ve played my role, other people have played their roles and between us, good things have happened.”  But fortunately, the lifetime that Bill has dedicated to his community has not gone unnoticed and his CNZM is the latest in a very well-deserved list of recognition, including being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2012.  Holland Beckett is proud to have Bill as part of their team, inspiring the next generations in the legal profession to live the value of ‘community’ and dedicate time and effort to endeavors they are passionate about and benefit others. Bill explained that “All of the money that’s gone into community groups has transformed people’s lives” and that being a part of that transformation has made him lucky and given him a very fulfilling life. Finally slowing down in his legal work, Bill continues his community and philanthropic work and continues to inspire others to. 

This week we are celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week. The learning and use of Te Reo is something that Holland Beckett supports and encourages, recognising the importance of diversity, inclusion and Māori customs to our firm, the business and legal space, and the wider community. Over the last few months, our people have had the option to join weekly in-house Te Reo classes. The firm has run these classes previously, to very positive engagement and feedback from staff, and the second series run by kaiako (teacher) Atirau has been a great learning opportunity for our team. “The classes provide a basic grasp of Te Reo (including pronunciations and a ko wai au/pepeha), Tikanga practices, local myths and legends”, Cory Lipinski explains. This was the first time beyond school that he has taken a Te Reo course, and he has enjoyed the challenge of learning something new that is important to him. “As someone who lacked a proper understanding of Te Ao Māori, I wanted to have a grasp on the language, customs and traditions and their importance to Aotearoa. I believe that everyone in Aotearoa should have a grasp of Te Reo, whether this be speaking and reading the language or a basic understanding of the pronunciation of words. Given that there is a general stance from Government to disincentivise the use of Te Reo and a push back from our own profession to introducing tikanga Māori into the law courses, I think use of Te Reo in everyday activities needs to become the usual practice.”   Cory is a Solicitor in our environment and planning team - “a large part of our work in environmental and planning law is associated with the effects that projects may have on mana whenua. It is important that we have a firm grasp of the Māori language and Tikanga.”  Senior Solicitor Waiata Groot also joined the classes. She is deepening her knowledge of the language “because many of the ongoing challenges Māori face in society today are better understood if we, as individuals and a collective, expand our knowledge on Te Ao Māori (the Māori world view – including the Māori language, the customs and traditions, embracing Māori stories, and understanding their importance)”. This is important to her as Māori she has “seen firsthand the value in both Māori and non-Māori having mutual respect for different ways of doing things and working collaboratively to achieve for results everyone (which, simply put, can only be done if we understand and appreciate cultural differences).”   As a family lawyer, Waiata sees encompassing this knowledge into her work as not only relevant, but essential - “for example, from a care of children perspective, two of the seven principles that NZ Courts must consider when making decisions regarding children include consideration of a child’s relationship with both parents, and that a child’s relationship with his or her family group, whānau, hapū, or iwi should be preserved and strengthened, and, consideration of a child’s identity which includes the child\'s culture.”  Also in our Family Law team, Hannah Robins wasn’t born in Aotearoa and joined the classes as she feels it is “important to have understanding of the values and Tikanga especially while working in the family court”, to better grasp pronunciation and “to learn my mihi enough to confidently speak it in public”. Along with everyone in the class, Hannah praised Atirau as an great teacher, “he has incorporated games and activities into the learning which has made it fun. He is also very good at giving feedback and I don’t think anyone has felt embarrassed or judged if they haven’t known something”.  This Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori we\'re encouraging the whole firm to get involved with Te Reo Māori phrases and cue cards in and around the office, competitions for the use of Te Reo, and Te Reo Māori Bingo along with a Hangi lunch.  Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama. Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.

A Will is perhaps the most important piece of paper you can leave behind to support your loved ones.  Why do you need a Will, what happens if you pass without a Will, and how best should you prepare your Will for your circumstances? Download our Wills Month Information Pack. September is Wills Month. Holland Beckett offer a free “Simple Will” if you leave a gift to charity in your Will. Speak to the Holland Beckett Succession and Estates team about Wills Month and what charity giving options would best suit you. Contact the team on estates@hobec.co.nz or call our offices on 07 578 2199.

For 15 years now, Holland Beckett has been donating their TECT rebate to the Tauranga Community Foodbank. This tradition began at the end of 2009 when the global financial crisis was putting pressure on many and the Foodbank was strained to provide for those who needed them, with Christmas just around the corner.   Unfortunately, the global financial crisis that started this initiative has been replaced by a housing and cost of living crisis and the demand on the Foodbank only increases. What began as a one-off donation where the firm saw a need, has now become a long-standing tradition.  Holland Beckett’s Bill Holland has been the chairman of TECT since 2014, leading the organisation though transformational change into a community trust. “Tect has been absolutely transformational for Tauranga. The contribution to the community ... is now in excess of a massive $20m a year\". Bill was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List, for services to community governance and philanthropy. The firm is proud to also champion ‘community’ as one of its core values, committed to supporting the BOP community in a variety of ways.   The firm views the TECT dividends as windfall, not allocated in the budget, and so it is easy to pass on to a good cause. It is a way of closing the loop and returning the profits generated by TECT to the community. Fifteen years later and that initial idea has grown into something really meaningful, with Hobec\'s rebates gifted to Tauranga Community Foodbank now totaling $29, 843. Hobec Solicitor Sarah Burns is on the Board of the Tauranga Community Foodbank - “We are immensely grateful to Holland Beckett for their annual donation. The Foodbank has been around since 1991, over this period demand has continued to grow and as a result so has our need for donations and volunteers. On average, the Foodbank provides over 20,000 meals a month to those in our community. We know right now a large number of households are really struggling due to the current economic environment, with the generosity of our donors we are able to step in and ensure these families don’t go without nutritious meals.”  With TECT rebates to be distributed for years to come, Holland Beckett will continue to pass these on to the Tauranga Community Foodbank as one of the firms many charity initiatives.  If you are also a recipient of the rebate, in the spirit of TECT, why not consider also paying it forward? 

Congratulations to our very own Bill Holland, who was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the King’s Birthday honours yesterday. Bill’s honour is for services to community governance and philanthropy, recognition of a lifetime dedicated to serving the community in Tauranga and further afield, giving back and always leading by example. We are extremely proud of Bill and this incredible, well-deserved achievement. You can read more in the news: King’s Birthday Honours 2024: Bill Holland made Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit - NZ Herald SunLive - The King honours Bill Holland - The Bay\'s News First View the full 2024 honours list: King\'s Birthday Honours List 2024 | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)  

So, you have come up with an idea for a new charity or group to support others. That’s great! New Zealand communities are built on volunteer groups. However, you may have heard horror stories about administrative problems with community groups and want to avoid these issues from happening to you. Choosing the correct structure for your group will get you started on the right footing, making it easier to achieve your goals. Incorporated or unincorporated? The first question to ask is whether you require an incorporated entity. Becoming incorporated increases administration requirements which can result in a charity or group being run inefficiently. It can therefore be tempting to stay unincorporated. However, this comes with risks and drawbacks. An incorporated entity has separate legal identity, meaning it can enter into contracts, own property and hire employees. Perhaps most importantly people participating in an incorporated entity have limited liability. This means that in most circumstances they will not personally be responsible for any costs or legal issues that the entity might incur. This is important from a practical as well as legal perspective, because most people are less willing to volunteer their time when it involves personal risk. Examples of limited liability entities include, incorporated societies, charitable trust boards and companies. Incorporated society Most people will be familiar with incorporated societies through various community clubs, associations and societies. An incorporated society is created with a specific set of objects or goals that it must work towards. For example, a local sports club might have the objects of supporting athletes and promoting sport within the local area. An incorporated society must have at least 15 members, with corporate bodies being deemed as three members. The members are responsible for the direction the society takes by voting on resolutions and electing a committee for the day to day running of the society. Incorporated societies are democratic and so they are well suited for collaborative ventures or community groups where members can vote on society decisions. Note that the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 recently came into force which will affect how societies are run. Registered charitable trust board Charitable trusts are entities that are created with an express charitable purpose. They operate as an incorporated entity through establishing a charitable trust board. This can be done by the trustees of a trust, or alternatively an unincorporated society can apply to incorporate as a trust board (this should not be confused with an incorporated society). A charitable trust board needs at least one trustee or five members of a society. Being a registered charitable trust typically makes it easier to receive donations and grants that align with its charitable purposes. Note that charitable trusts are not the only entities that can operate as a charity. Societies and companies can also achieve charitable status by becoming registered under the Charities Act 2005. Charitable company A more uncommon option is establishing a company to operate as a charity or community group. This may seem strange because most people only know of companies as for-profit entities. However, a company can register as a charity provided that its constitution excludes shareholders from receiving dividends. Companies are very effective closely held entities, and can be established with just a single director and shareholder. This can give the entity more flexibility to operate without relying on multiple trustees or society members to vote on. While a charitable company will not be suitable in some circumstances it is an option to consider when setting up a charitable entity. Conclusion Choosing which entity to use for a community group or charity is not just a simple box ticking exercise. The right entity and structure will help avoid administrative difficulties and costs in the future. It is important to get legal advice. Holland Beckett Law is passionate about assisting local not-for-profit and community organisations. Please reach out if you would like to discuss setting up a community or charitable group. We would be happy to help you choose the best option for your circumstances and assist with registration requirements.

If you are involved with sports clubs, religious groups, other community or social associations, or even certain iwi organisations – the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (the Act) may affect you and your organisation. At over 100 years old, the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 was no longer able to keep up with the needs of New Zealand’s 24,000 incorporated societies. The new Act came into force on 6 April 2022 and puts in place a more modern governance framework for societies and the volunteers who administer them. It aims to give more guidance to these self-governing groups and provides new dispute resolution options that did not exist previously. Now that it is enacted, societies need to understand how they are affected by the Act and what needs to be done to transition to the new regime. This is particularly important because failing to comply (and failing to re-register) will result in the de-registration of the society. Fortunately, the provisions do not come into force all at once, but over a staggered transitional period of around three and a half years. Key changes The Act makes a number of key changes to the current framework including: Registration:  All incorporated societies will be required to re-register under the Act by 1 December 2025. Failure to re-register by this date will mean that a society ceases to exist. To re-register societies must satisfy the new requirements under the Act. Constitution:  The Act will require all societies to have a constitution which provides specific detail of the composition, roles, powers, functions and procedures of the committee. This is more substantial than what is required under the former Act. The Act also expressly acknowledges the ability for a society to incorporate and express tikanga practices within its constitution. Minimum membership requirements:  The minimum number of members has reduced from 15 to 10. All societies will be required to start with and maintain a membership of at least 10 members. Bodies corporate will continue to count as 3 members. Consent:  Every person must consent to becoming a member of a society. With groups like sports clubs, it may not be clear that signing up means joining as a member of the incorporated society. Committees:  All societies must have a committee (a governing body) which is comprised of at least three members of the society who are appointed as officers. This is a new requirement which was not provided for in the 1908 Act. The Act outlines the core duties of the committee such as managing or directly supervising the affairs of the society. It also outlines the qualification criteria for members and other officers. Officers:  The Act codifies existing common law duties owed by officers. These align with those under the Companies Act 1993 and include: The duty to act in good faith and in the best interests of the society. The duty to exercise powers as an officer for a proper purpose. The duty not to act, or agree to the society acting, in a manner that contravenes the Act or the constitution of the society. The duty to exercise the care and diligence that a reasonable person with the same responsibilities would in the same circumstances. The duty not to permit the activities of the society to be carried out in a manner that is likely to create a substantial risk of serious loss to creditors. The duty not to permit the society to incur an obligation unless the officer believes at that time on reasonable grounds that the society will be able to perform the obligation when it is required to do so. These duties are owed to the society rather than to members. However, a member can apply to the Court to enforce those duties. Dispute Resolution:  Societies must have procedures in place to resolve disputes and grievances. These can be personal to a society but must meet minimum procedural requirements including natural justice requirements. Reporting:  Societies will be required to prepare financial statements and accounting records that comply with generally accepted accounting practice. Requirements for this are size-based, with larger societies being required to have their accounts audited. Offences:  The Act outlines various offences including making false or misleading statements, fraudulent use or destruction of property, falsification of register, records, or documents, operating fraudulently or dishonestly incurring debt, improper use of “Incorporated”, “Inc.”, or “Manatōpū”. Financial Gain:  The Act tightens provisions relating to a society not being for financial gain and provides guidance as to when a society will be considered to be operating for the financial gain of its members. Following this it introduces a fine not exceeding $50,000 for failure to comply with this rule. Amalgamation:  The Act allows two or more societies to amalgamate. This is essentially a simplified version of the amalgamation process contained in the Companies Act 1993. Enforcement:  Enforcement provisions will be introduced which outline who is able to apply for Court orders and the type of order a Court can make. This is important to ensure accountability where there may be a breach of constitution or officer duties. Registrar:  The registrar of Incorporated Societies will have reinstated functions and powers, with the addition of wider powers to inspect, copy and take possession of documents and standing to initiate enforcement proceedings if it is in the public interest to do so. What do you need to do? If you are an officer, or otherwise involved with a society’s governance, you will need to consider how the above changes impact your organisation. You should: Review your membership application process to ensure that you are clearly seeking and obtaining consent to become a member of your club or organisation. Review your constitution to ensure it is compliant with the regulations in the Act and if not, make necessary changes. Review your members’ register to ensure it is up to date and that you meet minimum membership requirements. Consider whether your current officers meet the new criteria to continue as officers. Prepare your application for re-registration and ensure it complies with regulations in the Act (including s 5(3) of Schedule 1). Apply for re-registration of your society before 1 December 2025. It is not yet possible to register under the new Act. But it is important that societies are prepared and ready to step into the new regime when the time comes. Well governed societies may benefit from beginning the transition, consulting members on updates to their rules or constitution, and being ready for registration, which will be looked upon favourably by members, sponsors and funders. Holland Beckett Law is passionate about assisting local not-for-profit and community organisations. Please reach out if you would like to discuss how the above changes are going to affect your society. We would be happy to assist you through the re-registration process, or review your rules/constitution to ensure compliance.

Congratulations to the Stingrays who took out the Holland Beckett Law sponsored Women\'s event at Water Polo on the Waterfront earlier this month. Partner John Mackay was on hand to present the team with their well-earned trophy. Click here to watch the official highlights video.

Congratulations to Samantha Charlton taking out the Holland Beckett Law 2019 Sportswoman of the Year award at the Bay of Plenty Sports Awards on Saturday night. https://www.sportbop.co.nz/news--results/sam-cane-wins-top-honour-at-2019-bay-of-plenty-sports-awards/ https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/227360-sam-cane-wins-top-honour-at-bop-sports-awards.html

Rotorua’s Te Aka Mauri received a mobility scooter charging station on Friday 15 November, thanks to the generosity and collaboration of local businesses alongside Rotorua Lakes Council’s Safe and Sustainable Journeys team. Unison and Holland Beckett saw the value that the charging station would have for the Rotorua community and sponsored the cost of the unit. Unison Relationship Manager, Danny Gough, said Unison was excited to be involved in the project. “We’ve partnered with the Council on many key community projects over the years, including the sponsoring of the Lakes Safety Programme, Energy Events Centre, The Rotorua Night Market and Te Aka Mauri, so we welcome this latest opportunity to contribute further to the Rotorua community.” “While we have an electric vehicle charging station in Rotorua, a mobility scooter charging station is a first for us. Our sponsorship means more people in Rotorua can get out and about and Te Aka Mauri is a key local community hub that plays a vital role in improving the wellbeing of our community”, Danny from Unison says. Simon Collett from Holland Beckett also agreed that the unit was a big step forward, not just for community groups that struggle with accessibility, but for setting a new standard for public facilities.  “We were delighted to be offered the opportunity to contribute in some way to Te Aka Mauri. Te Aka Mauri represents a really unique solution for the Rotorua community, and the charging station is yet another innovative amenity that sets this library apart from others.” said Mr Collett. This project stems from the Safe and Sustainable Journeys Implementation Plan (SASIP), which aims to improve journeys for those with accessibility issues. The SASIP governance group works alongside CCS Disability to achieve improved outcomes and opportunities for everyone to get around our beautiful city. The charging station is located under the stairwell in Te Aka Mauri and will help ensure people that use mobility scooters have enough power for their trip home.

The Tauranga office was treated to a talk from Leo Murray of Why Waste this week, the Crocodile Hunter of worms. We have hired four worm farms from him that he will regularly service to lower our food waste, a subscription he offers to homes and businesses alike. The man loves worms. https://www.whywaste.co.nz/ We learned that food waste in landfill doesn’t break down as nature intended and produces extra greenhouse gases. Although we have had a worm farm for several years at the Tauranga office it was not keeping up with all of our waste. Having Murray manage the system has made it a lot more successful.

The Rotorua office won the inaugural Paint the Town Pink Challenge supporting the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust. Our “Pink-achu” is fashioned from Post It notes and is a bold statement of our community spirit.

Ally McEldowneywas voted in as President of the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives Bay of Plenty Gisborne Branch Inc at the AGM held on 24 October 2019. Ally has been the branches Secretary for the past four years and is looking forward to her new role. The branch has over 130 members and has just celebrated its 30th anniversary. As the President Ally will represent the branch on the National Council of the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives Inc as well as facilitating meetings and hosting functions for its members. National Council work to ensure that the integrity of the term “Registered Legal Executive” is upheld and strive for better recognition for the Institute’s members. Registered Legal Executives with at least 12 months experience can witness donor signatures to enduring powers of attorney under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 and Fellows of the Institute can witness statutory declarations under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957.

John Mackay’s Property/Commercial team took their community day out of the office weeding the dunes! Dunes are important for acting as a barrier between the ocean and inland areas. Weeds don’t do the job as well as natives so no one wants them there. Good Neighbour provided the team’s lunch using food that would have otherwise been thrown out, and apparently it was delicious. Two community initiatives in one day – great work team!

A bunch of keen Hobec people volunteered to do a clean-up of Fergusson Park with ASB Bank. Key highlights were: Finding a high proportion of rubbish was bagged dog poo; Vanessa’s find of used toilet paper (despite the public toilet nearby); Hayley from ASB finding an ANZAC cross; and Finding multiple items of drug paraphernalia – most collected by Simon. Matt Searles trophy rubbish find was a road sign in the bush. The group collected 10 buckets of rubbish, which was a great effort! It was good to catch up with the ASB team and meet the locals (many of whom thanked us for our work) and friendly/hungry dogs along the way. Sian Candish ASB Branch Manager sent through some lovely feedback… Thanks to all that could attend yesterday. Team HOBEC thank you for joining us –look forward to more sustainable networking events to come in the future. It was a really great way to spend an enjoyable afternoon (bar the wind).  While not trailer loads of rubbish it still all counts and anything removed is a positive for our community.

Holland Beckett Law are once again sponsoring the BOP Sportswoman of the Year award for 2019. The finalists have been announced: Samantha Charlton- Hockey Rose Keddell - Hockey Lesley Elder - Rugby Union Natalie Peat - Surf Life Saving Eva Morris - Synchronised Swimming Read the full press release from Sport Bay of Plenty. https://www.sportbop.co.nz/news--results/2019-bay-of-plenty-sports-awards-finalists/

Two Hobec Teams competed in the Motu Challenge on Saturday 12 October in Opotiki. The day was full of promise at the 7 am start. The weather was clearing and the teams were enthusiastic. John MacKay and James McDougall set off with 127 other competitors on their Mountain Bikes for a 65 km largely uphill ride up the old Motu gravel road to Motu town ship. James managed a healthy lead on John by the time he handed over to Dan Broadhurst for the 16 km bush run, with John handing over to Sam Tabak. Good run times by both meant that Dan still had the lead when he handed over to Barry Hennessy (Justine’s husband who got the late call up that morning to do the 52km road cycle in the driving rain). Sam tagged Simon Collett a while later. I am sure Simon would say that the storm of biblical proportions that hit as he was cresting the summit of the road cycle was not funny. The road cycle took Simon and Barry up to Matawai and then down into the Waioeka Gorge. Barry handed over to Luke Stewart in the Kayak. The river was in flood with all the rain so it was a fast 27 km paddle. Unless you swim 1.5 km of it trying to catch up to your kayak in 15 degrees water. Thanks to the pictured jet boat the kayak was eventually returned to its rightful owner and the paddling could continue. In the meantime Simon had tagged Tyler Tabak (Sam’s brother for the other kayak leg). The rain continued to pour down. Rachel Rosser cycled the last 8 km into town and ran the last 3km, to the finish line to carry the Hobec Hopefuls to victory over the fast finishing Tom Lawson, for the Hobec Hobblers. The sun was out in time for Dan Broadhurst to present prizes to the competitors in the Holland Beckett Law Sponsored Motu Duathlon section of this iconic multisport event. For more information about this spectacular event click through to the Motu website where the countdown clock is already ticking down to the 2020 Motu Challenge. Two Hobec Teams competed in the Motu Challenge on Saturday 12 October in Opotiki. The day was full of promise at the 7 am start. The weather was clearing and the teams were enthusiastic. John MacKay and James McDougall set off with 127 other competitors on their Mountain Bikes for a 65 km largely uphill ride up the old Motu gravel road to Motu town ship. James managed a healthy lead on John by the time he handed over to Dan Broadhurst for the 16 km bush run, with John handing over to Sam Tabak. Good run times by both meant that Dan still had the lead when he handed over to Barry Hennessy (Justine’s husband who got the late call up that morning to do the 52km road cycle in the driving rain). Sam tagged Simon Collett a while later. I am sure Simon would say that the storm of biblical proportions that hit as he was cresting the summit of the road cycle was not funny. The road cycle took Simon and Barry up to Matawai and then down into the Waioeka Gorge. Barry handed over to Luke Stewart in the Kayak. The river was in flood with all the rain so it was a fast 27 km paddle. Unless you swim 1.5 km of it trying to catch up to your kayak in 15 degrees water. Thanks to the pictured jet boat the kayak was eventually returned to its rightful owner and the paddling could continue. In the meantime Simon had tagged Tyler Tabak (Sam’s brother for the other kayak leg). The rain continued to pour down. Rachel Rosser cycled the last 8 km into town and ran the last 3km, to the finish line to carry the Hobec Hopefuls to victory over the fast finishing Tom Lawson, for the Hobec Hobblers. The sun was out in time for Dan Broadhurst to present prizes to the competitors in the Holland Beckett Law Sponsored Motu Duathlon section of this iconic multisport event. For more information about this spectacular event click through to the Motu website where the countdown clock is already ticking down to the 2020 Motu Challenge. https://www.motuchallenge.co.nz/

The Westpac Business Excellence Awards were held in Rotorua on the 5th of October. Holland Beckett Law Associate, James McDougall, was on hand to present the Holland Beckett Law Excellence in Service Award which was won by Cheal, a civil / structural / geotechnical engineering, land surveying and resource management planning firm. It was also nice to see DCA Architects of Transformation take out the Supreme Winner award. Darryl Church and the team are responsible for the beautiful fitout in our Rotorua office. For more details on all the 2019 winners click through to the Chamber of Commerce website. https://www.rotoruachamber.co.nz/events-training/westpac-business-excellence-awards/