Trimax Mowing Systems, a manufacturer and exporter of premium mowing equipment, has won the ExportNZ ASB Bay of Plenty Exporter of the Year Award at a gala event this evening held at the Mercury Baypark arena in Mount Maunganui.
Kiwi-made lawn mowers used by groundskeepers at Windsor Castle
Trimax has sold more than 33,000 lawn mower decks worldwide from its base in Tauranga, with revenue having tripled in the last five years. The New Zealand-made lawn mowers are trusted by groundskeepers in locations as varied as Windsor Castle in the UK to multiple PGA golf courses in the United States.
High-precision control devices sold to alternative fuel markets globally
Oasis Engineering, a manufacturer of high-pressure control devices for gases, won the Excellence in Innovation Award. The company first rose to fame in the 1980s by developing a ball valve for CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) tanks, which became the industry standard.
Today, Oasis Engineering operates a specialist high-precision turning and machining factory in Tauranga, from where it exports control devices to more than 40 countries. The company is recognised as an exemplar in the use of automation and robotics, and for outstanding product development in the global alternative fuel market.
Providing cloud-based workspaces for US healthcare professionals
The Best Emerging Business Award was won by Carepatron, a provider of secure, cloud-based healthcare workspaces for clinicians to manage clients, appointments and payments.
The company uses technology, and AI in particular, in its customer support and product development. Founded in 2021, today Carepatron is hyperscaling exports into the US market, where it is growing rapidly.
Individuals making significant contributions to export success
There were two joint winners of the Export Achievement Award, which recognises an individual who has made a material contribution to the export success of a business. These were Sarah Webb of LawVu and Karl Stevenson of Bluelab.
Sarah Webb has been a founding force behind LawVu, which provides cloud-based legal workspaces for in-house legal teams. Currently, the Chief Operating Officer, Webb has been instrumental in transforming LawVu into a globally recognised legal tech platform.
Karl Stevenson is the Head of Product at Bluelab, a manufacturer of precision instruments for measuring pH, electrical conductivity and temperature in controlled agricultural environments.
Stevenson is recognised as a champion of design thinking in New Zealand’s export sector. He has also made a lasting impact on the Tauranga business community, having co-founded local Design Thinking Meetups, which foster a culture of innovation and collaboration, and are open to everyone from entrepreneurs to engineers.
Tauranga entrepreneur Steve Saunders recognised with Services to Export Award
Finally, the Services to Export Award was presented to Steve Saunders for his outstanding contribution to the exporting success of the Bay of Plenty region. The co-founder of Robotics Plus, and numerous other exporting businesses, Saunders has served for 12 years on Priority One, the economic development organisation for the Western Bay of Plenty.
He co-founded the Newnham Park Innovation Centre, as well as Mount Pack & Cool, one of the largest and most technologically advanced packhouses in the Bay of Plenty.
Saunders champions Māori investment in agriculture and innovation, and is a long-time supporter of the Young Innovators Awards for Year 7-13 students.
Celebrating the Bay of Plenty exporting community
The awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of Bay of Plenty businesses and individuals who export goods and services to markets around the world.
The event is proudly supported by principal sponsor ASB, as well as Sharp Tudhope, Air NZ Cargo, Page Macrae, Zespri, and Orbit Travel, and supporting partners NZTE, Comvita and Port of Tauranga.
The awards are organised by the EMA on behalf of ExportNZ. EMA Chief Executive John Fraser-Mackenzie says, “The EMA is an integral part of the Bay of Plenty business community, so we’re delighted these awards showcase the inspiring businesses and individuals from the region who are succeeding in offshore markets. Well done to all the winners!
“The awards are more than just recognition, they’re a platform for sharing insights, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the network of export-focused companies that drive the region’s economic success.”
Chair of the ExportNZ BoP Executive Committee Warwick Downing says, “This year’s winners exemplify the innovation, resilience, and global ambition that define the Bay of Plenty’s export community.
“Their success is a testament to the region’s ability to compete, and thrive, on the world stage.”
Head of Trade Finance at ASB Bank Mike Atkins says, “We congratulate all the winners; they are true export champions of the Bay of Plenty region.
“At ASB, we are passionate about enabling exporters to scale up, be it through working capital funding or other advisory initiatives across productivity, sustainability, clean tech, and food and fibre. Our partnership with ExportNZ in celebrating these awards underscores that commitment.”
Executive Director of ExportNZ Josh Tan says, “These awards showcase the significant contribution this region makes to New Zealand’s exporting success.
“Congratulations to all the winners on their outstanding achievements, which highlight the export sector’s strong start to the year and reinforce our nation’s well-earned reputation for quality in products and services.”
Complete list of winners and full judges’ citations – ExportNZ ASB Bay of Plenty Export Awards
1. Exporter of the Year – in partnership with Sharp Tudhope
Winner: Trimax Mowing Systems – a designer and manufacturer of tractor-powered rotary and flail mowers for commercial use.
Highly Commended: LawVu
This award recognises the outstanding success of a business that is established in its international growth journey, with more than five years of international operations and total annual revenue above $5 million.
Judges’ citation: The judges were impressed by Trimax’s continued commitment to innovate and grow in their niche but hugely valuable market. The company has built up extensive dealer networks in the United States, the UK and Australia, and Trimax mowers are trusted by groundmen in locations as varied as England’s Windsor Castle to PGA golf courses in the United States.
The company’s leadership has embedded innovation and product development throughout the enterprise, and their growth in recent times shows that this is paying divid
Source: ASB
ASB has declined a proposal by plaintiffs to settle the current class action case against the bank.
The proposal was announced to media the day before the Select Committee hearings on the CCCFA Amendment Bill. In ASB’s view this is an obvious attempt to influence and distract from this process by attempting to reassure Government about the potential risk to New Zealand banks under this piece of law.
ASB does not understand the basis for the figures presented in the proposal or consider that they operate as an effective cap on the size of the plaintiffs' claim in the proceeding, including as the proposal is said to expire on 8 August 2025.
The settlement offer received provides no certainty to ASB or other banks which may become subject to similar class actions, or to the sector as a whole.
Source: PSA
Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA) is expressing outrage at the conduct of David Seymour for his offensive treatment of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – and its disappointment that this stance was endorsed by the Prime Minister.
PSA Kaihautū Janice Panoho called on the Prime Minister to issues a formal apology to the Rapporteur, Dr Albert Barume, and for Foreign Minister Winston Peters to provide a meaningful, Tiriti-consistent response to the UN to the concerns raised with them about the Regulatory Standards Bill and the erosion of Māori rights that have occurred under this government.
“The Rapporteur was simply doing his job in seeking a response from the government to legitimate concerns that have been raised with the UN.
“David Seymour’s disrespectful response to the Rapporteur not only undermined Foreign Minister Winston Peters who is responsible for leading our diplomatic relations, it was also ignorant and reeked of colonial defensiveness.
“This further exposes this government’s complete disregard for the foundational place of Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa. The Regulatory Standards Bill, for example, deliberately excludes Māori worldviews, ignores tikanga, and seeks to erase Te Tiriti obligations, and when the international community raises red flags, the response is open hostility.
“Even more disturbing is the Prime Minister’s public admission that he ‘fully agrees’ with the contents of Seymour’s letter. This is not a mere misstep in process, this is an active and deliberate dismissal of indigenous rights, and a signal to Māori and the global community that this government believes it is above scrutiny.
“This coalition government continues to prove itself unfit to govern in a Tiriti-based nation. The actions are not just diplomatically embarrassing, they are a direct attack on Māori and our rights as affirmed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and international law,” says Panoho.
“Māori will not be silenced by arrogant dismissals or political games. We will continue to use all available channels to hold this government accountable, nationally and internationally.”
Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
The Royal New Zealand Navy’s (RNZN) multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury has sailed into Suva for annual Operation Calypso, this time with a technologically advanced capability aboard.
Op Calypso focuses on supporting Pacific partners through a range of joint maritime security activities and HMNZS Canterbury carried into the Fijian port advanced capability in the form of Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV) – the Bluebottles Tahi and Rua.
The autonomous vessels can conduct long-endurance operations without requiring refuelling or crew. Propelled and powered by sun, wind and wave action, the Bluebottles are ideal platforms for fishery protection, border patrols, surveillance, and the collection of oceanic and meteorological data.
The RNZN will work with Republic of Fiji Navy personnel deploying and monitoring the Bluebottles to help identify and track vessels operating suspiciously in Fiji’s exclusive economic zone – including those potentially involved in narcotics trafficking.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 42 Squadron King Air aircraft will provide identification and surveillance oversight while a Fijian Navy vessel will be available to carry out boarding and seizure tasks.
Commodore Shane Arndell, the New Zealand Defence Force’s Maritime Component Commander, says the joint effort reflects the deep commitment shared by both nations to tackle common security and economic challenges.
“For many years, at the request of the Fijian government, we have conducted joint fishery patrols to ensure Fiji’s natural resources and vital revenue streams aren’t being exploited through illegal fishing by other countries.
“Now we are confronting a criminal issue just as important but with deadly consequences,” Commodore Arndell said.
“The movement of drugs from South America through the Pacific is a very real concern and has a significant and long-lasting impact on the lives of Fijians, their families and the wider Pasifika community.
“All too often we see the harm these narcotics bring, so the opportunity to work with our fri
| Source: AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand (AJHBNZ)
Queenstown’s newest adventure tourism attraction at the global home of bungy is getting closer to opening, with construction of the hotly anticipated three-person swing well underway.
The Kawarau Swing is the latest innovation created by tourism pioneers AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand (AJHBNZ). Located at the historic Kawarau Bridge, it will be the first three-person adventure swing in the South Island and is on track open in September.
The Kawarau Swing will be accessed off the same viewing deck that receives about 400,000 visitors and spectators a year. Drilling is complete under the viewing deck and this week the steel structure that the swing platform will sit on was lifted into place.
Mechanical components and steel structures are being fabricated off-site and, once the foundation work is complete, things are expected to come together quickly, AJHBNZ CEO David Mitchell says.
When it opens, the Kawarau Swing will be adapted for single, tandem, or three-person rides, swinging guests up to 43 metres high across the Kawarau River before winching them back to the platform on the southern bank of the Kawarau Gorge.
Ideal for families and people seeking a different experience at the world’s first commercial bungy location, the swing will complement AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand’s existing bungy and zipride experiences at the historic Kawarau Bungy Bridge site.
“Not everyone who visits the Kawarau Bridge chooses to do a bungy jump,” Mitchell explains. “That’s why we’ve designed the Kawarau Swing to appeal to people who are seeking a different experience, which hits that sweet spot between the full-on adrenaline rush of a bungy and the pure joy of a zipride.
“As the swing comes to life, all stages of development will incorporate AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand’s proven safety systems, built on more than 30 years of experience in delivering thrilling yet safe adventures,” Mitchell adds.
About AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand
Ever since it was launched with a buzz by AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch back in 1988, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand has been in the business of fuelling people with courage and adrenaline. The world’s first commercial bungy operation opened at the Kawarau Bridge in November 1988 and AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand has remained committed to levelling up the exhilaration across Aotearoa, with bungy, zipride, swing, catapult, skywalk, skyjump and bridge climb across Queenstown, Taupō and Auckland. |
Source: PSA
The PSA is criticising the Government’s announcement today on the establishment of the fourth Public Research Organisation, the New Zealand Institute of Advanced Technology (NZIAT), saying that they could struggle to deliver the science and research needed without the necessary talent and funding.
“Our biggest concern here is that all the talented people who undertook groundbreaking research at Callaghan Innovation have likely already taken up jobs – many of them overseas,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons says.
The PSA is New Zealand’s largest union and represents scientists, laboratory and support staff from the former Crown Research Institutes and in the newly formed Public Research Organisations.
As of June, dozens of public researchers from Callaghan Innovation were made redundant. Many of the team were experts in subjects like artificial intelligence, which are at the centre of the NZIAT.
While some areas of Callaghan Innovation were expected to transfer across to NZIAT (namely the Health Tech Activator and Product Accelerator), the number of staff in these areas is very small.
“We said earlier this year that without a plan to transition large numbers of scientists, the Government is wasting the expertise that has been built up here.
“How can you go for growth in the economy when the people who create all this value have already boarded a flight to Australia?
“How can the Government, so hell-bent on saving costs, justify paying out redundancy payments to people whose skills they ultimately concede they need only a month after the redundancies have taken effect?”
The PSA also says that there’s a question mark over how much science and research will be delivered by the NZIAT.
“The funding – $231M over four years – sounds pretty good, but for this kind of science is actually low.
“Plus Minister Reti’s announcement says the institute will invest in science and technology, not produce any new research. So about $60M per year in investment is a tiny platform.
“The Government has essentially sucked up all the funding from Callaghan Innovation – which received about $85M a year – and redeployed less of it here.
“We’re not fooled. There’s less money than ever going into public science, to the detriment of not only the New Zealand science community but everyone in Aotearoa.”
Source: Health Coalition Aotearoa
Underprivileged primary school children are about to suffer the same poor service as their intermediate and secondary school peers, with the Government’s announcement today that primary schools are transitioning to the cut price, revised Ka Ora Ka Ako – Healthy School Lunches programme.
The revised version of the school lunch programme, rolled out to secondary and full primary schools in January 2025, saw the Government partner with national consortium the School Lunch Collective to achieve drastic reductions in the programme cost. The new version of the programme is being plagued by a multitude of problems, including delivery of unsafe and unpalatable food, massive wastage of uneaten meals and packaging, and the nutritional quality of the lunches plummeting.
Nutrition experts found the government-funded school lunches are failing nutrition standards. The new lunches now provide only about half the energy recommended for a school lunch. Despite all providers being contractually obliged to meet the Ministry of Education’s Nutrition Standards, none of the 13 meals provided by School Lunch Collective that were examined by nutrition experts met them. This means the lunches are no longer healthy – despite the programme being named the Healthy School Lunches programme.
This is hardly surprising, given the School Lunch Collective members, Libelle and Compass, were failing to consistently deliver good quality lunches under the previous funding model, when they were receiving nearly three times the funding per lunch.
“It’s not a cost saving if it’s not delivering the nutrition our most disadvantaged children need to succeed at school. Under the previous model, schools could choose how they provided lunches to their tamariki, with many walking away from Compass and Libelle to either do it themselves or work with local community businesses. Tamariki got better food for less cost. Our growing teenagers are now getting less to eat and being told to be grateful for it”, says Professor Lisa Te Morenga, Health Coalition co-chair and Massey University researcher.
“This Government has prioritised productivity, but hungry, undernourished children cannot learn effectively nor be productive. More than a quarter of children in Aotearoa face poverty and food insecurity – this programme is designed to help those kids. These children are our future workforce; we need to invest in them”, says Professor Te Morenga.
“I'm extremely angry and disappointed this government continues to ignore our voices and our evidence of the success of locally provided lunches. Instead, they want to remove what's working to save a few dollars – at the expense of our tamariki. We need to be investing in our tamariki and their future, says Seletute Mila, Tumuaki/Principal of Arakura School.
“The changes to Ka Ora, Ka Ako have set back the progress schools were making in helping New Zealand’s disadvantaged children. The programme must be fixed now- by being appropriately valued for the potential it has to lift our most disadvantaged children out of poverty and to lead healthy, productive lives. This benefits us all. We are calling for this current mean and draconian model to be abandoned. Raise the funding and give communities the flexibility to provide the best nutritious food they can for their tamariki,” says Professor Te Morenga.
More information
Reports from schools across Aotearoa reveal serious failures in the revised programme, including:
- Waste and inefficiency: Unappealing meals are going uneaten, and previous systems to redistribute food to students or charities are no longer happening.
- Excess rubbish: The new system generates more landfill waste than before.
- Poor nutrition: The lack of fruit likely means lower fibre intake.
- Lack of transparency: Schools and families don’t know the actual nutritional value of meals.
- Halal concerns: No clear process ensures meals meet halal dietary needs.
- Late or missing deliveries: Many schools report meals not arriving on time.
- Repetitive and insufficient portions: Meals lack variety and are often too small.
- No direct communication: Schools can no longer work directly with suppliers.
- No student feedback: Tamariki have no way to voice concerns about their meals.
Source: Maritime NZ
Three people are now safely on-board a merchant ship, after the launch they suffered mechanical issues and had to be abandoned.
At about 2.30 PM, 17 July Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre was notified that the launch had encountered trouble south of the Kermadec Islands, it was enroute to Tonga from New Zealand.
The incident occurred about 350 nautical miles north-east of New Zealand.
Shortly after a MAYDAY was declared and the crew made the decision to get into a life raft, abandoning their vessel.
Search and Rescue Officer at RCCNZ Taylor Monaghan, says this was a high stakes search and rescue operation.
“After getting their emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) coordinates following its activation, it was clear they were a long way from help.
“A MAYDAY call was then broadcast by the Maritime Operations Centre to vessels within a 200NM area,” Taylor Monaghan says.
It was picked up by a merchant oil tanker, the only vessel in the area, which accepted the request to help and re-routed to the location of the distress signal. While RCCNZ got in touch with the New Zealand Defence Force to request air assistance.
“The NZDF P8 played a critical role in this rescue.
“It was able to get quickly to the life raft and assist with giving directions and support to the master of the merchant vessel.
“This was done at night, in trying conditions as well,” Taylor Monaghan says.
When abandoning their launch for the life raft, the crew ensured they took the necessary survival equipment.
“They took life jackets, a grab bag and other essential supplies. They gave themselves the best chance of survival, Taylor Monaghan says.
Six hours after the initial request for assistance, the NZDF P8 arrived on scene, its crew monitored the life raft and coordinated with the merchant oil tanker that was steaming to render assistance.
“In the meantime, the crew of the merchant vessel developed a rescue plan.
“Getting on-board a large vessel on the open ocean from a life raft is not an easy task.
“The tanker needed to use multiple ladders to have enough length to reach the life raft, as well carefully manoeuvring alongside the much smaller life raft” Taylor Monaghan says.
At about 11 PM New Zealand time, RCCNZ was notified the crew had successfully been picked up by the merchant ship.
RCCNZ General Manager, Justin Allan was monitored the progress of the search, and says it was a big relief when the rescue was confirmed.
“I am immensely proud of the work of the search and rescue officers involved, as well as the crews of the NZDF P8 and the merchant oil tanker. This was a complex rescue, and very good result to get the three safely off the life raft and onto the merchant vessel,” he says.
