NZ Engine

Category: MIL-OSI

  • New Zealand’s communication of volcanic risk under the spotlight

    New Zealand’s communication of volcanic risk under the spotlight

    Source:

    Dr Julia Becker is the lead researcher of this new project.

    Last updated: Thursday 1 December 2022

    New ground-breaking research could drive fundamental changes to the way New Zealand agencies communicate and respond to volcanic risk.

    Funded by the Earthquake Commission (EQC), the Massey-led research project will investigate how agencies have communicated risk during times of inactivity, unrest, eruption, and post-eruption in previous volcanic events in this country and globally, to create an effective approach for future events.

    Lead researcher Associate Professor Julia Becker from the Joint Centre for Disaster Research says communication of volcanic risk varies over time, depending on the status of the volcano and the population at risk, and is challenging due to the unpredictability of an eruption.

    “We want to learn from our previous responses and use our results to help improve New Zealand’s volcanic preparedness, resilience, emergency management and warnings. Communication about such aspects is essential to inform decision-making and keep New Zealanders safe.”

    While Dr Becker’s research primarily focuses on volcanic risk communication, the research scope will also include aftershock communication approaches that were useful to agencies and the public during the Canterbury earthquake sequence.

    “We want to see whether communication for earthquakes could be transferable to a volcano context. It’s clear that an integrated approach would help to understand the range of ways to effectively communicate volcanic risk and provide advice for decision-making.”

    Dr Becker is one of 13 recipients of EQC’s 2022 Biennial Grants. She will be leading a research team from Massey and GNS Science, working alongside the Department of Conservation, local iwi and  agencies responsible for volcanic risk management in New Zealand, including Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA).

    EQC Research Manager Dr Natalie Balfour says communications about any natural hazard are crucial to keep the public safe and informed.

    “This research will ensure that important lessons from the past are not lost and will help us communicate volcanic risks more effectively in the future. New Zealand experiences a range of volcanic activity and eruption styles.

    “The eruptions of Mt Ruapehu [1995/96], Te Maari Crater [2012], and events overseas such as in Tonga, all provide us opportunities to learn. Successful communication of volcanic risk will help the public and other decisionmakers to better plan and prepare. 

    “We’re funding this project as it fits perfectly with EQC’s vision to create better understanding of the natural hazards we face and how we can better prepare for them.”

  • New research calls for consistent guidance during euthanasia of stranded cetaceans

    New research calls for consistent guidance during euthanasia of stranded cetaceans

    Source:

    Common dolphin that live stranded on a New Zealand beach. Photo Credit: Rebecca Boys.

    Last updated: Monday 28 November 2022

    New research reviewing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for euthanasia of stranded cetaceans across Australasia has highlighted the need for more detailed guidance and consistency in end-of-life decisions and euthanasia procedures.

    The Massey University-led study assessed the New Zealand SOP alongside state/territory SOPs across Australia, which are utilised to provide guidance to managers at stranding events. The review has reported variability in the criteria used to determine the need for an end-of-life decision and the procedures and equipment recommended to perform euthanasia.

    The study, published in the international journal Marine Policy, also revealed a significant lack of welfare-relevant parameters were being collected at euthanasia events, such as assessing and recording time-to-death.

    Lead author Rebecca Boys, a PhD student at Massey University’s Cetacean Ecology Research Group, says despite the importance of SOPs to ensure consistent and humane management practice, detailed, scientifically underpinned information is currently lacking.

    “This can not only place field officers in complex situations but may also lead to prolonged suffering for stranded cetaceans,” she says.

    “We need to ensure criteria informing end-of-life decision-making are objective, science-based and well-defined. Additionally, detailed information on the specific equipment and procedures required for end-of-life scenarios must be provided. This will ensure we are improving animal welfare outcomes for whales that cannot be returned to the sea.”

    Ms Boys says very limited data on the welfare impacts of the procedures are actually recorded, including time taken until death. “The insufficient information hinders assessments of procedures and understanding of their welfare implications.”

    Research Director for the Cetacean Ecology Research Group Professor Karen Stockin says the review was timely and needed to be considered in the appropriate context.

    “New Zealand’s continued aim to save whales when they strand should not change. However, what does need attention is how we assess welfare during human intervention efforts, and that includes euthanasia itself. This is particularly important, so as to ensure consistent international best practice.”

  • Male athletes needed for ground-breaking blackcurrant juice and caffeine study

    Male athletes needed for ground-breaking blackcurrant juice and caffeine study

    Source:

    A study being run out of Massey’s School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition is looking to find out whether a blackcurrant juice and caffeine combination will benefit sports performance in male athletes.

    The study is being led by Professor Ajmol Ali, with funding from The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research and in partnership with 2Before Performance Nutrition Ltd, a New Zealand-based performance nutrition company.

    The study sits within The Beverage Lab – a team of experienced food technologists, biochemists and sport and exercise scientists providing academic facilitated solutions with a focus on health, wellness and performance.

    Professor Ali says New Zealand blackcurrants contain the highest levels of anthocyanins in the world, and have been shown to reduce cell damage, reduce inflammation, and enhance blood flow. “Published science has already shown that exercise performance improves with blackcurrant supplementation in a variety of settings, including running/sprinting, intermittent exercise, and rock climbing.”

    In terms of caffeine, it is one of the most widely-used psychoactive drugs in the world due to its accessibility, evidenced ergogenic effects and few negative side effects. Professor Ali adds that since its removal from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list in 2004, the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid has increased significantly, particularly in endurance athletes.

    “Both blackcurrant and caffeine seem to afford greater benefits to athletes when they are in a fatigued state, therefore it would be reasonable to assume that adding caffeine to a blackcurrant juice will provide greater performance benefit considering the different mechanisms of action.”

    The beverage will be provided to previously fatigued male athletes, and their performance and metabolic parameters examined through exercise tests that simulate a high-intensity team sport like football, rugby or hockey.

    The research team is currently looking for male athletes based in Auckland aged between 18 and 45 years to participate in the study. Participation will include athletic tests such as the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test as well as oxygen uptake testing and other general health tests. Participants must be available between now and June and able to attend early morning and early evening laboratory sessions on Massey’s Albany campus.

    If you are interested in taking part, please contact Darrien Holten at: D.Holten@massey.ac.nz or via mobile on 021 0279 2338.

  • Study finds users of unmanned aircraft need to view risk mitigation more holistically

    Study finds users of unmanned aircraft need to view risk mitigation more holistically

    Source:

    A recently published study has found that users of unmanned aircraft, also known as drones, need to take a more holistic approach to identifying and mitigating potential risks before undertaking a flight.

    The study, authored by School of Aviation lecturer Dr Isaac Henderson, examined the prevalence of key operational risk mitigations amongst 812 users of unmanned aircrafts (also known as drones) in New Zealand, their confidence in identifying and complying with airspace requirements, and their ability to read Visual Navigation Charts (VNCs) and use AirShare (a tool that shows airspace requirements).

    The study found that the only risk mitigation that virtually all users applied was conducting a pre-flight check of their aircraft. However, less than a quarter of users typically log their flights on AirShare, check the VNC for the area of operation (useful for seeing airspace requirements and potential dangers in the operating area), check Notices to Airmen that have been issued (these contain aeronautical information that is time-sensitive), or conduct a Job Safety Assessment of the operating area (where you consider potential ground-based and airborne risks in the area and how they will be managed operationally).

    Just over a quarter used air band radio to help enhance awareness of what was happening in the airspace around them. While a majority of users did typically apply Model Flying New Zealand (MFNZ) site-specific requirements, these are only applicable when operating at MFNZ sites, which are identified on VNCs so that manned aircraft pilots are aware of the potential for aeromodellers to be flying in the area. Outside those sites, other risk mitigations also need to be applied to ensure that airspace requirements are adhered to and risks are adequately managed.

    Dr Henderson says that users should view risk mitigation more holistically. “It was surprising to see such a low number of users applying risk mitigations where they check airspace requirements or actively consider airborne and ground-based risks. While many in the sample were MFNZ members who followed their own internal procedures for operating at their own sites, it is important that other risk mitigations are applied when operating outside of those sites.”

    As for unmanned aircraft users who are not MFNZ members, Dr Henderson has a clear message: “Mitigating risk is not simply a case of checking the aircraft is airworthy. That’s a great start, but even an airworthy aircraft can cause damage, injury, or disruption if the pilot operates it without being aware of the airspace requirements or considering how to minimise risks to people and property.”

    The study also showed that users were confident in their ability to identify and comply with airspace requirements. Participants who indicated they knew how to use AirShare or read a VNC were asked two follow-up questions to measure their accuracy at using these tools. For both AirShare and VNCs, roughly half the participants got both questions correct, meaning that the other half were not entirely accurate when using these tools. However, those who indicated higher levels of confidence at identifying and complying with airspace requirements were typically more accurate than those with lower confidence levels.

    Because users were grouped according to particular characteristics, there are some clear ways forward for improving the number and variety of risk mitigations applied. Having attended a course on unmanned aircraft operations had the strongest effect and improved risk mitigation across all measures (number, variety, confidence, and accuracy).

    A weaker effect was also found with operational competency assessments, a form of flight examination to ensure practical competency. Dr Henderson says it appears that the key way of increasing the number and variety of risk mitigations a user typically applies is through education, suggesting that educational requirements may be a suitable policy direction.

    Professional and semi-professional operators, members of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles New Zealand (a professional and industry body), and those that operated for Part 102 organisations (organisations that have been certificated by the Civil Aviation Authority to undertake operations that would not be allowed under general operating rules for unmanned aircraft) also typically apply more risk mitigations.

    Dr Henderson says he has an idea why this might be the case. “This is presumably because their livelihoods depend upon safe operations and because there is a greater reputational risk and potential for accountability for these operators than with other users.”

    He says the study is the first of its kind in the world by examining risk mitigation for unmanned aircraft operations from a user perspective.

    “There is little in the academic literature about how users are currently mitigating risks. While there are many papers that examine risk mitigation, they tend to take the view of what users should be doing rather than examining what they are doing. Without knowing what is happening now and understanding differences between users, it will be difficult to bridge that gap.”

    Ultimately, Dr Henderson says that while the risk posed by unmanned aircraft is generally low, there is always potential for an incident or accident if users are not applying a variety of risk mitigations. He hopes that the study will spur future research and regulatory work on this issue.

    Read the full article here.

  • Research reveals new insights into the biology of New Zealand’s pilot whales

    Research reveals new insights into the biology of New Zealand’s pilot whales

    Source:

    Stranded pilot whales on Farewell Spit. Photo credit: Project Jonah.

    Last updated: Monday 28 November 2022

    Each year New Zealand experiences mass strandings of long-finned pilot whales along its shoreline. Exactly why these whales strand remains unclear. However, new biological insights into these phenomenal events has just been published in an international peer reviewed journal.

    New research which examined more than 1500 pilot whales post mortem over an 80-year period has now revealed unique characteristics of Southern Hemisphere long -finned pilot whales. Estimates of length-at-birth, maximum ages, and sexual shape dimorphism (differences between male and female form) all differ significantly to those previously reported for the North Atlantic subspecies, indicating important subspecies differences in morphology (branch of biology that deals with form and structure of animals), longevity, and sociality.

    Maximum ages of 31 and 38 years were estimated for males and females, respectively. The study also reported pronounced sexual dimorphism with respect to shape, with males having proportionally longer pectoral fins, wider tail flukes, and taller dorsal fins compared to their female counterparts.

    The study, published in the Journal of Mammalogy, was undertaken by a team of scientists based at Massey University, Auckland University of Technology, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Ireland and The Institute of Zoology, London.

    Lead author Dr Emma Betty from Massey University’s Cetacean Ecology Research Group, says the value of long-term datasets and tissue archives collected during mass stranding events cannot be underestimated.

    “Knowledge of population biological parameters can contribute to assessing the resilience of a population in the face of increasing anthropogenic [human induced] pressures,” she says.

    Research Director for the Cetacean Ecology Research Group Professor Karen Stockin says the ongoing, long-term whale stranding research in New Zealand is really starting to bear fruit.

    “New Zealand’s international reputation for mass whale strandings is globally recognised. However, it’s the decades of data and samples collected in partnership with iwi and the Department of Conservation that is most exceptional.”

  • Research article explores lethal pulsing inside pyroclastic surges

    Research article explores lethal pulsing inside pyroclastic surges

    Source:

    Pyroclastic surges of the 9 December 2019 eruption on Whakaari/White Island. Image courtesy of Allessandro Kauffmann.

    Last updated: Monday 28 November 2022

    Pyroclastic surges are lethal hazards from volcanoes that exhibit enormous destructiveness through large dynamic pressures of 100-102 kilopascal inside flows that are capable of obliterating reinforced buildings. These hot, fast and turbulent gas-and-ash clouds create far greater devastation to life and infrastructure than can currently be explained scientifically. But why are they so destructive? Until now, the hostile conditions inside pyroclastic surges have precluded measurements of their inner workings and therefore their hazards remain poorly mitigated globally.

    A research article just published in Nature Communications, co-authored by a team of scientists from New Zealand, Italy, the United States and Switzerland, provides new insights into this important volcanic hazard process. The researchers show, through large-scale experiments and the first direct measurements inside the pyroclastic surges from the deadly December 2019 eruption of Whakaari (White Island, New Zealand), that it is turbulence that controls and amplifies the destructiveness of these flows.

    Dr. Ermanno Brosch from the School of Agriculture and Environment explains, “It is well known that the damage-causing dynamic pressure of pyroclastic surges increases with both their speed and the relative amount of particles suspended inside them. Therefore, traditional hazard assessments rely on estimates of the bulk velocity and bulk density of pyroclastic surges that yield average dynamic pressure values, which can be compared, for instance, with the strength of buildings in the flow path.”

    Dr Ermanno Brosch.

    What is not known is how the velocity and density, and hence the destructive force, vary and evolve inside pyroclastic surges. That is why the researchers synthesised them in large-scale experiments using the Pyroclastic flow Eruptions Large-scale Experiment (PELE) simulator in New Zealand. Just like the collapse of a volcanic eruption plume, they heated natural volcanic ash and rock material, dropped it from a height of seven metres into an instrumented channel to generate a two to eight metre high pyroclastic surge that moved at speeds of more than 30 kilometres per hour before colliding with a cliff at runout length of 35 metres.  

    Professor Gert Lube from the School of Agriculture and Environment says much to their initial surprise, the measurements of dynamic pressure inside their synthetic pyroclastic surges were by no means chaotic.  “Instead, they occurred as two markedly regular sets of pressure oscillations, each showing recurrent peaks almost exactly every 570 and 800 milliseconds. These flow oscillations formed right after impact of the hot mixture on the ground and persisted and raced at high speed through the advancing surge. Importantly, the regular peaks in damage-causing dynamic pressure exceed mean values, which are traditionally estimated for hazard assessments, manifold leading to significant underestimation of the actual hazard impacts. Furthermore, the effect of repeated large pressure pulses on resulting damage is somewhat similar to strong damaging aftershocks in an earthquake sequence leading to successive weakening of building structures. What is also concerning is that the pressure oscillations closely coincided with similarly oscillating variations in the concentration of ash and temperature known to cause immense suffocation and burn hazards. The synchronous peaking of the flow characteristics that cause damage, suffocation and burning hazards is likely to exacerbate the impacts of pyroclastic surges.”

    Professor Gert Lube.

    Concurrent with these experimental findings, pyroclastic surges generated during the Whakaari eruption killed 22 visitors to the island and severely injured another 25, marking it as the deadliest eruption in Aotearoa New Zealand since the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera.

    “Working on the eruption data, we realised that pyroclastic surges, during their runout, had engulfed an array of pressure sensors that usually monitors explosion signals from within the volcano and its vent system. The characteristics of the pressure signals inside the Whakaari surges were the same as in our experimental flows, just that instead of 75 pressure pulses per minute in our experiments, the natural surges showed 12 such pulses per minute,” Dr Brosch says.

    The researchers showed that the hazardous pulsing inside pyroclastic surges occurs because the flow energy focusses into and is transported within the largest turbulent eddy structures. They developed a new flow model that allows prediction of these pulses in future volcanic events. This discovery, which is also applicable to snow avalanches, necessitates a re-evaluation of volcanic hazard models that aim to forecast and mitigate volcanic impacts here in New Zealand and elsewhere.

    This research was partially supported by a Royal Society Marsden Fund grant), a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour Research program, and a Resilience to Nature’s Challenges Science Challenge Fund.

    The article, Destructiveness of pyroclastic surges controlled by turbulent fluctuations, was recently published with open access in Nature Communications.

    Authors includes Dr Eric C.P. Breard and Professor Joseph Dufek of the University of Oregon, USA; Dr Tomaso Esposti-Ongaro and Dr Matteo Cerminara of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Pisa, Italy; Dr Betty Sovilla of WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland, and Dr Luke Fullard of the School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University.

  • Two Massey projects awarded Unlocking Curious Minds funding

    Two Massey projects awarded Unlocking Curious Minds funding

    Source:

    The Unlocking Curious Minds fund supports projects that engage more New Zealanders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

    Last updated: Thursday 17 March 2022

    A project looking at ecological restoration approaches in the domain of Tangaroa, and one that seeks to enrich Māori and Pasifika science through Waka Ama, have both been awarded funding through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund.

    The fund supports projects that aim to engage more New Zealanders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Thirteen projects have been awarded funding for the 2022 round, totalling $1.592 million in grants which start on 1 February 2022.

    “He waka eke noa!”: Enriching Māori and Pasifika science through Waka Ama – Dr Andrew Foskett, Dr Kathryn Beck, Dr Paul Macdermid, and Dr Bevan Erueti, Taranaki, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi.

    This project will engage students in their communities through real world application of science to their performance during Waka Ama. In addition to fostering the curiosity and enhancing the scientific literacy of the students the project will, in line with the aims of Vision Mātauranga, take science and technology innovations into local (largely Māori) communities whilst fostering engagement in hauora and kaitiakitanga. A (floating) platform is proposed to engage students, communities and (future) scientists through participatory science.

    The target audience are 200 year nine and 10 Waka Ama paddlers from invited low decile schools in regions with large Māori and Pacific communities. Data from various New Zealand sources identify a decline in science performance in Year nine and ten students which translates into a drop-off of older students enrolling into science-related subjects. The sources report that students from richer communities perform better than those from poorer communities, and that the achievement gap for Māori and Pacific students narrows when socio-economic factors are taken into account. The data show that access to learning resources impacts on science achievement. As such, the proposed target audience are those who would most benefit from the provision of a resource-rich participatory science experience in their own communities in an activity that can build on their cultural confidence and identity. All of the above fit squarely within the strategies outlined in Vision Mātauranga, Curious Minds and National Statement for Science Investment documents.

    Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa’s (Massey University) vison is to foster lifelong learners and so a key performance indicator would be an elevated interest in and understanding of the applications of science in a meaningful context. The students will access their own performance metrics and participant groups will be provided with anonymised metrics that they can utilise for stair-cased learning within their school.

    This project has received funding of $136,837.

    Kotahi taku huata ki runga Hauruia, te mano, te mano, te mano  – David Aguirre.

    This project will develop active ecological restoration approaches in the domain of Tangaroa, building an advanced understanding of restoration ecology and aquaculture through an undeniably Te Whānau-a-Apanui lens. The whakataukī that guides the approach, “Kotahi taku huata ki runga Hauruia, te mano, te mano, te mano – For every kumara I plant in my garden at Hauruia there follows a progeny of thousands,” reminds Te whānau-a-Apanui descendants of the mana and prosperity that comes from mahinga kai and taking care of te taiao.

    Passive ecosystem restoration approaches (e.g. Marine Protected Areas) exclude people from the restoration process. Conversely, active ecosystem restoration approaches place the responsibility for nurturing our environment on the community. New Zealand has a long, distinguished legacy of active ecosystem restoration on land, with many national and grass-roots initiatives to remove pests and reforest disturbed areas. Why have we not applied this thinking in our moana?

    This project will build on existing mātauranga and significant investment in leading research to deliver the first applied example of an active, participatory, whole-ecosystem approach to marine ecosystem restoration. Accordingly, the teachers and rangitahi involved in the project won’t simply experience science, they will be at the forefront of scientific discovery, generating and defining mātauranga that will be used in Aotearoa and the rest of the world.

    The project is founded on a genuine partnership between mana whenua/mana moana and researchers, it increases science relevance for teachers, students and whānau as well as advancing scientific understanding, develops new ways of learning and empowers the community to shape the narrative underlying the development of new mātauranga.

    This project has received funding of $90,662.

    More information on Unlocking Curious Minds is available here.

  • National deterioration in rental affordability both quarterly and annually

    National deterioration in rental affordability both quarterly and annually

    Source:

    Massey University’s latest Rental Report shows a national deterioration in rental affordability both quarterly (1.76 per cent Index Deterioration March 2021 – June 2021) and annually (9.4 per cent Rental Charge Deterioration June 2020 – June 2021).

    The report also shows a decline in rental affordability in seven of the 16 regions from last quarter, with Southland and the West Coast of the South Island bucking the trend.

    Regionally, between March 2021 and June 2021, seven regions are deemed less affordable than the national average which is set at 100 per cent.

    • Bay of Plenty ­– 113.3 per cent
    • Tasman – 113.1 per cent
    • Hawke’s Bay – 110.5 per cent
    • Northland – 106.3 per cent
    • Auckland – 103.3 per cent
    • Nelson – 102.2 per cent
    • Gisborne – 100.9 per cent

    The largest annual rent increases were recorded in five regions:

    • Hawke’s Bay – 20.4 per cent
    • Bay of Plenty – 16.4 per cent
    • Manawatū-Whanganui – 14.2 per cent
    • Northland – 12.8 per cent
    • Gisborne – 11 per cent

    Wellington and Auckland showed a moderate increase of 7.8 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively for the year.

    Report authors, Dr Arshad Javed and Professor Graham Squires from the Massey University Real Estate Analysis Unit, say there are a number of varied factors impacting rental prices across New Zealand.

    “These include rising house prices that feed through the housing system towards renters, a shortage of properties, and rising costs for landlords given recent policy changes,” Professor Squires says.

    The remaining nine regions are all relatively more rent affordable than the national average, but two regions continue to stand out as being the most affordable for renters – Southland (73.5 per cent) and West Coast (65.7 per cent).

    “West Coast and Southland continue to have affordability below the national average, reflecting more favourable rental conditions in these regions relative to incomes,” Dr Javed says.

    “Despite the West Coast being one of the most affordable places for renters, the region has had the largest quarterly increase in rent prices – up 12 per cent to an average rent of $281 per week. This still pales in comparison of course to Auckland and Wellington – the most expensive cities to rent accommodation, at an average of $554 and $510 per week respectively,” Dr Javed adds.

  • Survey shows franchise sector has grown in contribution despite the pandemic

    Survey shows franchise sector has grown in contribution despite the pandemic

    Source:

    Some of the key findings from the latest Franchising New Zealand 2021 report.

    Last updated: Monday 28 November 2022

    The annual turnover of business format franchises in New Zealand has grown by $9.2 billion in the past four years, according to the latest Franchising New Zealand 2021 report.

    The survey, the tenth of its kind, was conducted between 30 September and 29 October by the Massey Business School, and sponsored by the Franchise Association of New Zealand. Report author Professor Jonathan Elms says the $9.2 billion increase in business format franchise turnover, which excludes sales from motor vehicle and fuel retail, despite difficult trading/operating conditions and lower projected total units reflects the intrinsic resilience of the franchising business model.

    “The New Zealand franchise system is a significant contributor to the economy, and involves multiple businesses and industry sectors. Despite a very constrained operationing environment, the franchise system continues to deliver through being adaptable and flexible. There are some world-class operators leading the way in New Zealand.”

    The survey found there to be 590 business format franchisors in New Zealand, with 71 per cent of these brands being homegrown. The sales turnover of the business format franchise sector is estimated at $36.8 billion, up from $27.6 billion in 2017.

    The survey data was gathered during a period of continued border closures and business restrictions that limited trading opportunities and generated operating and economic uncertainty.

    Professor Jonathan Elms.

    Franchise Association Chief Executive Robyn Pickerill says when asked about the impacts of COVID-19 on business, the top three responses returned were the significant disruptions to trading, greater levels of stress and mental health concerns, and adjusted hours of operation. The key challenges going ahead are labour shortages with a lack of suitable skilled staff in many areas, supply chain issues and the uncertainty of periodic business interruptions.

    However, Mrs Pickerill says that despite these impacts, franchise operators continue to show resilience and adaptability to succeed, recognising a number of opportunities that the pandemic had brought to light. “Diversification, having an increased online presence and targeting local disposable income were all identified as areas of opportunity that the pandemic have highlighted to business owners.”

    Professor Elms says franchise employment has also risen, at a rate of around 8000 a year since 2017. “Franchise businesses are employing more staff than in 2017, which again speaks to the resiliency of the business model. At present, it’s estimated there are 156,820 people employed in a franchise operation in New Zealand.”

    The support franchise owners receive as part of the business model is another feature that Professor Elms believes is integral to its success.“The support offered by franchisors and fellow franchises is unique to the sector. This is evidenced through sharing best practices, investment in training and development, and community engagement. All are necessary to help franchises weather the COVID-19 storm.”

    Robyn Pickerill.

    Further key findings include:

    • New employees within franchisee units receive 40 hours of training within their first year, while established employees receive 20 hours of training per year. 
    • 97 per cent of franchisors provide training to reinforce employment best practice and compliance.
    • 65 per cent of franchise brands actively implement environmental sustainability and ethical measures within their operations.
    • There are 32,000 business format franchise units operating in New Zealand.
    • Auckland is the most popular location for franchise support offices.

    The main purpose of the franchise survey is to obtain current information about the structure, practices and performance of the franchise sector in New Zealand, including recent trends and challenges. Conducting the survey regularly will help the sector to build an analytical time series and set benchmarks for future performance. Survey sponsors include Westpac, Nexia New Zealand, Franchize Consultants, The Franchise Coach, Stewart Germann Law, Iridium Partners and Franchise New Zealand Media.

  • Massey fiction writers shine in Ockham Book Awards shortlist

    Massey fiction writers shine in Ockham Book Awards shortlist

    Source:

    Clockwise from top left: Professor Bryan Walpert, Dr Gigi Fenster, Anne Kennedy and Whiti Hereaka.

    Last updated: Tuesday 13 September 2022

    Massey novelists make up three quarters of finalists shortlisted for the $60,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction. They are Professor Bryan Walpert for Entanglement (Makaro Press), Dr Gigi Fenster for A Good Winter (Text Publishing), and Whiti Hereaka for Kurangaituku (Huia Publishers). Poet Anne Kennedy is shortlisted for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry, for The Sea Walks into a Wall (Auckland University Press).

    Listed in the New Zealand Listener’s Best Books of 2021, Entanglement has been described as an “ingenious meditation on time, memory and decay,” and lauded for its ambitious scope in exploring tragedy and loss – with a dose of quantum physics.

    Professor Walpert, a doctoral mentor and supervisor who teaches undergraduate and post-graduate creative writing papers, says, “I’m delighted and honoured that the judges thought Entanglement worthy of being among the finalists. It’s a particular honour given the very high calibre of the other writers on the long list. I’m really happy people are reading the work and finding something to appreciate in it.”

    His novella Late Sonata won the 2020 Seizure Viva La Novella Prize, and he’s also written a short story collection, four books of poetry, and two of literary criticism.

    Dr Fenster, who teaches fiction, creative non-fiction, and writing for children, says she is “surprised, blown away, excited and a little bit terrified,” at being shortlisted for her psychological thriller about two older women looking after a baby while the mother recovers from postnatal depression.

    “There were so many brilliant books on the longlist, and the shortlist is exceptional. It can be hard to see the merit in one’s own work, particularly when one spends much of one’s working life reading masterpieces,” she says. “I think all writers are critical of their own work, and that self-criticism doesn’t go away once one starts publishing. The critical voice in my head has, over the years, grown all the more strident. Being shortlisted has muted the silence – for now – and that is no small thing.”

    A Good Winter is her second novel following the publication of The Intentions Book in 2013, a finalist in the New Zealand Post Book Awards at the time.

    Anne Kennedy is a novelist, screenwriter, and multiple-award-winning author of 10 works of poetry and fiction who received the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry last year. She says it’s a huge honour to be shortlisted, especially alongside such fine writers. “I feel very lucky. It means someone has read the work, and along with most writers, I like to be read.”

    “What excites me about the Ockham process is that it brings contemporary Aotearoa literature to the fore for a few weeks a year. The list, and, importantly, books that aren’t on the list too, get talked about in a whole range of ways – for their content and technique, who they represent, what changes are happening in literature. All good stuff.”

    Whiti Hereaka, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, an award-winning playwright who has written three previous novels, recently joined Massey’s creative writing teaching staff. Her novel Kurangaituku is a clever re-imagining of the bird-woman ogress from Māori myth Hutupatu and the Bird-Woman.

    She says she is thrilled and a little bit overwhelmed at being a finalist. “There’s a part of me that still thinks of myself as a playwright hack pretending to be a novelist, so to be amongst some very fine novelists is humbling indeed. Also, I never think it’s a given that my work will be published let alone it being celebrated, so it’s encouraging that there are people out there that resonate with my work. Also, I think it has given me licence to experiment even more in my mahi — so stay tuned for extra strangeness.”

    Professor Kerry Taylor, head of the School of Humanities, Media, and Creative Communication, says he is incredibly proud that so many Massey-connected writers are on the Ockham shortlist.

    The creative writing programme celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Professor Taylor says, “As well as continuing to expand and consolidate strengths with the addition of new staff, we are also opening up new conversations for creative writing in Aotearoa in the 21st century.”

    As well as a Master of Creative Writing, the programme offers undergraduate papers in life writing, poetry, travel, scriptwriting, creative non-fiction and eco-fiction, writing for children and more. Many are taught by academics who are also published and award-winning authors.

    For more information on creative writing at Massey, click here.

    More information about the awards can be found here.