Driving Miss Daisy has been named Supreme Franchise System of the Year at the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. The companion transport service, which has 80 franchisees around the country, has previously won the 2021 Home & Lifestyle Franchise System of the Year award.
As well, Gerry Schumacher and Steven Painter from franchisee Landmark Homes Taupo were judged the Supreme Franchisee of the Year winners. Separately, franchisor Landmark Homes New Zealand won Marketing Campaign of the Year.
Franchise Association NZ chief executive Robyn Pickerill said the awards on Saturday night were a celebration of a highly active business community generating substantial value for the country.
“We recognise and congratulate all the finalists and winners, and in particular the Supreme Winners who have worked hard, grown their business, and helped contribute to New Zealand’s economy."
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the levies that banks, building societies, credit unions, and finance companies pay to the new Depositor Compensation Scheme will reflect the size and riskiness of the institutions. Under the scheme, deposits up to $100,000 per depositor will be protected in the event an institution fails. Willis said the country’s four large Australian-owned banks would pay about three-quarters of total levies. While the levy would be risk-based, building societies and credit unions would initially pay a flat levy until the new prudential regime is fully in force in 2028. Willis said she would monitor the impact of the scheme on competition and review the legislation if necessary.
Wilson Parking, operator of more than 200 car parking buildings in New Zealand, has reported a 54% increase in net profit to $22.8 million for the year to June.
Revenue grew 10% to $239.2m.
The company is owned by Hong Kong-listed conglomerate Sun Hung Kai Properties via Jersey-registered holding company Rapturous Harmony Ltd.
In April this year, ‘The Press’ reported that Wilson Parking was refusing to waive $85 fines incorrectly issued to customers of its parking facilities in Christchurch.
The Commerce Commission had received 81 complaints about Wilson Parking in the past year, it reported.
Wilson Parking said a technical issue had affected a small number of customers in Christchurch.
Auckland’s trains will stop running for nearly 100 days between Christmas this year and January 2026, it was revealed today. The closures will take place mostly around public and school holiday periods, to allow rail lines to be upgraded ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link. Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Acting Auckland mayor Desley Simpson acknowledged the closure of the full network would have a “significant impact” on passengers and freight in Auckland, but argued it was better to do the work now, than wait till the new link opened. It was also more cost effective to close the entire network than to open or close specific lines, they said. The $200 million project is being fully funded by the Government, and Brown said he expected work would take place “around the clock” to ensure disruptions were minimised. Simpson said she expected Auckland Transport and KiwiRail to give “ample notice” of any change in services, and to explain alternative options to passengers.
Briscoe Group reported sales down 0.5% to $546.1 million from $548.9m for the 39 weeks from January 29 to October 27.
However, it was noted the timing of the October accounting period cut-off would lead to Labour Day sales being recorded in the November accounting period (Q4) instead of Q3 as it was last year.
Adjusting to include the impact of the day, year-to-date group sales for the nine months ending October 27 increased 0.5%.
With the adjustment, homeware sales and sporting goods sales improved 0.4% and 0.8% respectively.
Group managing director Rod Duke described posting positive (adjusted) sales growth across both categories in the retail market as an “outstanding achievement” and was hopeful recent OCR cuts would improve consumer confidence and increase retail spend for the final quarter of the financial year.
The full-year net profit after tax is expected to range between $70m and $77m (excluding a previously reported one-off, non-cash tax adjustment of $7.4m).