Latest news with #Croad
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Waste Fees And Charges Consultation Opens Monday
Marlburians are encouraged to have their say on Council's Waste Fees and Charges consultation from Monday 26 May. Acting Mayor David Croad said dealing with the cost of Marlborough's waste was a challenging part of Council's core business. 'Almost half of the increase we are proposing is related to Government requirements that are outside of Council's control. We are also working hard to prolong the life of the Bluegums landfill including to reduce the volume of waste going into it. At the same time, we need to plan for the day when the landfill ultimately closes and the ongoing costs associated with that,' he said. 'We do not wish to see additional price increases at this time, but the disposal of waste is not free and whatever we can do to reduce, reuse and recycle is to all our collective benefit.' Waste costs are covered via a user pays system at the Bluegums landfill and the Blenheim Transfer Station with the other transfer stations around Marlborough funded through a mixture of user pays and rates. The proposed increase from 1 September 2025 at Bluegums landfill is 17.82% for all waste types except grass clippings and green waste. It is also proposed to increase all charges at the region's transfer stations by an average of 17.82%. 'In real terms, the proposed changes equate to an extra $5.92 for the average load of general waste to the Blenheim transfer station, an increase of $2.43 for an average load of green waste and grass clippings will not increase at all,' Acting Mayor Croad said. Whiteware and E-Waste prices will remain the same for the next 12 months. The proposed charges will cover legislative requirements including an increase in the Waste Levy, a change in the method of calculating the Unique Emissions Factor and an increase in the cost of carbon credits to offset the landfill's greenhouse gas emissions. The balance is made up of increases in landfill aftercare and reserve provisions including operational and capital costs, and post closure expenses. Solid Waste Manager Mark Lucas said comparisons with other local authorities in the South Island showed Marlborough had the third lowest overall cost for waste disposal. 'The charges set at the Bluegums landfill have a flow on effect for all other waste streams in Marlborough and are based on a user-pays model designed to cover the costs associated with this service. The more waste that can be diverted from landfill, the easier it will be on everyone's pockets. 'By embracing reuse and recycling, the community not only avoids immediate disposal fees for reusable items but also contributes to a more financially sustainable waste system that protects everyone from the fee increases that inevitably accompany landfill capacity constraints,' Mr Lucas said. Council has budgeted $22M for the 2025/26 year to cover the costs of Marlborough's waste services. The consultation closes on 6 June 2025. Submissions will be considered by full Council on 26 June.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Pals co-founders: How they went from surfing buddies to RTD moguls
In this case, the big stress is picking the new flavours and colours for the Pals RTD range, which has built its brand on a soft pastel palette of sophisticated fruit flavours. 'When it's finally released into the market. It's not like a celebration moment. It is for the team, but for Nick and I, it's just this huge sigh of relief.' It's no small thing for a drinks brand that has built its reputation on fresh flavour and a colourful non-gendered approach to look and feel. 'I think the portfolio has to adapt over time, which is quite hard because you get your loyalists who are like, not the pink one or the yellow,' says Croad partner and long-time pal Nick Marshall. 'How can you kill those flavours? But there's a mixture of data, there's some intuition, there's some trend-based stuff.' Being in a consumer business, you have to be adaptable, he says. 'For us it's making sure that we're not always chopping and changing, but we are trying new things and still taking has definitely been part of our business model from day dot.' For the record, Croad and Marshall aren't about to give away what the next flavour will be. The pair have been friends since they were 11. So the Pals name is pretty apt. They founded the drinks company in 2019 with another old friend, broadcaster Jay Reeve (and his wife Anna). But in a sense, it's a partnership that was forged at Ōtūmoetai College in Tauranga and in years of surfing at Mount Maunganui. But despite that early connection, the pair have had long and different career paths. Both studied commerce at university, although Croad went to Waikato and Marshall headed to Otago. Apart from catching up during summer holidays, that's where their paths diverged for many years. Marshall's career path is a diverse one. He started out in sales – selling HRV air conditioning systems door to door, before moving to real estate and then heading to Australia to work in mining. 'I always, from quite a young age, wanted to do my own thing. What that was gonna materialise into, I never really knew, but I tried a lot of things,' he says. Croad, on the other hand, took a more traditional corporate path. He started straight out of university in marketing roles in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. He ended up in senior marketing roles for NZ Wine Cellars and Woolworths. It was from there that the passion for building something in the liquor industry started. Croad and Marshall had stayed in touch. 'It was sort of like a once every few months [we'd] Skype and talk about different business ideas,' Croad says. There was always a plan to start a business of some sort, he says. 'It just got to a point, it was like, let's just start something. It may not be 100% the right option from day one, but it's gonna give us the learnings to evolve.' So the pair (with the Reeves) started a wine brand in 2016. Pals was born of necessity to some extent, says Marshall. 'We were looking at all sorts of things,' he says. 'We were quite innovative, doing the first five-litre bottles, we did a collaboration with Stolen Girlfriends Club, which was, an amazing brand partnership, we looked at wine-based slushies, wine-based ice blocks, you name it, we tried it.' Eventually, though, they realised it was selling wine itself that was the problem. Looking back at the almost immediate success of the Pals brand, it all seems quite obvious, Marshall says. 'But at the time, it was actually quite novel.' There were plenty of RTDs on the market, but people would bring a couple to a party and try and hide them, he says. 'No one really resonated with the brands, that's where we felt we had real connection with consumers.' Croad credits the success to a combination of small things they got right with the brand. When it comes to how they approach the financial side and generally deal with money, Croad says he has a highly analytical approach. 'Not through choice. It's just how I'm wired. For me to make any decision with a financial implication, I look at every possible scenario there is.' Marshall admits he started with a more relaxed attitude to money. 'Early on, it was whatever came in went out, and [his spending] was mostly experience driven,' he says. 'For me, money has always been more of a freedom thing than it has been about buying stuff. I've certainly stuck with that. But I've learned over time that, for a rainy day, it's good to have some in the back pocket. Mat's been really good for that.' 'We've grown up and we are a proper business now with official titles and proper responsibilities.' Listen to the full episode to hear more from Money Talks is a podcast run by the NZ Herald. It isn't about personal finance and isn't about economics - it's just well-known New Zealanders talking about money and sharing some stories about the impact it's had on their lives and how it has shaped them. The series is hosted by Liam Dann, business editor-at-large for the Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also presents and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003. Money Talks is available on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
