Simon Aing
Our guest speaker this week was Simon Aing. He is of Cambodian-Chinese extraction and has married into Maoridom, which has given him a particular view of the world.
Simon describes himself as a serial entrepreneur. His two main businesses at present are Easybuild Homes and Concept Solutions. Easybuild supplies part-prefabricated houses from its Upper Hutt factory. A home can be onsite in 8-9 weeks, and
Simon says costs are more predictable and stable with this system.
Concept Solutions is an energy company specialising in solar/battery systems, especially in ‘cluster’ situations where several dwellings share their energy production and take-off. This idea already exists in Europe and it is claimed that it results in efficiency and robustness of supply.
Simon has put together a vision which encompasses groups of low-cost homes, shared energy supply, and the needs of Maori and Pasifika communities, who often have multi-generational living arrangements. Furthermore, Iwi often have land where the ownership is shared and cannot easily be used as collateral for investment.
Simon points out that the concept might also be used as an alternative to the retirement village.
A most interesting talk and possibly a peek into the future.
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.4% 1st December
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17.6% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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