N E W S
www.engineeringnews.co.nz 11
Despite the challenges the team was able
to produce sensors which they believed
would work. They found that a bucket
of salt water simulated the ocean well
enough to test and prove the sensors
were waterproof before putting them in
a deep freeze to simulate the massive
temperature ranges the sensors would
be exposed to.
“In the beginning we had an issue with
huge variances in temperature, but with
a lot of machine learning and advanced
statistics we were able to take out that
variance, and from then on, they worked
Baden Parr (left) and
Daniel Konings
perfectly.”
The sensors were deployed before the
deadline in late November and installed
on the seawall, just above the tideline
where they were exposed to the elements.
A router hanging off a barge was
able to provide them with Wi-Fi and 4G
connection to send data back to the
Massey server. They stayed in place
until late April.
Mr Parr says the experience was a great
opportunity to put theory to practice.
“During the course of my undergraduate
degree, I’d completed a number of
practical projects but never with this kind
of real-world scope. I gained valuable
experience dealing with the requirements
of a project this important. I am
honoured Auckland Transport gave me
the opportunity to solve this problem and
look forward to more future challenges.”
Payday filing
change coming
The time is now for New Zealand
employers to get ready to shift to
payday filing.
From April 1, 2019 all employers
will have to file their employment
information every payday.
Inland Revenue customer
segment lead Richard Owen
says the easiest way to comply is
through payroll software.
“The first step is for all employers
to start asking their software
providers when they expect to
be ready so planning can begin.
This is the sort of task where it
pays to be ready early rather than
scrambling at the last minute.
“Inland Revenue’s systems for
receiving payday information are
up and running, so companies
who want to can start filing
straight away. If they’re using
software they need to make sure
it’s compatible first.”
More than 400 employers are
already payday filing but there are
many thousands more that will
need to join them before April 1
next year.
Payday filing will replace the
employer monthly schedule
(EMS), which currently needs to
be filed either in my-IR or through
the post.
Those with compatible software
will be able to securely submit
their information directly to Inland
Revenue instead of having to do
a separate file upload in myIR.
Employers who deduct $50,000
or less in PAYE and Employer
Superannuation Contribution Tax
(ESCT) will be able to file on paper,
though only from April 2019. All
other employers will need to file
electronically.
Mr Owen says payday filing will
have a transformative effect both
on businesses and their staff.
“Businesses will be able to
integrate their tax obligations into
their regular payroll cycles, while
the more-timely information will
allow Inland Revenue to provide
certainty around an employee’s
social entitlements such as
Working for Families Tax Credits.”
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A first for
NZ: Delta
Insurance
releases
cover for
intellectual
property
Kiwi businesses can now afford to protect
themselves against intellectual
property (IP) risks, thanks to an audacious
move by Delta Insurance.
Filling a serious gap in New Zealand’s
insurance market, Delta’s IP offering
has been designed to make it easy
for Kiwi companies to cover their legal
costs in a battle over intangible assets
such as trademarks or patents.
New Zealand examples of IP are the
trademarks of Marmite, Whittaker’s,
Wattie’s or patents such as Gallagher’s
electric fence systems or Sealegs’ amphibious
watercraft.
Delta Insurance senior underwriter
Avani Vyas says dedicated IP coverage
has long been out of reach for most
Kiwi businesses.
“Elements of IP coverage exist across
some current policies, but no single insurance
policy in New Zealand has adequately
covered intellectual property
to date,” she says.
“Until now, this lack of simple, affordable
IP cover has made it difficult for Kiwi
companies to deal with infringement
and enforcement-related issues.”
Intangible assets such as patents and
trademarks, which made up almost
87% of the corporate value of the
Standard and Poor's 500 companies in
2015, are a key source of competitive
advantage for many companies in New
Zealand.
With research and development expenditure
by New Zealand companies
rising by 29% since 2014 to reach
$1,602 million in 2016, Kiwi companies
have realised that innovation will keep
them ahead of the competition.
“Our companies are coming up with
disruptive ideas, revolutionising dayto
day commodities, and introducing
advanced technology to the world.
“However, innovators in New Zealand’s
knowledge-based economy routinely
run into costly IP infringement issues,
with most failing to recognise the risks
until it’s too late,” Ms Vyas says.
Delta Insurance general manager Craig
Kirk says in export markets, Kiwi luxury
consumables like manuka honey, chocolate,
and wine are commonly devalued
by knock-off products and trademark
theft — part of a global tide of illegal
competition which saw the estimated
value of counterfeited goods rise to
Underwriter
Avani Vyas
$US1.7 trillion in 2015.
Similarly, many Kiwi companies have
also found themselves extorted or litigated
at crippling expense by patent
trolls.
Zeacom, a software company which
was formerly based in New Zealand,
was stung by patent trolls twice. In
the first instance, it opted to pay a
$350,000 settlement instead of forking
out millions to fight the baseless allegations.
The second time, the company
settled for an undisclosed amount.
“Having an insurance policy that covers
legal expenses allows businesses to
swiftly respond to these difficult situations,”
Mr Kirk says.
“An IP policy helps you unlock the potential
of your IP while you commercialise
your ideas with confidence
and will reassure investors and other
stakeholders that your business is well
equipped to face infringement disputes.”
To help Kiwi companies come to grips
with the many risks facing their IP assets,
Delta Insurance plans to release
a comprehensive white paper in the
coming weeks.
/www.engineeringnews.co.nz