Established in 2006, the Fencing Contractors Association supports and advances the fencing industry of New Zealand
The association works with members and industry partners to ensure that fencing is a recognised profession and a career, and that best practices are adopted across the industry. It also ensures the “Find a Fencing Contractor” section of the
website is the first port of call for those seeking a fencing contractor.
An incorporated society, FCANZ is a membership organisation that exists to benefit its members and partners, thereby supporting the fencing industry as a whole. The association keeps members informed about the latest fencing products, technical information, trends and developments, including access to best-practice guidelines, templates, and codes of practice.
In addition, FCANZ hosts various informative networking events throughout the year, including an annual conference and Fencing Best Practice Days throughout the country. These events provide information on new fencing techniques, health and safety, product feedback, pricing and technical information.
AGM results
The AGM and conference in August 2024 saw Fencing Contractors Association NZ welcome Ben Fisher to the 2024/25 executive committee (the board) where he joined Phil Cornelius, Janine Swansson, Debbie White, Donna Upton, Nick Terry and Craig Sinclair.
Phil Cornelius was re-appointed FCANZ president, Janine was appointed vice president and Donna Upton confirmed as non-signatory treasurer.
In March 2024, Shane Beets resigned from the executive committee. We would like to thank Shane for his contribution whilst on the board, particularly in the role of treasurer.
A word from the president
The last 12 months have been an interesting time for the association, our members and industry partners. The 2023 change in government hasn’t dramatically changed anything one way or another, and much of the country is finding things tough, with a widespread flow-on.
Many regions are still recovering from the weather events of early 2023, exacerbated by continued rain events. What the change of government has done is give confidence to the risk takers to continue taking risks in the hope they pay off. For the fencing industry, the economy is a mixed bag. Some contractors are busy with work booked out months in advance and others are diversifying and branching out into other areas until things even out.
Strategic plan guides daily activities
In late 2023, the five-year strategic plan was signed off by the board. This strategy sets the overall goals for the association and the framework for developing an action plan to achieve them. While the plan has some lofty goals, it is also flexible and agile enough to respond to change, allowing current and future boards to ensure that the association is always on track to support and advance industry best practice. Along with the business-as-usual work of increasing member benefits and growing the number of members, activities to be delivered under Year 2 of the plan include:
- Creating and circulating best-practice standards (drawings)
- Engaging with public sector organisations to encourage adherence to industry standards
- Developing partnerships with training providers and academies
- Developing resource packages for career seekers and advisors
- Promotion of the industry as a career to key influencers
- Working closely with partners on shared messaging of the benefits of FCANZ membership
- Delivery of upskilling and training opportunities to members
- Positioning WIRED content to support fencing as a recognised trade
Raising the profile of fencing as a trade
As a board, we have continued to work on providing the general public with recognisable ways of assessing the quality of a fencing contractor. Much like the Master Plumbers and Certified Builders accreditations, our aim is to ensure there are some measures in place that provide reassurance to your customers that they are choosing a great fencing contractor.
Certificates & Endorsements
The association’s finalised career pathway and qualification structure for the rural sector of the fencing industry is well underway. Made up of the NZQA Certificate in Fencing (Levels 3 & 4) and the Certified Fencer and Accredited Fencing Contractor endorsements, the qualifications provide expectations of quality standards for the industry and, therefore, surety for those who engage FCANZ-endorsed contractors.
Ongoing course refinements based on student feedback have seen the courses evolve to better meet the needs of the student. The Level 3 course was redesigned to ensure as little time off the fenceline as possible, thereby causing minimal disruption to the student’s day job.
Skilled fencers are in demand, and the fencing industry is experiencing a skills shortage, which means there is a lot of opportunity for workers to enter the industry. It is time for fencing contractors doing quality work to shine.
Industry partners are key to industry success
We have exceptional industry partners associated with FCANZ and we rely on our partnerships with these businesses to keep raising the standards of the New Zealand fencing community. By partnering with FCANZ, these businesses show their faith in the work of the association and have a vested interest in seeing all involved in the industry do well.
We thank them all for their ongoing support. Keep using their expertise, products and services. Have a chat with them to discuss your needs; they go out of their way to help, making you and your fellow fencers better at what we all do.