July 27, 2025 • 32 mins
It's a Hutt Valley special of the Wellington Morning's business panel this week, with a successful engineer and the man in charge of advocating for business in the area joining Nick on the show.
On the agenda; the state of the Wellington economy in the outer cities, rising rates and insurance costs, public sector cuts and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick McKibbin and Metco Engineering director Paul Jessup joined Nick Mills.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said by Mondays Mean Business. It's the
Business panel on Wellington Mornings with Quinovic Property Management, a
better rental.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Experience for all.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Visit Quinovic dot co dot insad.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's get done, let's get down.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
You join us for the business panel. This week is
Hunt Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick mckippin. Did I
get that right? Patrick?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Mostly?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Mostly? Mostly? And met COO Engineering director Paul Jesse I
I card to get that one wrong, Paul, isn't it?
Did I get that right?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
That's all?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Don't forget to come to your microphone? How many times
do I have to explain to people that you're going
to come to your microphone? And then as sooners me start, oh,
lean back, okay, Paul, start with us telling us what
you do? What does met Co met Co? Do I
pronounce it right?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Met Co?
Speaker 5 (01:04):
Is?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
How you're engineering? Are engineering?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
What do they do? What do you do?
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Everything to do with the engineering from aerospace to civil
to roading, to traffic, agriculture, automation, robotics, gosh, designing it.
So we're trying to get into our own products. At
(01:29):
the moment, you building trailers to compete with the Chinese market.
We can cut a whole trailer in six minutes, get
you know, work that one out.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
How's it going? How how is life in the engineering world?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Engineering?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Compare it to pre COVID.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Engineering is good. It's everything else.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Insurances, you know, power gas prices have just gone through
the roof staff having four you know, ten days sickly
eve instead of five, you know, that hurts you every
every week. There's look at Monday today, I think we
had six guys sick.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
That's six jobs that don't get done's and.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
You've got to deal with that. So time to actually
reschedule those roles. And you know, since the ten days,
it's been hard. It's really his. But the engineering side,
you know, we're probably in a in a spot in
life where it's the development of the engineering is accelerating
(02:33):
at such a phenomenal rate technology wise, with AI and
the machinery that we're dealing with for my job is
keeping up with that technology. It's absolutely amazing. Loving it
enjoyed fifty eight years old and I'm loving I've got
goosebumps just talking about it.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
At the moment, good on you, good on you love
it and happy only. Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick mean Kippin.
Hopefully I'm getting that right. Patrick's let's call Cordia Patrick.
How businesses in the Hut Valley? Now you look after
Upperhead as well.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
So we're across the whole of it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So you've got the big brute town mansions and all
that stuff. All you've got, that's all you as well.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Yeah, so we were with businesses across the whole of
the Hut Valley and look, how's it going.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
It's still pretty tough out there.
Speaker 6 (03:25):
I think when we're out and about, and I'm out
and about quite a lot businesses are generally saying it's okay.
And look for a business to say it's okay. Is okay?
But actually where they want to be is they want
to be busy. They want to have a forward pipeline
of work, and they want to be employing people. And
at the moment, some of those things, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What's there, what's holding your businesses up? What are you
mostly getting from people saying, you know, if only we
could do this, things would change.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
Look, I think it's the economy is just coming back
much slower than anticipated We've just done our business confidence
survey and in March about fifty percent of the businesses
were saying that they were going to be confident. Now
that's down to sort of thirty percent of businesses are
saying they're confident. And so, you know, I think it's
(04:16):
just a lot slower. It will survive in twenty four
and thrive into twenty five. And now people are talking about,
you know, twenty six being the point at which things
might start to pick up. So it's just been a
lot slower.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
But Paul, you're saying, and you're a business in the
hut belly, you're saying, business is fine, it's just all
the costs.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
That go with it. Oh, we're down thirty percent.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Whoa thirty percent? In my world's your profit.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
One hundred percent? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:44):
And then when you've got power and gas going up,
yep and the works.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
When you started the show by saying things are great,
the business is good.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It is good.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
But we've we're in a situation where we own our
own buildings and we've been smart. You know, we've been
business twenty two years, so we don't carry a lot
of debt. We've got money in the bank, so you know,
it's been it's been hard, but we've as as business people,
(05:13):
we've done really well so to get through situations like this.
But yeah, it is, it is tough, and you know,
I think one of the big things is, you know,
the government buying new Zella made would help everyone out.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yep, what do you reckon is the major thing that's
caused jaw down to it? What do you think if
you could put it down to one thing, was it COVID,
whether it was the recession after COVID, whether it was immigration.
You know, talk take the costs out of it. What's
stopping that thirty percent people of buying a storm?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Isn't it?
Speaker 5 (05:50):
It's a perfect storm, and it's it's so the whole
twenty two years in business, we've never seen anything like this.
Speaker 6 (05:58):
Yeah, lots of people are saying it's worse than in
the financial crisis. And you know, I think Pool's right
that what we're hearing is insurance is going on, electricity
is going up, rates are going up. You know, so
all of these costs input that businesses have to factor in,
and most of that is their margins. It's just hard
work trying to make a buck at the moment.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
You know, and then and then you've got the text,
so you know, we had a good march, and then banging,
account's ringing me up, going you've now exceeded your provisional text.
You need to pay text next month. You know, it's like, yeah, okay,
we've had one good month out of twelve and bang.
Because you know about business, our text works.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Thanks, thanks for brigy bed. It's very nice of you
appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
It's yeah, and there's you know, there's so many moving
cogs in a business. It's just it's full on. You know,
I'll tell you what to be honest check GBT. Having
that tool now available on a day to day basis
is a bit of a game changer as.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
A just sw our listeners because I can see listeners
like me saying how can you use chat GPT in
an engineering business? Do you just say? Can you design
me this new tailor? Can you design me this? Tell
me how we know just.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
A you know, I'm an engineer, I'm not I'm not
a lawyer. I'm not an accountant. I haven't got a
business degree. So that tool brings me up to that
level very quickly.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
So you have a legal problem you ask chat, GPT.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Legal, responding to letters, responding to certain emails. That's usually
I would have to go to a third party for advice.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's a game changer, it really is.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Do you reckon it? Could do things like change your
legal cost for a year.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
Yeah, we had we had an event last week actually
where we had somebody come in and talk about the
way in which they're using all of the AI tools
that are now and there's so many of them, and
he talked about being able to produce a full website
within thirty minutes. Now that sort of thing used to
take a lot of pictures on walls and designing, and
(08:14):
so you know then he's now able to do that
in thirty minutes and kind of iterate from that, which
makes things a lot easier and quicker.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Can I be the Devil's advocate on us? To both
of you? How do you trust it? Because I mean
I got asked for some information for the show once
and they told me that a particular or black that
I was looking for some information on went to some
pets in silver Stream, when I'm in fact on you
he went to sir pets in town. So how do
you trust it?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Well?
Speaker 6 (08:41):
I think you just have to use the tool, but
use it sensibly as much as you know where you're
getting written information, you know, check it. We we use
CHATPT a lot to do some of our marketing, but
actually we're using it in a way which helps us
to go quicker and then check the information that we're
putting out there.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's still only the common sense.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
So GBT will answer certain questions and it will miss
things out that you then have to remind it. Hey
but what a yeah. Yeah, So if you've got the
tools to be able to do that, and I ask
those questions, you'll get the perfect answer yeap. And you've
got to you've got to have that common sense.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yes. Yeah, it's too good to be true, you know
usually is.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
So you're an engineer and you say you're not an accountant, Paul,
you're not a lawyer. How's your written skills are you?
Are you good with that? Waters chat GPT help you.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
You're at fifteen years old? So how do as soon
as I turned fifteen?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, I was out.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
It's funny because can I just say I did a
proposal a couple of weeks ago or a couple of
months ago. Now for someone I needed a you know,
it was a deal that I was trying to put together,
and I wrote out the deal and then put it
to chat GPT and it came back with how it
should be sent out, and I've we're a family business,
so I sent it to the family to see what's going.
I said, gosh, that was brilliant. How did you do that?
(10:02):
You're not I can't hear you, and you're not.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
The key is is I know how something needs to
be written, but for me to put it into words, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Without their education side, very difficult.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
So chet gptus virtually pulls those words out of my
mouth and puts them into written form.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
It's a game changer for me.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Game changer for a lot of business. Because I watched
on Q and A this guy Weally Innings Willings talk
about education and he talks about you, and he talks
about me, probably not you, Patrick, but it was all
about how education is not helping those who are entrepreneurs.
So that's exactly what you're saying. Yeah, but then let's
(10:48):
take a short break and come back, because I'm very
interested and it's great to hear chat GPT being used
in an engineering firm. I mean, you wouldn't even think
that that would apart from the odd letter that you
had to tidy up or clean up. You're listening to
the business panel. We have Hut Valley Chamber of Commerce
CEO Patrick McGibbon. I'm trying to get that right. I'm
not getting it right.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
It's all good.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Kippin and metco Engineering director Paul Jessop. We've talked a
lot about Wellington City on the show, but we're having
a couple of Hut Valley business people involved. Tell us, Paul,
what what is the actual feeling like in Lower Heart
and Uppert the Hut Valley. What's the vibe like? Compare
it to pre covid, what's the vibe like?
Speaker 5 (11:33):
I think the big one is the lack of spending infrastructure.
It's like, what's happened? Why have they got it so wrong?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You know?
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Why are we smilling sewer and see view? You know
why when I go home at five point thirty at
night on State Highway One going north and to turn
off at the Haywoods, it's banked up, Yeah, to get
through Upper Heart, So where what's gone wrong there? I
(12:05):
lived in up Heart when there was no river road.
They put on River Road. Then they put lights in.
It's a bottleneck. It's stuff like that. That's so wrong,
that espernad. Why is that bottleneck morning and afternoon It's
it's choked. So it's points like that is they need
to be fixed. You know, you need that flow through
(12:28):
your city, you need you need your fresh water, our
hot river. I remember swimming in the Hat River off
Wakataki Street when I was a kid. It was one
of the best spots to swim. It's gone that it's polluted.
It's the flows not there. What's happened. What's happened. It's
like there's a boom of housing houses being put up
(12:50):
with no thought of the infrastructure that's supporting it.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Surely, with Chris Bishop being a very powerful politician, Patrick,
that should be high on their priority list.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
And I think it is.
Speaker 6 (13:05):
So I guess my perspective on where the Hut value
is it's it's definitely been tough, and it's definitely still
tough and things are a bit slower, but the next
ten to fifteen years for the Hut Valley actually looks amazingly.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Prosperous.
Speaker 6 (13:21):
So, you know, we've just completed a strategic report over
the next for the next ten years, looking at the
business community and.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Whether we've got that right or wrong.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
We're predicting a thirty five percent growth in GDP, so
three point five billion dollars on top of the ten
billion dollars that we already have. And very few people
know that we have ten billion dollars worth of economy
going on in the Hut Valley and it's you know,
there are so so many amazing businesses, but kind of
underpinning that kind of infrastructure stuff is the Revalink project. Yes,
(13:53):
it's taken a long time to get to where it's
got to, but we're nearly there. We've got Cross Valley Link,
we've got Patoni to Grenada and all of that could
be you know, seven to eight billion dollars worth of
d coming into our community. And if we can retain
that spend with our business community and with our community,
things are going to look a lot better than they were.
(14:17):
You know, true COVID and coming out of COVID.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Paul, you say, turned North Transmission Gully. What's that done
for the Hut Belly for Capiti?
Speaker 2 (14:26):
That's awesome. I live there.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
So we brought their pre being finished. But again you
know that that kind of gives you an understanding of Caperity. Infrastructure.
Infrastructures is pretty damn good, except for Capiti Road needs
sorting out.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Transmission.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
But again, what happens was transmission Gully going south Bottleneck?
You know, did they want to think about that one?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
No, so seven.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
Thirty in the morning, Yeah, Transmission Gully going to work
in town.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
At Bottlenecks?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Is it still bolden it?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Does it? Ye?
Speaker 5 (15:11):
So if you're catching an early flight, you've got to
allow for that extra hour.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
Yeah, and certain Yeah, certainly going home on State IRA
two or coming into town on State I two in
the evenings can be a lot you know, it's a
lot different than going out the other way first thing
in the morning. So you know, certainly a lot of
traffic moving at peak hours.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
How can that be helped? How can hut Belly be
helped by that? I mean, that's a big basin, isn't it.
When you put the whole basin upper Lower hut Y
New Eastbawn, it's a big basin.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Look, I think I mean we've got the train network
could be used more. You know, it's actually I think
they've just put the prices up on the train network
and that's that can't help people, you know. I think
I was amazed by the number of cars going into
Wellington City in the morning. I have no idea where
all those people parking?
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Half the problem. The parks are full. A need more
car parking, need capacity.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
We're in the hut Belly.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Yeah, you know all those Potoni station, all the stations.
Need you go past any of those White Waterloo the Fall.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
How do you feel? How do you feel about the
development that's been going on in the Hut Valley? I
mean I described it, you know once it's Coronation Street
in thirty years time, some of all those thousands of
townhouses that have been built. How do you feel doing
business out there?
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Port?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Is it going to be okay?
Speaker 5 (16:39):
I think CV is amazing the whole We're at the
location for us YEP as perfect to get to main
freight and ends carriers, and that's critical for us. Most
of our business goes to goes to Auckland's.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
It's always freighted.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
So to be able to get there, Yeah, fifty percent
of our jobs need to go out that day four o'clock.
We're struggling to get them finished to be shipped out overnight,
so being.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Close is vital.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It's just that esperanade really for us and the cost,
you know, insurance. My insurance bill for my business is
around nearly half a million dollars a year and in
Auckland it's about that. How does that work? Why because
(17:40):
the earthquakes and Wellington. So instead of the government stepping
in there and balancing the insurance costs nationwide, it's zoned.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
That's a massive.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Cost, massive cost Part Value. Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick
mcckibbon and Metco Engineering Director Paul Jessup joined us for
the Business panel today. Wellington businesses are facing serious cost pressures,
particular with commerc particularly with commercial rates that Wellington Hut Valley. Sorry,
the Wellington City Council is proposing another twelve point two
(18:15):
percent rise in twenty twenty five twenty six. Patrick, what's
the hut doing? And is our commercial rates in the
huts so such huge as they are in Wellington.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
I think as a proportion they're slightly lower in the
Hut Valley than in Wellington. Nick, So I think my
understanding is that the proportion of rates that businesses playing
Wellington is about forty three percent of the total rate
take in the Hut Valley, it's less than that. I
think in Auckland it's even less than that. So that
(18:49):
there is a there is a toll on on businesses
for rates and the rates are going up along with
as Paul said, just about every other cost input that
businesses are facing from.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Electric bat our business is commenting to you that that
the cost of rates are just getting out of control.
What what can be done about it? Are you getting
the feedback?
Speaker 6 (19:09):
Look, I think businesses do comment from time to time.
What they want to see is business is the council's
kind of being responsible with their spending and that's the
way that we can certainly do that. The Heart City
Council is taking steps to kind of reduce costs for
(19:31):
some areas such as the building building costs are they
frozen some of the the developer levees in recent times
and that's important. But you know, councils across the board,
across the country are increasing the cost for businesses and
that's that's not not a great thing.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Paul, you own your building, you just said that before.
I mean, what do you think when you see your
rates bill?
Speaker 2 (20:02):
It's just it's waste. You know, I think being a
business owner.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
You you look after your pennies. Yeah, and we know
how every every job that comes in the door, we we.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
We look after that whole process. So, you know, council
demand arise.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
They I don't think the majority of people on the
council really understand wastage in spending on dealing with that wastage.
You know when you drive down the motorway and see
four trucks and one law mar Yeah, mowing the lawn,
(20:47):
that drives me insane, you know, so what's the lawmark
costing us? But what about the three trucks?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, four trucks following?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
You guys are all in for a big change particular, well.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
Particular, there's going to be a lot of change over.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
It's going to be a mayor. Sure, what are your
thoughts on that? Patrick?
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Look, I think it will be different.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Campbell's obviously been there for six years and you know
he's well known, so we are going into the unknown.
We have talked to three out of the four candidates
so far around what they're kind of thinking about for businesses,
and certainly that engagement has been good, but remains to
be seen. About kind of how that will play out
(21:33):
really over the next few months.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Paul, your thoughts. You've got a new mayor. Did you
know the old one? Did you work with the old one?
You're a big business in the area.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Not really, but interesting.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
We had a discussion over the weekend about this is
you know, what are council's really there for.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You know, we're here for a short time.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Yeah, I honestly believe there to make sure that there's
infrastructure for our children. You know, the Avalone skate parks
an example, capitally amazing, awesome more of that. You know,
you got to ride a row and see all these
big mountain bike parks and stuff for people to do
(22:12):
in the weekend and after work. You know, that's what
keeps you your sane. Yeah, and keeps your children busy
in that family time. I think that's the important thing
of life. That's what they should be focusing on. And
the infrastructure, you know it. Don't keep building buildings if
you haven't got the infrastructure. Come up with a new idea.
You know, if you're building, if you're Milk and Gillies
(22:34):
and you're about to put in another two hundred homes,
make sure it's sustainable within that two hundred homes have
its own sewer system, have its own water system, have
solar panels. Why put that onto the main structural grid.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
A lot of that does happen though, doesn't it a
lot of the requirements. Yeah, well, I know a particular
developer that had to spend like two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars on a sewer project and a little development.
But is it a.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Pump, Yeah, pump into the main system. That's just it's
not adding to it. If you go down south and
see some of these composting sewer systems, they're out there,
you know, the tools are out there unless the councils
actually get their heads around it.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
So, so the change of mayor, have you got anyone
that you like? Do you think will be good? Do
you think that the city's in good?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
You know?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Instead, it's a hard job.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
I think, you know, we've got some good, good candidates
putting their hand up in instantly in Hut City. So look,
it will be I think it will be a tight
race between a number of them, and it remains to
be seen whether there'll be other candidates putting their hands
up in the next couple of weeks because it's not
far away the deadline.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
It is the business panel. We have Paul Jessup and
Patrick mckibbon in the building in the studio. Let's talk
about amalgamation. I'm going to come to you, Paul. You're
a Wellington business Lower Hut businessman, Wellington businessman. Keep to
the re malgamation. Does it rattle your cage? Do you
like the idea of there being one councilor one sort
(24:13):
of I don't know, super City Wellington, Lower Upperhut and Potty.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Do it if it's done right, If it's what's done right,
mean to you.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
That that each you.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
Know, Pirra Upper Heart Lower Heart store needs a leadership
team that's pushing for for what they need. But I
think the the lawyer, the buying, the selling, the CFO
CEO can be combined, you know, the that's we're going
(24:48):
to save your money, you're buying power of the group.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
And surely we should only have one rule for you
running your factory. If you had a factory in Wellington
had different rules to the factory of Heart, you know,
surely we should have you know, united rules.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
But on that as well, the council should be helping
you set up a business. For my experience, that's the opposite.
You hit a brick wall.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Yeah, you know, you're going to employ people, You're going
to create wealth for your area.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
You don't get no reach.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
You know, you then have acoustic engineers, traffic engineers, fire engineers,
and it just goes on and on and on, and
all they wanted to is top the tecut. You know,
a lot of it is. Yeah, it's it's not good.
Speaker 6 (25:34):
I think business A lot of people underestimate the contribution
that businesses make to our region, that through that employment,
through the jobs they create, through the money that is
moving around not only with the business but with their employees.
And you know, we need strong businesses in our region
to for our our region to succeed. And I just
(25:57):
I often feel that a lot of people underestimate that.
But but it's so vital to the prosperity of our
region that we have those businesses like pools being successful,
being and you know, employing people, creating those high paid jobs.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
And how does it amalgamation help that or hinder that?
What do you I mean going back to your idea,
is that you would still have your your wards, you know,
you'd have three wards in lower heart and three wards
and upper hearts. So you've still got your people on
the Council, on the on the super City Council that
are concentrating on those areas. So there's nothing they're not
getting cut out. But how does that not work to make.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
The buying power? Yeah, sure, it's the same with us.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
So you know, if we had four factories and we
had each person buying for each factory, where's the game.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
There no game.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
We use the buying power of our four companies that
we that we run. There's there's the buying power. That's
the saving massive contractors. So you know, being able to
and I think this is a big thing is tenders.
Oh my gosh, they need to simplify tenders. The amount
(27:04):
of people that's keeping companies that it's been that are
being kept out of the loop because it's so complicated.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
You're one two bands.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Yeah, they can't get near it.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
It's a it's a nightmare, the cost, the complexity. With AI,
it's a lot easier, but it's still you know, it's
a big document and you can spend two hundred hours
and never hear.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Back from them trying to get a trying to get
a deal.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Done, to try and get and get a tender.
Speaker 6 (27:33):
So it's not set up for small businesses to be
able to participate in those big pieces of work. And
that's you know, therefore those businesses are not they're missing
out and they're not being able to grow over time
to be able to participate in the in the future.
So look, it's it's hard work for those small businesses.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
What it is, and it's.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
Yeah, that's the biggest saving that the council is going
to make as they spend on infrastructure maintenance. But who's
lock and after.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
That faulton home?
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Yeah, down, down us, big boys, where does that money go?
Speaker 6 (28:16):
When when Campbell raised the issue of amalgamation a couple
of weeks ago or maybe a month ago now, we
put a story out on our weekly columns and the
stuff that we got back was what about kind of
the huts identity?
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Because we are very different.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
To for sure, and we don't want to you know,
we're we're we're mostly businesses and you know, big businesses,
small businesses, and that's what keeps our community going. And
we're manufacturing their hands on with science, with research and
all of those things. And there was a worry about
how that identity might get lost in a in a
big in a bigger entity.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
You know, I've never heard that before, and that's a
very good point. It's an extremely cool point. But surely
you still could be called you know, I mean, why
knew he is part of lower Hut. But it's still
for sure so you know, so you could still keep
your identity.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Yeah, for sure. But I think it's you know, that's
what people were worried about. And they were also worried
about who was going to be running the council.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
That was the other thing that I think we're all
worried about that. I think that's a problem that the
hole in New Zealer there right, oh right, oh, my
favorite part of the business panel. So this is the scenario,
Paul and Patrick. You have got a friend of family member,
maybe someone that you haven't seen but it's really dear
to you, really important to you. You haven't seen them
(29:36):
for at least ten years, that to prerequisite. So you
haven't seen them for a while. They're flying into Wellington
Airport and you've got to take them and do something
with them that you know you wanted before you take
them to stay at your house. You want to take
them out and impress them. Come on, Patrick, tell me
where you're taking.
Speaker 6 (29:51):
Oh look, this is going This is going to be
no surprise to people that are listening that know me.
I'm actually going to take them to a whole range
of businesses in the Hut Valley, like Paul's, like Arrow
Tech Diagnostics, like Pharaoh's, like Real Steel. Do you know
we I get so much joy out of going to
visit these businesses and seeing what they're doing, seeing how
(30:12):
well they're treating their staff, seeing how well they're doing
in this current environment, and see how they're using technology
and AI and it's you know, I'm very passionate about that,
and I want to show people what an amazing business
community we do have in the Hut Valley because it's
very unseen and it's very unknown, but it's there and
(30:33):
it's just the most amazing thing. So that's what I'm
I went there last week and they were just the
most beautiful people.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Great. I loved the product. I love going into the
super making poor. Come on, you got someone you're picking
up in your flesh car and you're going to take
them do something? What are you going to do? With them.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
I pick them up, got two bikes on the back,
pick them up from the airport.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Off we go to Mecra. Look at that stunning view
right at the top.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Why there's so many businessmen of your ink? Your ink
like mountain biking. It's so often on this show we
have these people.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
All they talk about is mountain bike because your business.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
And that's why I do it. I find it.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
You know, it's it's amazing, I said, adrenaline rush. It's
it's that focus. It's that clarity. You're in the bush,
you're in nature. You can't That's living, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
That's that's great.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
That's why living for me is a really packed bar.
Drinking a little bit. I don't drink alcohol, but having
people fun, laughing. That's fun. Not being out in the
bush with the possums running in front of you or
something and you get.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Tripped up with you you should try love it.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Gosh, thank you both so much for coming. It's great
to catch up with poor jessup. Good luck with Mick
metco engineering. I'm going to follow you and study you
because I think it's you're a great guy and it's
great to see.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
The walk around.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, I would love to. I love watching looking at
other people's business, see how they do it. And your
passion is fantastic. Hube really lucky to have them.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
And I'll come and pick you up at the airport
and I'll take you.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
There because, oh my gosh, I've got both. I could,
I could, I could probably hire a bike and ride out.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Now we're talking.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Even more impressed.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Be careful on day too.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
Great to see you both. Great to see that Hut
Valley has got so many passionate, good people. Wellington region.
I love Wellington Region. I'm not I don't want to
put things into one labels.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said by Mondays Mean Business. It's the
Business panel on Wellington Mornings with Quinovic Property Management, a
better rental.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Experience for all.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Visit Quinovic dot co dot insad.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Let's get done, let's get down.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
You join us for the business panel. This week is
Hunt Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick mckippin. Did I
get that right? Patrick?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Mostly?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Mostly? Mostly? And met COO Engineering director Paul Jesse I
I card to get that one wrong, Paul, isn't it?
Did I get that right?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
That's all?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Don't forget to come to your microphone? How many times
do I have to explain to people that you're going
to come to your microphone? And then as sooners me start, oh,
lean back, okay, Paul, start with us telling us what
you do? What does met Co met Co? Do I
pronounce it right?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Met Co?
Speaker 5 (01:04):
Is?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
How you're engineering? Are engineering?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
What do they do? What do you do?
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Everything to do with the engineering from aerospace to civil
to roading, to traffic, agriculture, automation, robotics, gosh, designing it.
So we're trying to get into our own products. At
(01:29):
the moment, you building trailers to compete with the Chinese market.
We can cut a whole trailer in six minutes, get
you know, work that one out.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
How's it going? How how is life in the engineering world?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Engineering?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Compare it to pre COVID.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Engineering is good. It's everything else.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Insurances, you know, power gas prices have just gone through
the roof staff having four you know, ten days sickly
eve instead of five, you know, that hurts you every
every week. There's look at Monday today, I think we
had six guys sick.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
That's six jobs that don't get done's and.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
You've got to deal with that. So time to actually
reschedule those roles. And you know, since the ten days,
it's been hard. It's really his. But the engineering side,
you know, we're probably in a in a spot in
life where it's the development of the engineering is accelerating
(02:33):
at such a phenomenal rate technology wise, with AI and
the machinery that we're dealing with for my job is
keeping up with that technology. It's absolutely amazing. Loving it
enjoyed fifty eight years old and I'm loving I've got
goosebumps just talking about it.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
At the moment, good on you, good on you love
it and happy only. Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick mean Kippin.
Hopefully I'm getting that right. Patrick's let's call Cordia Patrick.
How businesses in the Hut Valley? Now you look after
Upperhead as well.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
So we're across the whole of it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So you've got the big brute town mansions and all
that stuff. All you've got, that's all you as well.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Yeah, so we were with businesses across the whole of
the Hut Valley and look, how's it going.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
It's still pretty tough out there.
Speaker 6 (03:25):
I think when we're out and about, and I'm out
and about quite a lot businesses are generally saying it's okay.
And look for a business to say it's okay. Is okay?
But actually where they want to be is they want
to be busy. They want to have a forward pipeline
of work, and they want to be employing people. And
at the moment, some of those things, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What's there, what's holding your businesses up? What are you
mostly getting from people saying, you know, if only we
could do this, things would change.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
Look, I think it's the economy is just coming back
much slower than anticipated We've just done our business confidence
survey and in March about fifty percent of the businesses
were saying that they were going to be confident. Now
that's down to sort of thirty percent of businesses are
saying they're confident. And so, you know, I think it's
(04:16):
just a lot slower. It will survive in twenty four
and thrive into twenty five. And now people are talking about,
you know, twenty six being the point at which things
might start to pick up. So it's just been a
lot slower.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
But Paul, you're saying, and you're a business in the
hut belly, you're saying, business is fine, it's just all
the costs.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
That go with it. Oh, we're down thirty percent.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Whoa thirty percent? In my world's your profit.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
One hundred percent? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:44):
And then when you've got power and gas going up,
yep and the works.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
When you started the show by saying things are great,
the business is good.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It is good.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
But we've we're in a situation where we own our
own buildings and we've been smart. You know, we've been
business twenty two years, so we don't carry a lot
of debt. We've got money in the bank, so you know,
it's been it's been hard, but we've as as business people,
(05:13):
we've done really well so to get through situations like this.
But yeah, it is, it is tough, and you know,
I think one of the big things is, you know,
the government buying new Zella made would help everyone out.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yep, what do you reckon is the major thing that's
caused jaw down to it? What do you think if
you could put it down to one thing, was it COVID,
whether it was the recession after COVID, whether it was immigration.
You know, talk take the costs out of it. What's
stopping that thirty percent people of buying a storm?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Isn't it?
Speaker 5 (05:50):
It's a perfect storm, and it's it's so the whole
twenty two years in business, we've never seen anything like this.
Speaker 6 (05:58):
Yeah, lots of people are saying it's worse than in
the financial crisis. And you know, I think Pool's right
that what we're hearing is insurance is going on, electricity
is going up, rates are going up. You know, so
all of these costs input that businesses have to factor in,
and most of that is their margins. It's just hard
work trying to make a buck at the moment.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
You know, and then and then you've got the text,
so you know, we had a good march, and then banging,
account's ringing me up, going you've now exceeded your provisional text.
You need to pay text next month. You know, it's like, yeah, okay,
we've had one good month out of twelve and bang.
Because you know about business, our text works.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Thanks, thanks for brigy bed. It's very nice of you
appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
It's yeah, and there's you know, there's so many moving
cogs in a business. It's just it's full on. You know,
I'll tell you what to be honest check GBT. Having
that tool now available on a day to day basis
is a bit of a game changer as.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
A just sw our listeners because I can see listeners
like me saying how can you use chat GPT in
an engineering business? Do you just say? Can you design
me this new tailor? Can you design me this? Tell
me how we know just.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
A you know, I'm an engineer, I'm not I'm not
a lawyer. I'm not an accountant. I haven't got a
business degree. So that tool brings me up to that
level very quickly.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
So you have a legal problem you ask chat, GPT.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Legal, responding to letters, responding to certain emails. That's usually
I would have to go to a third party for advice.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's a game changer, it really is.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Do you reckon it? Could do things like change your
legal cost for a year.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
Yeah, we had we had an event last week actually
where we had somebody come in and talk about the
way in which they're using all of the AI tools
that are now and there's so many of them, and
he talked about being able to produce a full website
within thirty minutes. Now that sort of thing used to
take a lot of pictures on walls and designing, and
(08:14):
so you know then he's now able to do that
in thirty minutes and kind of iterate from that, which
makes things a lot easier and quicker.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Can I be the Devil's advocate on us? To both
of you? How do you trust it? Because I mean
I got asked for some information for the show once
and they told me that a particular or black that
I was looking for some information on went to some
pets in silver Stream, when I'm in fact on you
he went to sir pets in town. So how do
you trust it?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Well?
Speaker 6 (08:41):
I think you just have to use the tool, but
use it sensibly as much as you know where you're
getting written information, you know, check it. We we use
CHATPT a lot to do some of our marketing, but
actually we're using it in a way which helps us
to go quicker and then check the information that we're
putting out there.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's still only the common sense.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
So GBT will answer certain questions and it will miss
things out that you then have to remind it. Hey
but what a yeah. Yeah, So if you've got the
tools to be able to do that, and I ask
those questions, you'll get the perfect answer yeap. And you've
got to you've got to have that common sense.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yes. Yeah, it's too good to be true, you know
usually is.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
So you're an engineer and you say you're not an accountant, Paul,
you're not a lawyer. How's your written skills are you?
Are you good with that? Waters chat GPT help you.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
You're at fifteen years old? So how do as soon
as I turned fifteen?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Yeah, I was out.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
It's funny because can I just say I did a
proposal a couple of weeks ago or a couple of
months ago. Now for someone I needed a you know,
it was a deal that I was trying to put together,
and I wrote out the deal and then put it
to chat GPT and it came back with how it
should be sent out, and I've we're a family business,
so I sent it to the family to see what's going.
I said, gosh, that was brilliant. How did you do that?
(10:02):
You're not I can't hear you, and you're not.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
The key is is I know how something needs to
be written, but for me to put it into words, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Without their education side, very difficult.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
So chet gptus virtually pulls those words out of my
mouth and puts them into written form.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
It's a game changer for me.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Game changer for a lot of business. Because I watched
on Q and A this guy Weally Innings Willings talk
about education and he talks about you, and he talks
about me, probably not you, Patrick, but it was all
about how education is not helping those who are entrepreneurs.
So that's exactly what you're saying. Yeah, but then let's
(10:48):
take a short break and come back, because I'm very
interested and it's great to hear chat GPT being used
in an engineering firm. I mean, you wouldn't even think
that that would apart from the odd letter that you
had to tidy up or clean up. You're listening to
the business panel. We have Hut Valley Chamber of Commerce
CEO Patrick McGibbon. I'm trying to get that right. I'm
not getting it right.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
It's all good.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Kippin and metco Engineering director Paul Jessop. We've talked a
lot about Wellington City on the show, but we're having
a couple of Hut Valley business people involved. Tell us, Paul,
what what is the actual feeling like in Lower Heart
and Uppert the Hut Valley. What's the vibe like? Compare
it to pre covid, what's the vibe like?
Speaker 5 (11:33):
I think the big one is the lack of spending infrastructure.
It's like, what's happened? Why have they got it so wrong?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
You know?
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Why are we smilling sewer and see view? You know
why when I go home at five point thirty at
night on State Highway One going north and to turn
off at the Haywoods, it's banked up, Yeah, to get
through Upper Heart, So where what's gone wrong there? I
(12:05):
lived in up Heart when there was no river road.
They put on River Road. Then they put lights in.
It's a bottleneck. It's stuff like that. That's so wrong,
that espernad. Why is that bottleneck morning and afternoon It's
it's choked. So it's points like that is they need
to be fixed. You know, you need that flow through
(12:28):
your city, you need you need your fresh water, our
hot river. I remember swimming in the Hat River off
Wakataki Street when I was a kid. It was one
of the best spots to swim. It's gone that it's polluted.
It's the flows not there. What's happened. What's happened. It's
like there's a boom of housing houses being put up
(12:50):
with no thought of the infrastructure that's supporting it.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Surely, with Chris Bishop being a very powerful politician, Patrick,
that should be high on their priority list.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
And I think it is.
Speaker 6 (13:05):
So I guess my perspective on where the Hut value
is it's it's definitely been tough, and it's definitely still
tough and things are a bit slower, but the next
ten to fifteen years for the Hut Valley actually looks amazingly.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Prosperous.
Speaker 6 (13:21):
So, you know, we've just completed a strategic report over
the next for the next ten years, looking at the
business community and.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Whether we've got that right or wrong.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
We're predicting a thirty five percent growth in GDP, so
three point five billion dollars on top of the ten
billion dollars that we already have. And very few people
know that we have ten billion dollars worth of economy
going on in the Hut Valley and it's you know,
there are so so many amazing businesses, but kind of
underpinning that kind of infrastructure stuff is the Revalink project. Yes,
(13:53):
it's taken a long time to get to where it's
got to, but we're nearly there. We've got Cross Valley Link,
we've got Patoni to Grenada and all of that could
be you know, seven to eight billion dollars worth of
d coming into our community. And if we can retain
that spend with our business community and with our community,
things are going to look a lot better than they were.
(14:17):
You know, true COVID and coming out of COVID.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Paul, you say, turned North Transmission Gully. What's that done
for the Hut Belly for Capiti?
Speaker 2 (14:26):
That's awesome. I live there.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
So we brought their pre being finished. But again you
know that that kind of gives you an understanding of Caperity. Infrastructure.
Infrastructures is pretty damn good, except for Capiti Road needs
sorting out.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Transmission.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
But again, what happens was transmission Gully going south Bottleneck?
You know, did they want to think about that one?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
No, so seven.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
Thirty in the morning, Yeah, Transmission Gully going to work
in town.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
At Bottlenecks?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Is it still bolden it?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Does it? Ye?
Speaker 5 (15:11):
So if you're catching an early flight, you've got to
allow for that extra hour.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
Yeah, and certain Yeah, certainly going home on State IRA
two or coming into town on State I two in
the evenings can be a lot you know, it's a
lot different than going out the other way first thing
in the morning. So you know, certainly a lot of
traffic moving at peak hours.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
How can that be helped? How can hut Belly be
helped by that? I mean, that's a big basin, isn't it.
When you put the whole basin upper Lower hut Y
New Eastbawn, it's a big basin.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Look, I think I mean we've got the train network
could be used more. You know, it's actually I think
they've just put the prices up on the train network
and that's that can't help people, you know. I think
I was amazed by the number of cars going into
Wellington City in the morning. I have no idea where
all those people parking?
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Half the problem. The parks are full. A need more
car parking, need capacity.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
We're in the hut Belly.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Yeah, you know all those Potoni station, all the stations.
Need you go past any of those White Waterloo the Fall.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
How do you feel? How do you feel about the
development that's been going on in the Hut Valley? I
mean I described it, you know once it's Coronation Street
in thirty years time, some of all those thousands of
townhouses that have been built. How do you feel doing
business out there?
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Port?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Is it going to be okay?
Speaker 5 (16:39):
I think CV is amazing the whole We're at the
location for us YEP as perfect to get to main
freight and ends carriers, and that's critical for us. Most
of our business goes to goes to Auckland's.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
It's always freighted.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
So to be able to get there, Yeah, fifty percent
of our jobs need to go out that day four o'clock.
We're struggling to get them finished to be shipped out overnight,
so being.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Close is vital.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It's just that esperanade really for us and the cost,
you know, insurance. My insurance bill for my business is
around nearly half a million dollars a year and in
Auckland it's about that. How does that work? Why because
(17:40):
the earthquakes and Wellington. So instead of the government stepping
in there and balancing the insurance costs nationwide, it's zoned.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
That's a massive.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Cost, massive cost Part Value. Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick
mcckibbon and Metco Engineering Director Paul Jessup joined us for
the Business panel today. Wellington businesses are facing serious cost pressures,
particular with commerc particularly with commercial rates that Wellington Hut Valley. Sorry,
the Wellington City Council is proposing another twelve point two
(18:15):
percent rise in twenty twenty five twenty six. Patrick, what's
the hut doing? And is our commercial rates in the
huts so such huge as they are in Wellington.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
I think as a proportion they're slightly lower in the
Hut Valley than in Wellington. Nick, So I think my
understanding is that the proportion of rates that businesses playing
Wellington is about forty three percent of the total rate
take in the Hut Valley, it's less than that. I
think in Auckland it's even less than that. So that
(18:49):
there is a there is a toll on on businesses
for rates and the rates are going up along with
as Paul said, just about every other cost input that
businesses are facing from.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Electric bat our business is commenting to you that that
the cost of rates are just getting out of control.
What what can be done about it? Are you getting
the feedback?
Speaker 6 (19:09):
Look, I think businesses do comment from time to time.
What they want to see is business is the council's
kind of being responsible with their spending and that's the
way that we can certainly do that. The Heart City
Council is taking steps to kind of reduce costs for
(19:31):
some areas such as the building building costs are they
frozen some of the the developer levees in recent times
and that's important. But you know, councils across the board,
across the country are increasing the cost for businesses and
that's that's not not a great thing.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Paul, you own your building, you just said that before.
I mean, what do you think when you see your
rates bill?
Speaker 2 (20:02):
It's just it's waste. You know, I think being a
business owner.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
You you look after your pennies. Yeah, and we know
how every every job that comes in the door, we we.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
We look after that whole process. So, you know, council
demand arise.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
They I don't think the majority of people on the
council really understand wastage in spending on dealing with that wastage.
You know when you drive down the motorway and see
four trucks and one law mar Yeah, mowing the lawn,
(20:47):
that drives me insane, you know, so what's the lawmark
costing us? But what about the three trucks?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, four trucks following?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
You guys are all in for a big change particular, well.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
Particular, there's going to be a lot of change over.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
It's going to be a mayor. Sure, what are your
thoughts on that? Patrick?
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Look, I think it will be different.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Campbell's obviously been there for six years and you know
he's well known, so we are going into the unknown.
We have talked to three out of the four candidates
so far around what they're kind of thinking about for businesses,
and certainly that engagement has been good, but remains to
be seen. About kind of how that will play out
(21:33):
really over the next few months.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Paul, your thoughts. You've got a new mayor. Did you
know the old one? Did you work with the old one?
You're a big business in the area.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Not really, but interesting.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
We had a discussion over the weekend about this is
you know, what are council's really there for.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You know, we're here for a short time.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
Yeah, I honestly believe there to make sure that there's
infrastructure for our children. You know, the Avalone skate parks
an example, capitally amazing, awesome more of that. You know,
you got to ride a row and see all these
big mountain bike parks and stuff for people to do
(22:12):
in the weekend and after work. You know, that's what
keeps you your sane. Yeah, and keeps your children busy
in that family time. I think that's the important thing
of life. That's what they should be focusing on. And
the infrastructure, you know it. Don't keep building buildings if
you haven't got the infrastructure. Come up with a new idea.
You know, if you're building, if you're Milk and Gillies
(22:34):
and you're about to put in another two hundred homes,
make sure it's sustainable within that two hundred homes have
its own sewer system, have its own water system, have
solar panels. Why put that onto the main structural grid.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
A lot of that does happen though, doesn't it a
lot of the requirements. Yeah, well, I know a particular
developer that had to spend like two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars on a sewer project and a little development.
But is it a.
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Pump, Yeah, pump into the main system. That's just it's
not adding to it. If you go down south and
see some of these composting sewer systems, they're out there,
you know, the tools are out there unless the councils
actually get their heads around it.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
So, so the change of mayor, have you got anyone
that you like? Do you think will be good? Do
you think that the city's in good?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
You know?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Instead, it's a hard job.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
I think, you know, we've got some good, good candidates
putting their hand up in instantly in Hut City. So look,
it will be I think it will be a tight
race between a number of them, and it remains to
be seen whether there'll be other candidates putting their hands
up in the next couple of weeks because it's not
far away the deadline.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
It is the business panel. We have Paul Jessup and
Patrick mckibbon in the building in the studio. Let's talk
about amalgamation. I'm going to come to you, Paul. You're
a Wellington business Lower Hut businessman, Wellington businessman. Keep to
the re malgamation. Does it rattle your cage? Do you
like the idea of there being one councilor one sort
(24:13):
of I don't know, super City Wellington, Lower Upperhut and Potty.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Do it if it's done right, If it's what's done right,
mean to you.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
That that each you.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
Know, Pirra Upper Heart Lower Heart store needs a leadership
team that's pushing for for what they need. But I
think the the lawyer, the buying, the selling, the CFO
CEO can be combined, you know, the that's we're going
(24:48):
to save your money, you're buying power of the group.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
And surely we should only have one rule for you
running your factory. If you had a factory in Wellington
had different rules to the factory of Heart, you know,
surely we should have you know, united rules.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
But on that as well, the council should be helping
you set up a business. For my experience, that's the opposite.
You hit a brick wall.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Yeah, you know, you're going to employ people, You're going
to create wealth for your area.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
You don't get no reach.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
You know, you then have acoustic engineers, traffic engineers, fire engineers,
and it just goes on and on and on, and
all they wanted to is top the tecut. You know,
a lot of it is. Yeah, it's it's not good.
Speaker 6 (25:34):
I think business A lot of people underestimate the contribution
that businesses make to our region, that through that employment,
through the jobs they create, through the money that is
moving around not only with the business but with their employees.
And you know, we need strong businesses in our region
to for our our region to succeed. And I just
(25:57):
I often feel that a lot of people underestimate that.
But but it's so vital to the prosperity of our
region that we have those businesses like pools being successful,
being and you know, employing people, creating those high paid jobs.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
And how does it amalgamation help that or hinder that?
What do you I mean going back to your idea,
is that you would still have your your wards, you know,
you'd have three wards in lower heart and three wards
and upper hearts. So you've still got your people on
the Council, on the on the super City Council that
are concentrating on those areas. So there's nothing they're not
getting cut out. But how does that not work to make.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
The buying power? Yeah, sure, it's the same with us.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
So you know, if we had four factories and we
had each person buying for each factory, where's the game.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
There no game.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
We use the buying power of our four companies that
we that we run. There's there's the buying power. That's
the saving massive contractors. So you know, being able to
and I think this is a big thing is tenders.
Oh my gosh, they need to simplify tenders. The amount
(27:04):
of people that's keeping companies that it's been that are
being kept out of the loop because it's so complicated.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
You're one two bands.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Yeah, they can't get near it.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
It's a it's a nightmare, the cost, the complexity. With AI,
it's a lot easier, but it's still you know, it's
a big document and you can spend two hundred hours
and never hear.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Back from them trying to get a trying to get
a deal.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Done, to try and get and get a tender.
Speaker 6 (27:33):
So it's not set up for small businesses to be
able to participate in those big pieces of work. And
that's you know, therefore those businesses are not they're missing
out and they're not being able to grow over time
to be able to participate in the in the future.
So look, it's it's hard work for those small businesses.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
What it is, and it's.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
Yeah, that's the biggest saving that the council is going
to make as they spend on infrastructure maintenance. But who's
lock and after.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
That faulton home?
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Yeah, down, down us, big boys, where does that money go?
Speaker 6 (28:16):
When when Campbell raised the issue of amalgamation a couple
of weeks ago or maybe a month ago now, we
put a story out on our weekly columns and the
stuff that we got back was what about kind of
the huts identity?
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Because we are very different.
Speaker 6 (28:30):
To for sure, and we don't want to you know,
we're we're we're mostly businesses and you know, big businesses,
small businesses, and that's what keeps our community going. And
we're manufacturing their hands on with science, with research and
all of those things. And there was a worry about
how that identity might get lost in a in a
big in a bigger entity.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
You know, I've never heard that before, and that's a
very good point. It's an extremely cool point. But surely
you still could be called you know, I mean, why
knew he is part of lower Hut. But it's still
for sure so you know, so you could still keep
your identity.
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Yeah, for sure. But I think it's you know, that's
what people were worried about. And they were also worried
about who was going to be running the council.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
That was the other thing that I think we're all
worried about that. I think that's a problem that the
hole in New Zealer there right, oh right, oh, my
favorite part of the business panel. So this is the scenario,
Paul and Patrick. You have got a friend of family member,
maybe someone that you haven't seen but it's really dear
to you, really important to you. You haven't seen them
(29:36):
for at least ten years, that to prerequisite. So you
haven't seen them for a while. They're flying into Wellington
Airport and you've got to take them and do something
with them that you know you wanted before you take
them to stay at your house. You want to take
them out and impress them. Come on, Patrick, tell me
where you're taking.
Speaker 6 (29:51):
Oh look, this is going This is going to be
no surprise to people that are listening that know me.
I'm actually going to take them to a whole range
of businesses in the Hut Valley, like Paul's, like Arrow
Tech Diagnostics, like Pharaoh's, like Real Steel. Do you know
we I get so much joy out of going to
visit these businesses and seeing what they're doing, seeing how
(30:12):
well they're treating their staff, seeing how well they're doing
in this current environment, and see how they're using technology
and AI and it's you know, I'm very passionate about that,
and I want to show people what an amazing business
community we do have in the Hut Valley because it's
very unseen and it's very unknown, but it's there and
(30:33):
it's just the most amazing thing. So that's what I'm
I went there last week and they were just the
most beautiful people.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Great. I loved the product. I love going into the
super making poor. Come on, you got someone you're picking
up in your flesh car and you're going to take
them do something? What are you going to do? With them.
Speaker 5 (30:49):
I pick them up, got two bikes on the back,
pick them up from the airport.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Off we go to Mecra. Look at that stunning view
right at the top.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Why there's so many businessmen of your ink? Your ink
like mountain biking. It's so often on this show we
have these people.
Speaker 5 (31:08):
All they talk about is mountain bike because your business.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
And that's why I do it. I find it.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
You know, it's it's amazing, I said, adrenaline rush. It's
it's that focus. It's that clarity. You're in the bush,
you're in nature. You can't That's living, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
That's that's great.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
That's why living for me is a really packed bar.
Drinking a little bit. I don't drink alcohol, but having
people fun, laughing. That's fun. Not being out in the
bush with the possums running in front of you or
something and you get.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Tripped up with you you should try love it.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Gosh, thank you both so much for coming. It's great
to catch up with poor jessup. Good luck with Mick
metco engineering. I'm going to follow you and study you
because I think it's you're a great guy and it's
great to see.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
The walk around.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, I would love to. I love watching looking at
other people's business, see how they do it. And your
passion is fantastic. Hube really lucky to have them.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
And I'll come and pick you up at the airport
and I'll take you.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
There because, oh my gosh, I've got both. I could,
I could, I could probably hire a bike and ride out.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Now we're talking.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Even more impressed.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
Be careful on day too.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
Great to see you both. Great to see that Hut
Valley has got so many passionate, good people. Wellington region.
I love Wellington Region. I'm not I don't want to
put things into one labels.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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