March 30, 2025 • 32 mins
It was a huge weekend in Wellington with Cuba Dupa, three nights of Graham Norton, Sir Bob Geldof, the Hurricanes, the Phoenix and one of the world's largest cruise ships in. So what does a weekend like that do for the city's economy?
Also, work on the controversial Golden Mile project begins this month, starting at the Cambridge/Kent terrace end of Courtenay Place. But we've also learnt work on the rest of the project won't begin until next year. Is this about to become the key issue of this year's local body elections?
To answer those questions, Restaurant Association president and Monsoon Poon owner Mike Egan and Method Recycling co-founder India Korner joined Nick Mills for the Wellington Mornings Business Panel.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB. Monday's meaning Business. It's the business
panel on Wellington Mornings with QUADOVC Property Management. A better
rental experience for all visit Quinovic dot co dot insead.
Let's get you Mond.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
We've had a million million join us this morning for
our business panel. As Restaurant Association President and Monsoon owner
Mike Egan, Good morning, Mike. Can you come a little
bit closer to your you can get the same with you.
India and India Corner. Our India Corner story is amazing.
I mean I think it's amazing. I heard about it,
(00:51):
read about it. It's a recycling company founded here in
Wellington and actually operating in Australia. And you would have
seen the bins, brightly colored bins. They look amazing and
the company's name is meth Recycling. India Corner is one
of the two the wife and husband team. So I
(01:12):
say that just in case your husband's listening, and can
you get a little bit closer to the microphone too, please,
in case your husband's listening, that started this company. Explain
to our listeners what you do and how you do
it and what makes you so damn good and so different?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
We just wanted a good looking bin for recycling. So
our customers are the likes of officers, universities, public spaces,
and we thought we're having a good looking solution to
separate waste. It could be out in the open and visible,
and then people would do it more rather than a
cobbled together station hidden in the back of a kitchen.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So how did you design them? Because they do look amazing.
You know it's yellow, red, and green, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, well, they're black bins. We wanted them to be
esthetically pleasing with a colored top. We did a lot
of research. First, got out there and spoke to officers,
you know, everyone from office managers to the staff using
the bins, to the cleaners. We wanted to see how
everyone would interact with a bin. And then we actually
engage some industrial designers to help us with the actual
(02:10):
design of the product. My husband's an engineer, so he's
used to the whole injection, molding and plastic side of things.
We had to get the tooling made that was actually
made in China, and we now manufacture the bins in
New Zealand. And one going to be in christ Church.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
How cool is that? So you don't actually buy the cheap,
cheap and cheapest one from China, you actually manufacture in
New Zealand. Is that part of the business ethos?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
It was?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
And initially when we started, you know, we wanted we
didn't want to be in with like a line down
that you could see. We wanted an upmarket product. So
my husband wanted to be able to see the manufacturing
and we thought that would be easier to do in
New Zealand and not much more expensive. And we do
use recycled content from New Zealand and the bins too.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So yeah, now I quickly and Mike, I am going
to come to you in a second. Don't feel left
out that I just want to do it to get
the full story. Now, you also do some major stadiums
in Australia and stuff. How did that? Hell did you
from little old Wellington starting up your own company, making
your own bins, having this plan get into some stadiums
in Australia.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Some of them came to us at Lassian was our
first company, and I think Sydney Cricket Ground was similar.
But we actually went out to customers in Australia. In
the early days, we understood that if companies were moving offices,
it was a great time to target them for some
better looking bins. So I would actually, amazingly, as it seems,
because we're a recycling company, we actually sent out brochures
(03:26):
and we would cold call property managers in those firms
and tell them about our product. And we had our
second young baby at the time, so I sent my
husband over as like here we are ten meetings, gone
visit these companies, show them our product. Sometimes we even
just sent a bin over and they saw the sample.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
And now bringing Mike Egan and Mike. We just had
one of the huge weekends in Wellington. We had well
two concerts on plus Cuba Duba. The town felt crazy.
Are we back well?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
It felt like a real grown up city again. It
was lovely to see it all. And of course the
weather was pretty well perfect perfect. It was fantastic and
you could just see the happy faces. I went to
kouber Do for on both days and yeah, I thought
it was a wonderful experience and occasion.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Now I didn't go Sunday, but I went Saturday in
the afternoon and then Saturday at night, and I actually
went reasonably late on Saturday night. I got a little
bit ugly late, but I mean it was very very successful,
extremely well run. What was Sunday light? Oh it was great.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Yeah, it was a little bit more chilled than Saturday,
and because it finish was at six o'clock, so that
was sort of winding down. We went later in the afternoon,
we went out for dinner and Courtney Place, try to
go to Hummingbird, but it was closed, so we found
somewhere else to thinks next. But yeah, no, it was great.
I mean, yeah, Sunday is a much more chill day.
And I haven't talked to the secret from the security company,
(04:45):
but I thought everyone looked pretty pretty happy and low
key and there wasn't too much frenzy.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
It reminded me of the sevens weekd it's that big.
I mean, especially when I was wandering around eleven thirty
at you know, twelve o'clock, it was it was humming.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, but a greater cross cross section of people than
the Sevens. I mean, it goes from you know, young
to old and drinkings and sort of zone, so it's
not people wandering around in the main areas, but I
think it's a bigger cross section of the population than
the Sevens.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Attracted definitely a lot more arty and the entertainment was amazing. India,
did you have a look around did.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
You actually confess? Early in January planned a weekend away
with some friends and we went on a house and
garden tour in the y wrapper. Oh well, but they,
some of the Greytown shopholders actually said that it was
so busy there because I think there was about two
thousand people on this tour around eight different houses on
Friday and Saturday. They said it was busier than the
winter Christmas. They have a raper, so they really said
(05:44):
it was busy and noticed the people shopping.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
People love that. The people love an excuse to get out,
and that's what we need. I mean, I was thinking
looking at some of the especially you know the car
park next to Florida Eaters, I was thinking, you know,
in summer, couldn't couldn't they do something there every weekend.
I know there's a cost of staging and everything, but
you imagine if every weekend there was just like a
mini mini thing during the summer season.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But even that space where they brought that building down
on the next corner, So the one next to it
that would be great, wouldn't is that Gudsney.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Street, Yeah, or even Glover Park Yeah, which was which
was pretty easy to sort of rope off. And you
use those in the city spaces, you know, not just
once a year, but maybe a few more times. But
obviously that's up to the organizers. They do, I know,
they work pretty hard. All we are getting Kuberdupa together.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
So I want to ask you because you know, as
your role as president of the Restaurant Association throughout New Zealand,
our times still still tough.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Oh yeah, from our members. I mean we've got two
and a half thousand members. It's probably the toughest I've
ever seen. I mean the pandemic was a bit different
obviously because that was that was completely.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Out of left field.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
But yeah, in the last year or so, you know,
it's worse than two thousand and eight, worse than nineteen
ninety one. You know, it's it's pretty hard out there
for them.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Yea, do they see the light?
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Well, it's it's it's not consistent, you know, and we really,
you know, we want consistency because you know, we've got
our rosters and our food that we buy and everything,
and then you can go from feast to famine and
week to week and it's quite hard to organize a
business that way. I mean, we're we're very resilient and
we'll get through. But yeah, there is a lot of
But then towns like sorry, I said it all tounds
(07:26):
like Queens sound that they seem a bit impervious to
it just because of the sheer number of tourists going through.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And it's so damn good. Yeah, I mean we you know,
we've got to realize that, you know, it's the greatest
place in New Zealand really for tourists. Indeed, does it
affect you when things are tough? I mean some of
the things. I mean, if I was running a restaurant
and I could stop paying for recycling and do it
a cheap and nasty away, I'd probably look at sorry
(07:52):
to admit to it, probably do it that way. Does
it affect you, guys?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah, Our New Zealand sales have been really down the
last year compared to our other markets Australia and the UK,
and it's hard for us to know exactly if it's
you know, we've saturated the market here quite a lot,
but I think it as part of the sort of
economic times because we're not the cheapest solution.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
But you are a very clever solution. Now, tell me
how many can I don't want to get commercial information,
but it is a business. Now, how many clients do
you have in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
We sell the bins on a one off basis and
then it's actually up to the customers to get their
recycling and things like that.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So you're just the foremat of it. We don't actually
do any of the recycling.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I think the last count we sold like one hundred
and eighty thousand bins or something like that. We've been
going for ten years, so wow, over our three markets. Wow.
We've got a new product too, which is actually ongoing
with customers for the larger corporates to help them track
their waist in the different stream. So it's a little
weight scale under the bin sends information to the cloud
(08:49):
and they can see on a portal or a dashboard
which areas in their business are doing well and which aren't.
So if they have goals like getting towards zero waste,
it's targeted at those sort of customers.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Oh man, that's amazing and we didn't know did you
know about it?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
For it?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
It's taking longer to get that one off the ground,
probably because of the economy, but we do have customers
like Quantas doing it.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So you sell to all over the world these fancy
recycling bins and it's up. They might not even be recycling,
really might they?
Speaker 3 (09:15):
They might not be. I mean, but I've toured through
like flight Plastics in the Hut and seeing that, you know,
companies are doing it. They're making new blueberry containers out
of recycled plastic. We're using recycled plastic and our bins.
Like everyone just has to start somewhere, and it's not
going to be perfect everywhere, but we can all try and.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And you know what, the good thing about it for
me is it looks right. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah,
if it looks right, you kind of like want to
try and do the right thing.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I think everyone if it's an easy solution and a
really good visual solution. And there's a lot of peer
pressure from people, you know, especially the young stuff that
we were with. They're really onto it, which is great.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
I hate the fact if you weren't recycling, wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
They oh yeah, yeah, they want to know.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Yeah, they want to know that they're working somewhere that's
trying to do the right thing. So yeah, the Monday
Business Panel, which we do every couple of weeks. Today
we have Restaurant Association present and Monsoon Pooon owner Mike
Egan joined by Method Recycling co founder India Corner. I
want to start the segment with Wellington Central MP Tamotha.
Paula's under fire for her comments at a Radical Alternative
(10:20):
to Policing event. She claimed Wellington people do not want
to see police officers everywhere, and all the beat police
do is wait for homeless people to leave this spot,
pack up this stuff and throw them in the bin
and it wouldn't be a recycling bin, just so you know.
And there, so that'll upset you. What are your thoughts
in there on that When you first heard that.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I was quite shocked, actually, I mean, I'm the mother
of two boys eleven and thirteen, and I've seen more
police on the streets and it's great because you know,
soon the boys are going to be wanting to go
into town, you know, not so much to restaurants, but
out looking at shops and it's just comforting to know,
you know, perception and visibility. I mean, I think it's great.
I was quite shocked by the comments.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
And you would be dealing with these people, you'd be
selling them bins. Surely they are feeling more secure, and
you know they're feeling like they want the city to
be better.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, I mean, we need the city to be better.
I think having police there is very important. And I
saw she played that song at Qubudopa, which I mean,
I might be a bit old school, but I thought
that just isn't something that a member of Parliament should
really do. To be honest, it just didn't feel right
to me.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
No, it didn't feel right to me. I played I
played it this morning on the show. I thought it
was just like, yeah, not right. Mike. Now, you would
directly being involved with this as being president of the
restaurant association. Plus you know you're involved in a lot
of restaurants in town. What are your views on police
on the beat, the old fashioned beat cop.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Oh, well, I think it's it's fantastic and it's great
to see them wandering around and watching them engage with
the public. I'm always interested when people make these claims
where she said, wellings and people do not want to
see the people. How many wellings and people should we
do a survey and find out, because it's very easy
to make those statements. Wellings and people do not want
this or want that. But I haven't seen it. Now
(12:02):
you think a concrete about it. It sounds like a
throwaway line because I actually think people. Do you feel
comfortable having the police come around?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Now?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You would walk around an area where you see the
street people living on the streets, right, that's your normal
walk to the gym, walk back to your restaurant, walk
around town. Have you ever seen a police pick up
someone's stuff and put it in a bit?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:24):
No, I actually watched, you know, every day, Like you said,
I actually watch them engaging with them. They're trying to
build rapport with them and trying to build some sort
of connection so that they can when they talk to them,
maybe in a situation where they're having a crisis or
the behaving badly, that they've already got that relationship. A
bit like the old you know, the beat cop that
(12:44):
knew everyone's shopkeeper and everyone's name. I know we're not
going to get back to that, because.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
I think we are.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
I think we are some of the police as sort
of regulars, but I know the shift were can they
get moved to other areas on a weekly basis. But
you know, if you know someone's name, you know that
diffuses a whole lot of aggression. If the police use
their name and know who they are and vice versa
and treat them with respect, and yeah, there seems to
(13:10):
be Yeah, it just feel a lot more sort of calmer.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yeah. And do you say you've got two youngish not
young youngest so safe children? I mean when you come
into town, do you feel totally comfortable walking the streets
with them? Do you feel safe walking the streets because
so much is made about oh it's not safe to
walk down Lampton Key and it's not safe to walk
down Courtney Place. Do you feel safe? And does the
fact that there's police there make you feel any better
(13:35):
or worse?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, I feel totally safe, like I never have felt unsafe.
I'm probably not going out in small hours.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Anymore that often, but it's daytime people.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
No, it's great to have them there. And I think
it's nice for you know, children to see that police
are around and have something to aspire to as a career.
I saw a police man, kind of younger man, deactive,
having a situation with a woman who obviously, you know,
maybe it was on something or a bit of a
mental issue, and he was dealing with it amazingly well
in a very calm manner, you know. And whereas I've
(14:05):
walked you know, you know, Murramar or something with my
young son, and he won't leave my side if there's
you know, someone that's sort of a bit weird, so
it's nice for them to have police around, makes them
feel more comfortable.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
And I'm talking about the eastern suburbys. I feel like
that about kil Bernie. You walk down, you know, in
the main streets of Kilbernie. At the moment, I don't
feel I feel safe for walking down Courtney Place and
then Bay Street and Kilbernie because you know the police
presence at Kilbernie. You don't you're not going to see
a policeman. I mean, you know, do you do you
feel safe to your family? Feel safe? Oh yeah, yep,
(14:37):
you said, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Then no, no, Well, they were about street wise and
one of my sons worked on one one ones and
and so he got quite quite an education from doing
that job. For a year. So yeah, I mean, I
guess if you walk around with confidence and you look
like you know where you're going, I mean a lot
of how you perceived as your body language. So yeah,
(14:58):
people that are causing trouble sort of try to pack
on the weakest, all the people that aren't looking so
sure of themselves and.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Give them that advice because I all the time, and
people probably get sick of hearing it from me. Give
the advice to walking down you know, Courtney Place or
any street where there's a lot of people and a
lot of different types of people. Let's put it that way.
What's your advice to keeping out of trouble?
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Oh, just look confident, like you know where you're going,
don't engage if you don't feel like it, don't let
people stop you and then try to say, hey, give
us some money or got some money. I saw with
someone yesterday who someone tried to they want had no
shirt and they were trying to get their shirt off
them and we're quite aggressive tours them, you know, in
the middle of the day. That clearly is something that's
not normal. But they managed to extract themselves from that situation.
(15:46):
And then I guess the more people that are around
the less like it is. You know, busy cities tend
to feel a little bit safer. I mean, if you're
going down Manor Street at one in the morning and
there's tumbleweeds, you might feel a bit unsafe. But if
you're walking down there and there's hundreds of people walking
around like big cities are and say London or whatever,
that you do feel a bit safer.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
And the other piece of advice I give to people
walking down the streets is don't make eye contact. Yeah,
you know that's you keep if you look in front,
keep walking where you're walking, and don't make eye contact
with anyone. Then you're not engaging, are you. So they
have to make the first approach.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yea.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
I still feel damn safe walking around the streets of Wellington.
I felt damn safe on Saturday night with you know,
such a huge crowd mess. You know, I haven't seen
a crowd in wanting toon like that since the Seven's weekend.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
You no, no, no, I felt very safe.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
It did feel very safe. We're in the Business hour
with Mike Egan and India Corner. Is that I pronouncing
your name right? Yes? I just wanted to make sure
work on the controversial Golden Mile project begins tomorrow, apparently,
Mike smiling there. April first of April, we were told
April four's day the bulldozers we're going.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
To arrive, but they might go just tracking, just tracking, because.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah, okay, we're starting on the Cambridge Terrace, Kent Terrace,
corner of Courtney Place. But we've now just found out
again that the rest of the project won't begin until
next year. No contracts are signed apparently, India, what do
you make of it? So you got fan of what
they're going to try and do on the Golden Mile
(17:21):
or are you're not a fan of it? What do
you think should happen?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I just don't think we really need it at the moment.
I mean, I live in Wellington, We've got a family.
I'm a rate payer. I know because we moved house
four years ago. When we moved into our house, our
rates were six nine hundred dollars and there was like
a herald site you could jump onto and see what
your rates will be in twenty twenty eight they're going
to be fifteen eight hundred dollars. So the rates on
(17:45):
my house are doubling in seven years and I don't
know anything else. It's doubled in seven years, will double
in seven years. It's just it's a lot. It's nine
hundred dollars a month I'm paying at the moment, and
that's going to go to what thirteen hundred dollars a month.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
It's almost like another mortgage, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, it's like what you know, it might be nice
to have, but don't do it when you've got other
more pressing issues, you know, like the pipes and everything
else it needs to be done around.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Would you like to see it being sort of like
a major component of this year's election, you know, would
you like the people are standing for council or the
mayor to actually say do you agree or disagree with
what we're doing with the golden mine.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
That might get more people interested in voting in the
council elections, which would be good. And I think I
did wonder about the timing. If they say work, it's
not going to start till next year and there's elections
in October, is there anything around the timing of it? So, yes,
I think it would be good.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
It's interesting because you're not involved at all apart from
your rates.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Bill yeah, Well that's the main thing I sort of see.
I mean, we love going out and being in the
city and it's lovely sitting outside and all of those things.
And public transport's great. I mean, but I just cost.
You've got to think of it at the end of
the day. When your rates are going up. What's sixteen
percent or something that's got to come down to the budget,
doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Now, Mike Egan, I haven't seen you publicly noted on
your opinion on this now, you, more than anybody, have
been the rock of Courtney Place for businesses. Your restaurant
opened twenty five years ago.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Tw ninety ninety six.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
I started, yeah down there, it was it more than
twenty years ago. I always thought Hummingbird was first and
you were second. I I've got that wrong.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Well, we had one redog all those years.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Oh okay, sorry, yes, okay. So you've had a business
in that place since ninety ninety six. That's right, that
area and a very successful business. What are your thoughts
give us Wellington? What your thoughts are?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Well, I'm all for polishing the city and for for redoing, sorry,
for making it look good the streets and everything. But
my big concern is how long things take to be done.
We seem to move at a glacial pace. There's a
water pipe once again going in Wakefield Street that just
(19:46):
like I'll go their day after day and there's just
no one working on it, and then there'd be another
day and there's a few guys here, then no one
else again in the traffic is just backed up all
the way around in Orangele Bay. I just wonder why,
I'd love to know how we rate in terms of
dollars per meter of the sort of well.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Already, aren't we paying three times too much? I mean
that's been documented, yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
And just the time it takes them to do these things.
When you look at some of the YouTube videos of
infrastructure over projects overseas that the Chinese or the Japanese
or the Dutch or whatever, they sort of seem to
get on with it and just go hell for leather
and get it done and have the least amount of disruption.
I mean three years with hoardings, a bit like in
Auckland with you know, the crosslink tunnel that just kill
(20:32):
numbers and numbers of business on the street in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Do you feel that it will do the same do
you feel it'll do the same in Wellington.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it could do. I think
it would just be just so hard to get to
those businesses that have hoardings all the way along for
two or three years that they'll go. I mean, I
just wish is there a way to do it and
by a bit and peace. When you talk to them
about it, they said, no, they can't. They have to
do it all at once, because you can't do sort
of one hundred meters at a time. You have to
(21:00):
do the whole mile all at the same time.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
We used to have an office in Victoria Street right
opposite where the Council building, the Libry and everything is
boardings everywhere, and we moved to as constant drilling apart.
She moved from there, you know, the gallery Cafe, so
many places moved from that location.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
It was just terrible and more of moving. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mike.
I just want to ask you that Wakefield Street water pipe,
which we all know has to be done, right, We're
not we're not questing. There's people like us and understand
that there's going to be some downsides. Now, can you
directly say it's affected your business? Because now I know
a lot of your people would come from that part.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I see it.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
I see they walk from Wakefield Street into your restaurant.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Ye, it definitely has. I just think people go, oh,
the traffic's so horrendous and Wellington trying to get around,
trying to get somewhere because of all the roadworks and
the and the cones everywhere, we just won't bother, you know.
So it definitely does. Anecdotally it does.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Has your uber eats increased? No, see way about restaurants
on that street the doubled, and that's particular street. Uber
eats are doubled since the Wakefield Street starts.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
That's interesting.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
So yeah, interesting business panel. Every second Monday, we start
the week with a business panel. Today, we're lucky enough
to have Mike Egan, who's not only the Monsoon Pern
and a couple of other restaurants round town owner, but
he's also the president of the Restaurant Association and Method
Recycling co founder. In the corner, she co founders what's
your husband's name? We better give m a blake. Sorry,
(22:28):
give that to me again. I had the wrong mic
on Steve. Steve Okay, so co founder with Steve. Let's
talk about the Wellington mayor or race. Today this morning,
exclusively on the show, Cafe Ice owner Carl Teffan Barker
announced that he's entering the race to become Wellington mayor. Now,
Mike Egan, you're openly involved with Vision Wellington because you
(22:50):
want things to change and you want things to be better.
What do you make of Carl turpenbark and will he
make a good mayor if he gets elected?
Speaker 4 (22:58):
I think he could do. He's a really passionate, thoughtful
guy that really thinks about the big picture. Doesn't strike
me as being overly political left or right. I mean
that in some ways they should stay out of local
body of politics and just have champions that want to
champion the city and be a great cheerleader for the
(23:19):
city and be able to I guess, employ a fantastic
CEO and then you know, be a bit like the
chairman of the board sort of oversee it and have
some great counselors. I mean that that would be the
dream that people come together and to bipartisan sort of
way to think of the city first rather than politics.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Now, now I've been given information and you might correct
me if I'm right or wrong, and it might not
even be vision that have done it. But somewhere in
the last month a group has put a poll together
to see where we are and who's running and who's sitting.
Where are you aware of that pole? Okay? So that
poll I was told that Ray Chung was out in front. Oh, okay,
(23:59):
and Tory Farno was second. You're not in your head?
And what did you make of that?
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Surprised actually? But but I like the fact that Carl's standing.
I mean, if he owned a business, he's probably got
it building a team and probably got it dealing with
you know, cash flow and budget.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
So that might be helpful good and good times when
you can build a team and look after ca CA
flow the hard times, that makes it a little bit different.
But did you hear him this morning on the show?
You probably didn't. You're driving in so I was on
the bus and what idea? So have you heard of him?
(24:36):
Do you know anything about him?
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Do you?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I know he stood for the mayoral tea once before,
thank them for an electorate seat once before on the
council's right, Yeah, I knew he run cafe ice yep.
I like the ice cream, So I don't know too
much about him. I think he narrowly missed out last time,
getting in y pretty close specials.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, so tell me Mike has vision Wellington. I mean,
I know they've been at pains to say that they're
not going to put candidates up and they're not going
to do it, so I get that, But is the
talk of somebody that it's going to be our game changer?
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Well, the main one of the two of the main nimes,
the vision want us to get more people to vote
because we have such low participation, only thirty seven percent
of people vote, which is pretty pretty bad. And the
other one is to part of it is to tease
out from from the participation by the wider community that
are coming to our town hall sessions to get a
great vision and then hopefully candidates, whether the new or existing,
(25:33):
can actually take on board some of those some of
that vision that we've managed to get from. And we've
got really smart people in the city that can aren't
going to run for council, but they've got some great
ideas and some great passion and we just some sort
of we vote these councilors in. But there doesn't seem
to be a real game plan and so we actually
will want a game plan and want to get one
(25:55):
and whether the current mayor or the current councilors go,
oh yeah, I like some of that. I'm going to
I'm going to campaign and back that that would be great.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Do you think there's a chance that we will have
And I'm not ruling Carl Tiffan Barker out for being
this person, but a game change is someone that you
know walks in and you go, well that's what that's
how Wayne Brown. Uh yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
But but like everything, it's not just about the mayor.
You know that they're just like as we all know
that just one vote for I.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Mean, they say that, but Wayne Brown's Wayne Brown, and
good mayor is a good mayor of some. Michael Fowler
with some Michael Fowler and fran wild was fran Wilde
and you know carry Cary Carey, Preddy predic cards.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
But but they but they had a they seem to
have get enough counselors on board to get things to happen.
We seem to have quite a lot of infighting and
you know, leaks, and it's just a bit disappointing the
way they they operate sometimes all the time.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
All right, so you you don't know of anyone, but
no one's sort of no. Okay, uh today you were
Yesterday Sunday, Nikola willisonnounced that she's seeking advice on a
potential breakup of our super Bark supermarkets duopoly of food
stuff and Woolworths India. Do you reckon that we need
to do that?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Do you? Do?
Speaker 4 (27:03):
You?
Speaker 2 (27:03):
What do you feel as a business person about the
government coming in and saying, well, you're so damn successful,
we're going to chop you up?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Slightly slightly worrying, But I guess we don't know what
they're going to do or what they're proposing. I mean,
grocery prices are high, but also you can shop at
other places. You can go to your local markets, you
can go to fruit and vegetable stores. You know, I
find shopping online helps me make sure I don't blow
out the grocery bill. Yeah, people, we don't.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Talk about that enough. You can get your toothpasted, its
probably cheaper online. You can get your shampoo, you can
get all the stuff you need online. You can go
down to the markets on Saturday or Sunday in Taran.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I guess we just have
to wait and see what they're planning to do.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
But you did shrug your shoulders when I mentioned chopping up.
You didn't like the idea of that.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
No, well, I mean we are a small place and
if you go to a small town, there's probably only
one supermarket or one four square there anyway, So.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Mike your thoughts, Yeah, I'm pretty similar. How does Costco?
How's that disrupted? The Auckland supermarkets are here, it's fled out.
I mean we had a Costco here in Porue twenty
five years ago and or thirty years ago, and people
didn't sort of get it that that it's a big
bulk buying. It would probably fly now, but back then,
and I remember I went there sort of the week
(28:16):
it closed down, and all these people there that had
realized you buy toilet paper twice a year because you
buy you buy fifty rolls, you know, and it's really
cheap because everything comes in bulk. But now, you know,
the one in Auckland I think's going gang buses. So
I mean, if Costco see it work there, maybe they'd
like to come back to Wellington or christ it's for
the biggest cities.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yeah, that'd I didn't keep forgetting about costgoing and how
well they're doing it Augand because I keep thinking about
out he is the one, you know, the Australian third
player would be the one that comes in. Do you
like the idea of the government actually saying they're going
to chop up existing companies by legislation? Well, I mean
you'd be in trouble. They'd say you've got too much
of the restaurant market and Wellington, We're going to chop
you up.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
Well, the devils are the detail, isn't it. And I
mean you don't You don't really see the supermarkets. You
know that they're just keeping their head down. I guess
because they must been doing pretty well with two players.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I never thought about that. You think around Nichola Willison
say I need monsoon poo chops taking too much.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
In the business half only. But you think of the
gas stations that have come out now, you know, with
gull and Waitomo and things. That's been great to shake
you the original no question.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So project got a project. You've got someone really really
special coming into Wellington, flying into Wellington, someone who haven't
been here for maybe twenty or thirty years, not someone
that's been here five years ago, and I'm going to
start with you on this one. You've got you know,
this is a very special mother in law. You know
what I mean? Client that you've just signed up for
(29:45):
all your bins all through Australia and you want to
show them Wellington and you want to show off to them.
You've flying in at nine o'clock on Saturday morning. What
are you doing with them?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
I sort of gearing this toward more of a family
activity actually, but we would probably go crocodile biking, probably
wander through the city, maybe getting ice cream at Duck
Island or Cafe Ice and then maybe drive to Lael Bay,
get some fish and chips at the Fresco caravans there
and maybe head to Princess Bay and just have them
on the ban.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Where's Princess Bay sort of.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Between Hout and bay Land Bay. It gets a lot
of the evening sun. And yeah, yeah, I've heard there
after work to it's.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Yeah okay, Princess. Mike's nodding his head saying he knows
where it's going, thank you.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Maybe I should have set a restaurant because I love
restaurants too.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Come on, Mike, what are you doing? Someone someone like
one of your old partners that went overseas and you're
coming back and you want to say ship Wellington's changed.
Let's let me show you off.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Yeah, well I love up in Rockland. So I take
them up Pole Hall which is now called track. So
you get uber up to the wind turbine and you
walk all the way down, right through the hills, past
the Landia, all the way down to.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Why are you taking an uber up there?
Speaker 4 (30:55):
Because otherwise you've got to walk back up to get
your car. Oh okay, great, it's a walking track. Otherwise
you've got to walk all the way back up. You
could go from the bottom up, but I was thinking
it's it's much nicer to go down and you can
enjoy the views, and you walk around the outskirts of
and there's a swing bridge across and yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
How dangerous is swings? Which someone that doesn't like hypes
like me or they'll be a bit nervous. Yeah you
would be, okay. So you get to the top and
you walk down. That's a pretty It's not like you
you're a fitness freak.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
I thought you'd want them to go people from people
from you know, they just take off the plane, they
might be a bit tired.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah you got you got me, Okay, go keep goat
and what else are you doing after?
Speaker 4 (31:29):
And then if those haven't been the Vivian Westwood Exhibition,
it's Papa is incredible, you know, really really good. It
finish us on the twenty seventh of April, and as
usual we're pretty everyone goes there on the last two
days and it gets back, but so try not to
go in the last two days. But yeah, it's world class.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Mike Egan, India Corner, thank you both so much for
coming in and great to have successful Wellington business people
coming on the show. And good luck, good luck getting
through this this hump. Mike, I know that you do
better than most so you probably don't need as much
luck as some of us do. But good luck getting
through the hump. And India, I love you guys are
(32:07):
doing so good luck and if we can ever help
in any way, we'd love.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
To help them.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Great products, what a great idea, great great Wellingtonia on
our Business show. Love it, love it both great Wellingtonians
on our Business show. It's lovely to have you both
in here. Good luck, thank you, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Hearing from the leaders that matter. It's the business panel
on Wellington Mornings with Quadovic, Wellington's property management experts. Visit
Quinovic dot co dot inshead for more from Wellington Mornings
with Nick Mills. Listen live to news talks It'd Be
Wellington from nine to am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SEDB. Monday's meaning Business. It's the business
panel on Wellington Mornings with QUADOVC Property Management. A better
rental experience for all visit Quinovic dot co dot insead.
Let's get you Mond.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
We've had a million million join us this morning for
our business panel. As Restaurant Association President and Monsoon owner
Mike Egan, Good morning, Mike. Can you come a little
bit closer to your you can get the same with you.
India and India Corner. Our India Corner story is amazing.
I mean I think it's amazing. I heard about it,
(00:51):
read about it. It's a recycling company founded here in
Wellington and actually operating in Australia. And you would have
seen the bins, brightly colored bins. They look amazing and
the company's name is meth Recycling. India Corner is one
of the two the wife and husband team. So I
(01:12):
say that just in case your husband's listening, and can
you get a little bit closer to the microphone too, please,
in case your husband's listening, that started this company. Explain
to our listeners what you do and how you do
it and what makes you so damn good and so different?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
We just wanted a good looking bin for recycling. So
our customers are the likes of officers, universities, public spaces,
and we thought we're having a good looking solution to
separate waste. It could be out in the open and visible,
and then people would do it more rather than a
cobbled together station hidden in the back of a kitchen.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So how did you design them? Because they do look amazing.
You know it's yellow, red, and green, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, well, they're black bins. We wanted them to be
esthetically pleasing with a colored top. We did a lot
of research. First, got out there and spoke to officers,
you know, everyone from office managers to the staff using
the bins, to the cleaners. We wanted to see how
everyone would interact with a bin. And then we actually
engage some industrial designers to help us with the actual
(02:10):
design of the product. My husband's an engineer, so he's
used to the whole injection, molding and plastic side of things.
We had to get the tooling made that was actually
made in China, and we now manufacture the bins in
New Zealand. And one going to be in christ Church.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
How cool is that? So you don't actually buy the cheap,
cheap and cheapest one from China, you actually manufacture in
New Zealand. Is that part of the business ethos?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
It was?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
And initially when we started, you know, we wanted we
didn't want to be in with like a line down
that you could see. We wanted an upmarket product. So
my husband wanted to be able to see the manufacturing
and we thought that would be easier to do in
New Zealand and not much more expensive. And we do
use recycled content from New Zealand and the bins too.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So yeah, now I quickly and Mike, I am going
to come to you in a second. Don't feel left
out that I just want to do it to get
the full story. Now, you also do some major stadiums
in Australia and stuff. How did that? Hell did you
from little old Wellington starting up your own company, making
your own bins, having this plan get into some stadiums
in Australia.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Some of them came to us at Lassian was our
first company, and I think Sydney Cricket Ground was similar.
But we actually went out to customers in Australia. In
the early days, we understood that if companies were moving offices,
it was a great time to target them for some
better looking bins. So I would actually, amazingly, as it seems,
because we're a recycling company, we actually sent out brochures
(03:26):
and we would cold call property managers in those firms
and tell them about our product. And we had our
second young baby at the time, so I sent my
husband over as like here we are ten meetings, gone
visit these companies, show them our product. Sometimes we even
just sent a bin over and they saw the sample.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
And now bringing Mike Egan and Mike. We just had
one of the huge weekends in Wellington. We had well
two concerts on plus Cuba Duba. The town felt crazy.
Are we back well?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
It felt like a real grown up city again. It
was lovely to see it all. And of course the
weather was pretty well perfect perfect. It was fantastic and
you could just see the happy faces. I went to
kouber Do for on both days and yeah, I thought
it was a wonderful experience and occasion.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Now I didn't go Sunday, but I went Saturday in
the afternoon and then Saturday at night, and I actually
went reasonably late on Saturday night. I got a little
bit ugly late, but I mean it was very very successful,
extremely well run. What was Sunday light? Oh it was great.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Yeah, it was a little bit more chilled than Saturday,
and because it finish was at six o'clock, so that
was sort of winding down. We went later in the afternoon,
we went out for dinner and Courtney Place, try to
go to Hummingbird, but it was closed, so we found
somewhere else to thinks next. But yeah, no, it was great.
I mean, yeah, Sunday is a much more chill day.
And I haven't talked to the secret from the security company,
(04:45):
but I thought everyone looked pretty pretty happy and low
key and there wasn't too much frenzy.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
It reminded me of the sevens weekd it's that big.
I mean, especially when I was wandering around eleven thirty
at you know, twelve o'clock, it was it was humming.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, but a greater cross cross section of people than
the Sevens. I mean, it goes from you know, young
to old and drinkings and sort of zone, so it's
not people wandering around in the main areas, but I
think it's a bigger cross section of the population than
the Sevens.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Attracted definitely a lot more arty and the entertainment was amazing. India,
did you have a look around did.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
You actually confess? Early in January planned a weekend away
with some friends and we went on a house and
garden tour in the y wrapper. Oh well, but they,
some of the Greytown shopholders actually said that it was
so busy there because I think there was about two
thousand people on this tour around eight different houses on
Friday and Saturday. They said it was busier than the
winter Christmas. They have a raper, so they really said
(05:44):
it was busy and noticed the people shopping.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
People love that. The people love an excuse to get out,
and that's what we need. I mean, I was thinking
looking at some of the especially you know the car
park next to Florida Eaters, I was thinking, you know,
in summer, couldn't couldn't they do something there every weekend.
I know there's a cost of staging and everything, but
you imagine if every weekend there was just like a
mini mini thing during the summer season.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But even that space where they brought that building down
on the next corner, So the one next to it
that would be great, wouldn't is that Gudsney.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Street, Yeah, or even Glover Park Yeah, which was which
was pretty easy to sort of rope off. And you
use those in the city spaces, you know, not just
once a year, but maybe a few more times. But
obviously that's up to the organizers. They do, I know,
they work pretty hard. All we are getting Kuberdupa together.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
So I want to ask you because you know, as
your role as president of the Restaurant Association throughout New Zealand,
our times still still tough.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Oh yeah, from our members. I mean we've got two
and a half thousand members. It's probably the toughest I've
ever seen. I mean the pandemic was a bit different
obviously because that was that was completely.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Out of left field.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
But yeah, in the last year or so, you know,
it's worse than two thousand and eight, worse than nineteen
ninety one. You know, it's it's pretty hard out there
for them.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Yea, do they see the light?
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Well, it's it's it's not consistent, you know, and we really,
you know, we want consistency because you know, we've got
our rosters and our food that we buy and everything,
and then you can go from feast to famine and
week to week and it's quite hard to organize a
business that way. I mean, we're we're very resilient and
we'll get through. But yeah, there is a lot of
But then towns like sorry, I said it all tounds
(07:26):
like Queens sound that they seem a bit impervious to
it just because of the sheer number of tourists going through.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And it's so damn good. Yeah, I mean we you know,
we've got to realize that, you know, it's the greatest
place in New Zealand really for tourists. Indeed, does it
affect you when things are tough? I mean some of
the things. I mean, if I was running a restaurant
and I could stop paying for recycling and do it
a cheap and nasty away, I'd probably look at sorry
(07:52):
to admit to it, probably do it that way. Does
it affect you, guys?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah, Our New Zealand sales have been really down the
last year compared to our other markets Australia and the UK,
and it's hard for us to know exactly if it's
you know, we've saturated the market here quite a lot,
but I think it as part of the sort of
economic times because we're not the cheapest solution.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
But you are a very clever solution. Now, tell me
how many can I don't want to get commercial information,
but it is a business. Now, how many clients do
you have in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
We sell the bins on a one off basis and
then it's actually up to the customers to get their
recycling and things like that.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So you're just the foremat of it. We don't actually
do any of the recycling.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I think the last count we sold like one hundred
and eighty thousand bins or something like that. We've been
going for ten years, so wow, over our three markets. Wow.
We've got a new product too, which is actually ongoing
with customers for the larger corporates to help them track
their waist in the different stream. So it's a little
weight scale under the bin sends information to the cloud
(08:49):
and they can see on a portal or a dashboard
which areas in their business are doing well and which aren't.
So if they have goals like getting towards zero waste,
it's targeted at those sort of customers.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Oh man, that's amazing and we didn't know did you
know about it?
Speaker 4 (09:01):
For it?
Speaker 3 (09:03):
It's taking longer to get that one off the ground,
probably because of the economy, but we do have customers
like Quantas doing it.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So you sell to all over the world these fancy
recycling bins and it's up. They might not even be recycling,
really might they?
Speaker 3 (09:15):
They might not be. I mean, but I've toured through
like flight Plastics in the Hut and seeing that, you know,
companies are doing it. They're making new blueberry containers out
of recycled plastic. We're using recycled plastic and our bins.
Like everyone just has to start somewhere, and it's not
going to be perfect everywhere, but we can all try and.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And you know what, the good thing about it for
me is it looks right. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah,
if it looks right, you kind of like want to
try and do the right thing.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I think everyone if it's an easy solution and a
really good visual solution. And there's a lot of peer
pressure from people, you know, especially the young stuff that
we were with. They're really onto it, which is great.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
I hate the fact if you weren't recycling, wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
They oh yeah, yeah, they want to know.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Yeah, they want to know that they're working somewhere that's
trying to do the right thing. So yeah, the Monday
Business Panel, which we do every couple of weeks. Today
we have Restaurant Association present and Monsoon Pooon owner Mike
Egan joined by Method Recycling co founder India Corner. I
want to start the segment with Wellington Central MP Tamotha.
Paula's under fire for her comments at a Radical Alternative
(10:20):
to Policing event. She claimed Wellington people do not want
to see police officers everywhere, and all the beat police
do is wait for homeless people to leave this spot,
pack up this stuff and throw them in the bin
and it wouldn't be a recycling bin, just so you know.
And there, so that'll upset you. What are your thoughts
in there on that When you first heard that.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I was quite shocked, actually, I mean, I'm the mother
of two boys eleven and thirteen, and I've seen more
police on the streets and it's great because you know,
soon the boys are going to be wanting to go
into town, you know, not so much to restaurants, but
out looking at shops and it's just comforting to know,
you know, perception and visibility. I mean, I think it's great.
I was quite shocked by the comments.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
And you would be dealing with these people, you'd be
selling them bins. Surely they are feeling more secure, and
you know they're feeling like they want the city to
be better.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, I mean, we need the city to be better.
I think having police there is very important. And I
saw she played that song at Qubudopa, which I mean,
I might be a bit old school, but I thought
that just isn't something that a member of Parliament should
really do. To be honest, it just didn't feel right
to me.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
No, it didn't feel right to me. I played I
played it this morning on the show. I thought it
was just like, yeah, not right. Mike. Now, you would
directly being involved with this as being president of the
restaurant association. Plus you know you're involved in a lot
of restaurants in town. What are your views on police
on the beat, the old fashioned beat cop.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Oh, well, I think it's it's fantastic and it's great
to see them wandering around and watching them engage with
the public. I'm always interested when people make these claims
where she said, wellings and people do not want to
see the people. How many wellings and people should we
do a survey and find out, because it's very easy
to make those statements. Wellings and people do not want
this or want that. But I haven't seen it. Now
(12:02):
you think a concrete about it. It sounds like a
throwaway line because I actually think people. Do you feel
comfortable having the police come around?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Now?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You would walk around an area where you see the
street people living on the streets, right, that's your normal
walk to the gym, walk back to your restaurant, walk
around town. Have you ever seen a police pick up
someone's stuff and put it in a bit?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
No?
Speaker 4 (12:24):
No, I actually watched, you know, every day, Like you said,
I actually watch them engaging with them. They're trying to
build rapport with them and trying to build some sort
of connection so that they can when they talk to them,
maybe in a situation where they're having a crisis or
the behaving badly, that they've already got that relationship. A
bit like the old you know, the beat cop that
(12:44):
knew everyone's shopkeeper and everyone's name. I know we're not
going to get back to that, because.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
I think we are.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
I think we are some of the police as sort
of regulars, but I know the shift were can they
get moved to other areas on a weekly basis. But
you know, if you know someone's name, you know that
diffuses a whole lot of aggression. If the police use
their name and know who they are and vice versa
and treat them with respect, and yeah, there seems to
(13:10):
be Yeah, it just feel a lot more sort of calmer.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yeah. And do you say you've got two youngish not
young youngest so safe children? I mean when you come
into town, do you feel totally comfortable walking the streets
with them? Do you feel safe walking the streets because
so much is made about oh it's not safe to
walk down Lampton Key and it's not safe to walk
down Courtney Place. Do you feel safe? And does the
fact that there's police there make you feel any better
(13:35):
or worse?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, I feel totally safe, like I never have felt unsafe.
I'm probably not going out in small hours.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Anymore that often, but it's daytime people.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
No, it's great to have them there. And I think
it's nice for you know, children to see that police
are around and have something to aspire to as a career.
I saw a police man, kind of younger man, deactive,
having a situation with a woman who obviously, you know,
maybe it was on something or a bit of a
mental issue, and he was dealing with it amazingly well
in a very calm manner, you know. And whereas I've
(14:05):
walked you know, you know, Murramar or something with my
young son, and he won't leave my side if there's
you know, someone that's sort of a bit weird, so
it's nice for them to have police around, makes them
feel more comfortable.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
And I'm talking about the eastern suburbys. I feel like
that about kil Bernie. You walk down, you know, in
the main streets of Kilbernie. At the moment, I don't
feel I feel safe for walking down Courtney Place and
then Bay Street and Kilbernie because you know the police
presence at Kilbernie. You don't you're not going to see
a policeman. I mean, you know, do you do you
feel safe to your family? Feel safe? Oh yeah, yep,
(14:37):
you said, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Then no, no, Well, they were about street wise and
one of my sons worked on one one ones and
and so he got quite quite an education from doing
that job. For a year. So yeah, I mean, I
guess if you walk around with confidence and you look
like you know where you're going, I mean a lot
of how you perceived as your body language. So yeah,
(14:58):
people that are causing trouble sort of try to pack
on the weakest, all the people that aren't looking so
sure of themselves and.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Give them that advice because I all the time, and
people probably get sick of hearing it from me. Give
the advice to walking down you know, Courtney Place or
any street where there's a lot of people and a
lot of different types of people. Let's put it that way.
What's your advice to keeping out of trouble?
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Oh, just look confident, like you know where you're going,
don't engage if you don't feel like it, don't let
people stop you and then try to say, hey, give
us some money or got some money. I saw with
someone yesterday who someone tried to they want had no
shirt and they were trying to get their shirt off
them and we're quite aggressive tours them, you know, in
the middle of the day. That clearly is something that's
not normal. But they managed to extract themselves from that situation.
(15:46):
And then I guess the more people that are around
the less like it is. You know, busy cities tend
to feel a little bit safer. I mean, if you're
going down Manor Street at one in the morning and
there's tumbleweeds, you might feel a bit unsafe. But if
you're walking down there and there's hundreds of people walking
around like big cities are and say London or whatever,
that you do feel a bit safer.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
And the other piece of advice I give to people
walking down the streets is don't make eye contact. Yeah,
you know that's you keep if you look in front,
keep walking where you're walking, and don't make eye contact
with anyone. Then you're not engaging, are you. So they
have to make the first approach.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yea.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
I still feel damn safe walking around the streets of Wellington.
I felt damn safe on Saturday night with you know,
such a huge crowd mess. You know, I haven't seen
a crowd in wanting toon like that since the Seven's weekend.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
You no, no, no, I felt very safe.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
It did feel very safe. We're in the Business hour
with Mike Egan and India Corner. Is that I pronouncing
your name right? Yes? I just wanted to make sure
work on the controversial Golden Mile project begins tomorrow, apparently,
Mike smiling there. April first of April, we were told
April four's day the bulldozers we're going.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
To arrive, but they might go just tracking, just tracking, because.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Yeah, okay, we're starting on the Cambridge Terrace, Kent Terrace,
corner of Courtney Place. But we've now just found out
again that the rest of the project won't begin until
next year. No contracts are signed apparently, India, what do
you make of it? So you got fan of what
they're going to try and do on the Golden Mile
(17:21):
or are you're not a fan of it? What do
you think should happen?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I just don't think we really need it at the moment.
I mean, I live in Wellington, We've got a family.
I'm a rate payer. I know because we moved house
four years ago. When we moved into our house, our
rates were six nine hundred dollars and there was like
a herald site you could jump onto and see what
your rates will be in twenty twenty eight they're going
to be fifteen eight hundred dollars. So the rates on
(17:45):
my house are doubling in seven years and I don't
know anything else. It's doubled in seven years, will double
in seven years. It's just it's a lot. It's nine
hundred dollars a month I'm paying at the moment, and
that's going to go to what thirteen hundred dollars a month.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
It's almost like another mortgage, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, it's like what you know, it might be nice
to have, but don't do it when you've got other
more pressing issues, you know, like the pipes and everything
else it needs to be done around.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Would you like to see it being sort of like
a major component of this year's election, you know, would
you like the people are standing for council or the
mayor to actually say do you agree or disagree with
what we're doing with the golden mine.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
That might get more people interested in voting in the
council elections, which would be good. And I think I
did wonder about the timing. If they say work, it's
not going to start till next year and there's elections
in October, is there anything around the timing of it? So, yes,
I think it would be good.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
It's interesting because you're not involved at all apart from
your rates.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Bill yeah, Well that's the main thing I sort of see.
I mean, we love going out and being in the
city and it's lovely sitting outside and all of those things.
And public transport's great. I mean, but I just cost.
You've got to think of it at the end of
the day. When your rates are going up. What's sixteen
percent or something that's got to come down to the budget,
doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Now, Mike Egan, I haven't seen you publicly noted on
your opinion on this now, you, more than anybody, have
been the rock of Courtney Place for businesses. Your restaurant
opened twenty five years ago.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Tw ninety ninety six.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
I started, yeah down there, it was it more than
twenty years ago. I always thought Hummingbird was first and
you were second. I I've got that wrong.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Well, we had one redog all those years.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Oh okay, sorry, yes, okay. So you've had a business
in that place since ninety ninety six. That's right, that
area and a very successful business. What are your thoughts
give us Wellington? What your thoughts are?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Well, I'm all for polishing the city and for for redoing, sorry,
for making it look good the streets and everything. But
my big concern is how long things take to be done.
We seem to move at a glacial pace. There's a
water pipe once again going in Wakefield Street that just
(19:46):
like I'll go their day after day and there's just
no one working on it, and then there'd be another
day and there's a few guys here, then no one
else again in the traffic is just backed up all
the way around in Orangele Bay. I just wonder why,
I'd love to know how we rate in terms of
dollars per meter of the sort of well.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Already, aren't we paying three times too much? I mean
that's been documented, yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
And just the time it takes them to do these things.
When you look at some of the YouTube videos of
infrastructure over projects overseas that the Chinese or the Japanese
or the Dutch or whatever, they sort of seem to
get on with it and just go hell for leather
and get it done and have the least amount of disruption.
I mean three years with hoardings, a bit like in
Auckland with you know, the crosslink tunnel that just kill
(20:32):
numbers and numbers of business on the street in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Do you feel that it will do the same do
you feel it'll do the same in Wellington.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it could do. I think
it would just be just so hard to get to
those businesses that have hoardings all the way along for
two or three years that they'll go. I mean, I
just wish is there a way to do it and
by a bit and peace. When you talk to them
about it, they said, no, they can't. They have to
do it all at once, because you can't do sort
of one hundred meters at a time. You have to
(21:00):
do the whole mile all at the same time.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
We used to have an office in Victoria Street right
opposite where the Council building, the Libry and everything is
boardings everywhere, and we moved to as constant drilling apart.
She moved from there, you know, the gallery Cafe, so
many places moved from that location.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
It was just terrible and more of moving. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mike.
I just want to ask you that Wakefield Street water pipe,
which we all know has to be done, right, We're
not we're not questing. There's people like us and understand
that there's going to be some downsides. Now, can you
directly say it's affected your business? Because now I know
a lot of your people would come from that part.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I see it.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
I see they walk from Wakefield Street into your restaurant.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Ye, it definitely has. I just think people go, oh,
the traffic's so horrendous and Wellington trying to get around,
trying to get somewhere because of all the roadworks and
the and the cones everywhere, we just won't bother, you know.
So it definitely does. Anecdotally it does.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Has your uber eats increased? No, see way about restaurants
on that street the doubled, and that's particular street. Uber
eats are doubled since the Wakefield Street starts.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
That's interesting.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
So yeah, interesting business panel. Every second Monday, we start
the week with a business panel. Today, we're lucky enough
to have Mike Egan, who's not only the Monsoon Pern
and a couple of other restaurants round town owner, but
he's also the president of the Restaurant Association and Method
Recycling co founder. In the corner, she co founders what's
your husband's name? We better give m a blake. Sorry,
(22:28):
give that to me again. I had the wrong mic
on Steve. Steve Okay, so co founder with Steve. Let's
talk about the Wellington mayor or race. Today this morning,
exclusively on the show, Cafe Ice owner Carl Teffan Barker
announced that he's entering the race to become Wellington mayor. Now,
Mike Egan, you're openly involved with Vision Wellington because you
(22:50):
want things to change and you want things to be better.
What do you make of Carl turpenbark and will he
make a good mayor if he gets elected?
Speaker 4 (22:58):
I think he could do. He's a really passionate, thoughtful
guy that really thinks about the big picture. Doesn't strike
me as being overly political left or right. I mean
that in some ways they should stay out of local
body of politics and just have champions that want to
champion the city and be a great cheerleader for the
(23:19):
city and be able to I guess, employ a fantastic
CEO and then you know, be a bit like the
chairman of the board sort of oversee it and have
some great counselors. I mean that that would be the
dream that people come together and to bipartisan sort of
way to think of the city first rather than politics.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Now, now I've been given information and you might correct
me if I'm right or wrong, and it might not
even be vision that have done it. But somewhere in
the last month a group has put a poll together
to see where we are and who's running and who's sitting.
Where are you aware of that pole? Okay? So that
poll I was told that Ray Chung was out in front. Oh, okay,
(23:59):
and Tory Farno was second. You're not in your head?
And what did you make of that?
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Surprised actually? But but I like the fact that Carl's standing.
I mean, if he owned a business, he's probably got
it building a team and probably got it dealing with
you know, cash flow and budget.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
So that might be helpful good and good times when
you can build a team and look after ca CA
flow the hard times, that makes it a little bit different.
But did you hear him this morning on the show?
You probably didn't. You're driving in so I was on
the bus and what idea? So have you heard of him?
(24:36):
Do you know anything about him?
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Do you?
Speaker 4 (24:38):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (24:38):
I know he stood for the mayoral tea once before,
thank them for an electorate seat once before on the
council's right, Yeah, I knew he run cafe ice yep.
I like the ice cream, So I don't know too
much about him. I think he narrowly missed out last time,
getting in y pretty close specials.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, so tell me Mike has vision Wellington. I mean,
I know they've been at pains to say that they're
not going to put candidates up and they're not going
to do it, so I get that, But is the
talk of somebody that it's going to be our game changer?
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Well, the main one of the two of the main nimes,
the vision want us to get more people to vote
because we have such low participation, only thirty seven percent
of people vote, which is pretty pretty bad. And the
other one is to part of it is to tease
out from from the participation by the wider community that
are coming to our town hall sessions to get a
great vision and then hopefully candidates, whether the new or existing,
(25:33):
can actually take on board some of those some of
that vision that we've managed to get from. And we've
got really smart people in the city that can aren't
going to run for council, but they've got some great
ideas and some great passion and we just some sort
of we vote these councilors in. But there doesn't seem
to be a real game plan and so we actually
will want a game plan and want to get one
(25:55):
and whether the current mayor or the current councilors go,
oh yeah, I like some of that. I'm going to
I'm going to campaign and back that that would be great.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Do you think there's a chance that we will have
And I'm not ruling Carl Tiffan Barker out for being
this person, but a game change is someone that you
know walks in and you go, well that's what that's
how Wayne Brown. Uh yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
But but like everything, it's not just about the mayor.
You know that they're just like as we all know
that just one vote for I.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Mean, they say that, but Wayne Brown's Wayne Brown, and
good mayor is a good mayor of some. Michael Fowler
with some Michael Fowler and fran wild was fran Wilde
and you know carry Cary Carey, Preddy predic cards.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
But but they but they had a they seem to
have get enough counselors on board to get things to happen.
We seem to have quite a lot of infighting and
you know, leaks, and it's just a bit disappointing the
way they they operate sometimes all the time.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
All right, so you you don't know of anyone, but
no one's sort of no. Okay, uh today you were
Yesterday Sunday, Nikola willisonnounced that she's seeking advice on a
potential breakup of our super Bark supermarkets duopoly of food
stuff and Woolworths India. Do you reckon that we need
to do that?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Do you? Do?
Speaker 4 (27:03):
You?
Speaker 2 (27:03):
What do you feel as a business person about the
government coming in and saying, well, you're so damn successful,
we're going to chop you up?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Slightly slightly worrying, But I guess we don't know what
they're going to do or what they're proposing. I mean,
grocery prices are high, but also you can shop at
other places. You can go to your local markets, you
can go to fruit and vegetable stores. You know, I
find shopping online helps me make sure I don't blow
out the grocery bill. Yeah, people, we don't.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Talk about that enough. You can get your toothpasted, its
probably cheaper online. You can get your shampoo, you can
get all the stuff you need online. You can go
down to the markets on Saturday or Sunday in Taran.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, I guess we just have
to wait and see what they're planning to do.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
But you did shrug your shoulders when I mentioned chopping up.
You didn't like the idea of that.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
No, well, I mean we are a small place and
if you go to a small town, there's probably only
one supermarket or one four square there anyway, So.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Mike your thoughts, Yeah, I'm pretty similar. How does Costco?
How's that disrupted? The Auckland supermarkets are here, it's fled out.
I mean we had a Costco here in Porue twenty
five years ago and or thirty years ago, and people
didn't sort of get it that that it's a big
bulk buying. It would probably fly now, but back then,
and I remember I went there sort of the week
(28:16):
it closed down, and all these people there that had
realized you buy toilet paper twice a year because you
buy you buy fifty rolls, you know, and it's really
cheap because everything comes in bulk. But now, you know,
the one in Auckland I think's going gang buses. So
I mean, if Costco see it work there, maybe they'd
like to come back to Wellington or christ it's for
the biggest cities.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yeah, that'd I didn't keep forgetting about costgoing and how
well they're doing it Augand because I keep thinking about
out he is the one, you know, the Australian third
player would be the one that comes in. Do you
like the idea of the government actually saying they're going
to chop up existing companies by legislation? Well, I mean
you'd be in trouble. They'd say you've got too much
of the restaurant market and Wellington, We're going to chop
you up.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
Well, the devils are the detail, isn't it. And I
mean you don't You don't really see the supermarkets. You
know that they're just keeping their head down. I guess
because they must been doing pretty well with two players.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I never thought about that. You think around Nichola Willison
say I need monsoon poo chops taking too much.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
In the business half only. But you think of the
gas stations that have come out now, you know, with
gull and Waitomo and things. That's been great to shake
you the original no question.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So project got a project. You've got someone really really
special coming into Wellington, flying into Wellington, someone who haven't
been here for maybe twenty or thirty years, not someone
that's been here five years ago, and I'm going to
start with you on this one. You've got you know,
this is a very special mother in law. You know
what I mean? Client that you've just signed up for
(29:45):
all your bins all through Australia and you want to
show them Wellington and you want to show off to them.
You've flying in at nine o'clock on Saturday morning. What
are you doing with them?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
I sort of gearing this toward more of a family
activity actually, but we would probably go crocodile biking, probably
wander through the city, maybe getting ice cream at Duck
Island or Cafe Ice and then maybe drive to Lael Bay,
get some fish and chips at the Fresco caravans there
and maybe head to Princess Bay and just have them
on the ban.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Where's Princess Bay sort of.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Between Hout and bay Land Bay. It gets a lot
of the evening sun. And yeah, yeah, I've heard there
after work to it's.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Yeah okay, Princess. Mike's nodding his head saying he knows
where it's going, thank you.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Maybe I should have set a restaurant because I love
restaurants too.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Come on, Mike, what are you doing? Someone someone like
one of your old partners that went overseas and you're
coming back and you want to say ship Wellington's changed.
Let's let me show you off.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Yeah, well I love up in Rockland. So I take
them up Pole Hall which is now called track. So
you get uber up to the wind turbine and you
walk all the way down, right through the hills, past
the Landia, all the way down to.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Why are you taking an uber up there?
Speaker 4 (30:55):
Because otherwise you've got to walk back up to get
your car. Oh okay, great, it's a walking track. Otherwise
you've got to walk all the way back up. You
could go from the bottom up, but I was thinking
it's it's much nicer to go down and you can
enjoy the views, and you walk around the outskirts of
and there's a swing bridge across and yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
How dangerous is swings? Which someone that doesn't like hypes
like me or they'll be a bit nervous. Yeah you
would be, okay. So you get to the top and
you walk down. That's a pretty It's not like you
you're a fitness freak.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
I thought you'd want them to go people from people
from you know, they just take off the plane, they
might be a bit tired.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah you got you got me, Okay, go keep goat
and what else are you doing after?
Speaker 4 (31:29):
And then if those haven't been the Vivian Westwood Exhibition,
it's Papa is incredible, you know, really really good. It
finish us on the twenty seventh of April, and as
usual we're pretty everyone goes there on the last two
days and it gets back, but so try not to
go in the last two days. But yeah, it's world class.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Mike Egan, India Corner, thank you both so much for
coming in and great to have successful Wellington business people
coming on the show. And good luck, good luck getting
through this this hump. Mike, I know that you do
better than most so you probably don't need as much
luck as some of us do. But good luck getting
through the hump. And India, I love you guys are
(32:07):
doing so good luck and if we can ever help
in any way, we'd love.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
To help them.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Great products, what a great idea, great great Wellingtonia on
our Business show. Love it, love it both great Wellingtonians
on our Business show. It's lovely to have you both
in here. Good luck, thank you, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Hearing from the leaders that matter. It's the business panel
on Wellington Mornings with Quadovic, Wellington's property management experts. Visit
Quinovic dot co dot inshead for more from Wellington Mornings
with Nick Mills. Listen live to news talks It'd Be
Wellington from nine to am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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