Mood of the Boardroom: Keeping up with expansion

Peter Thompson.

The pressing need for a toll-based second Auckland harbour crossing, lack of a railway connection to the airport, rising business compliance costs, a close two-man mayoral race and spring house sale resurgence — all are issues for Peter Thompson, Barfoot & Thompson managing director.

Last December, the city's largest agency, with more than 40 per cent of the residential sales, was named the winner of the best real estate company in the world at the International Property Awards, and Thompson acknowledges business success and details expansion, such as taking over a new outlet at Pokeno which is an area where he sees fast growth.

But he also sees issues for Auckland, insomuch that as it continues to grow he fears some aspects are not keeping pace with that expansion.

"Auckland needs a second harbour crossing, be it a tunnel or a bridge. We've been talking about it for so long but let's increase the size of it when we plan it. If we're thinking six lanes, go to eight. When we built the original harbour bridge, we had tolls. Any major city I go to, they have tolls and no one complains about the road toll north of Auckland," he said.

He also wants a heavy-rail link from the city to Auckland airport, saying a short connection was all that was needed to make that a reality.

"I've joined the board of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and a survey of the biggest issues for Auckland is transport and the amount of time it takes to get anywhere."

Mayor candidate John Tamihere's harbour bridge plans were too big, he says, but the crossing issue does need addressing; he wants to see action and says keeping the existing bridge makes sense as a toll-free alternative.

Thompson also raised concerns about the city's aging underground pipe system, saying though Watercare's Central Interceptor would go a long way towards improvement, much more is yet to be done.

As head of the privately owned agency chain with around 2500 staff working from Kerikeri to Tuakau, the business with 76 offices owns a headquarters on Shortland St where, Thompson says, expansion had meant leasing further floors in the tower to be able to accommodate growth.

He believes Auckland business is being penalised with new compliance and regulatory costs: "We're rebranding and although we have existing signage on our 76 buildings, we need council consent and a traffic management plan on each site — yet all we're simply doing is going through a rebranding."

The regional fuel tax is another bug for him, an example he sees of the city with so much potential being penalised for its growth.

The Phil Goff v John Tamihere mayoral race was "a very close fight" but Thompson said he favours Goff as "better the person you know". He praised councillors Bill Cashmore and Desley Simpson as effective.

As for Auckland's housing market, he envisages a spring volume surge "and you'll always see prices increase over September, October, November. It's a seasonal trend. I can't see prices falling back.

"There's no government election this year so we have a clean three months towards the end of the year.

"We are optimistic about more activity."

Peter Thompson's Top issues

• Top three issues facing the nation
Transport issues within Auckland region.
Education — pay of teachers and control over Boards.
New legislation placed on business owners that continue to take profit from their business.

• Top three business priorities for the next 12 months
Complete a major re-brand of the company.
Follow through with our new Wellness Programme.
Ensure we provide best practices for our people to implement into their everyday selling activity.