FROM THE EDITOR

Buy April issue here

I make no apologies for the choice of cover story this month. There’s no escaping the fact that running a business in Auckland can be incredibly frustrating due to the high cost of everything, and the way the city’s infrastructure impacts on productivity.

It’s hardly surprising that businesses look to the regions in order to scale up, or simply to survive. They escape the big squeeze for more affordable wide open spaces, and from all accounts seem happy with their decision.

Our story is far from comprehensive; we only had time and space to look at three regions – but I’m sure that successful relocations are being accomplished by many more businesses, from both Auckland and Wellington*, and to all the major regions.
If you’re one of those businesses, we’d love to hear about your experience too, so we can pass on further advice to our readers.

On an entirely different note, spare a thought for New Zealand’s beleaguered construction industry. There’s been a string of disaster stories in the media over recent months, and all the negativity does not bode well for the future.

Why is the construction industry such a major ‘fail’ in this country? 

Civil Contractors NZ chief executive Peter Silcock is well qualified to comment. In a media release he says the recent collapses demonstrate the need for a more equitable distribution of risk and a more collaborative approach.

He believes the industry needs a more mature relationship between clients and contractors, saying “part of the issue is clients repeatedly going for lowest price but wanting a gold-plated outcome. It’s fuelling incessant litigation when the budget just won’t stretch to cover costs.”

Furthermore, now that there are fewer players in the industry to take on the workload, it’s likely to exacerbate the situation, he adds.

Something needs to happen fast, or more companies will go down the same gurgler.

Meanwhile, we have another mixed bag of stories for you this month – particularly on businesses that are innovative, socially minded, and intent on doing the right thing for their customers.

Enjoy the read!