TPIA in great shape: President
The Taranaki Property Investors Association has had its best ever year, with a stable membership and a healthy surplus in the bank after running a highly successful NZPIF national conference in October 2016.
Outgoing president Colin Comber reported to the annual general meeting on June 20:
“Over the last 12 months our monthly meeting programme has again offered members a wide range of relevant topics delivered by competent and some high-profile speakers. The executive is always striving to ensure TPIA members have access to a high calibre program of speakers equal to anywhere in the country.
“Our membership has remained steady in the 50-60 range. By comparison to other PIAs in NZ the TPIA has a good core retention rate with approximately 80% of our members renewing in the past 12 months.”
For last year’s conference in New Plymouth on 14-16 October, an organising committee, comprising executive committee members Helen Marriott as convenor, Claire Anderson, Bruce Wallis, Lew Sarten, Natasha Viliamu and Colin, was established a year earlier and applied itself with enthusiasm and commitment to the delivery of the conference on behalf of the federation. The conference committee was supported by Jan Hains, NZPIF Communications Officer, Wellington, who attended to arranging sponsorship, providing admin support and was the floor manager at the event.
The conference organising team met on average, at least fortnightly, (for 12 months) to attend to the detail that is necessary to ensure the delivery of a successful conference that attracted over 200 delegates from throughout New Zealand.
TPIA members acted as ‘crew’ throughout to helping to make it a memorial experience for our delegates. Colin paid a special thanks to Helen Marriott and her partner Neville Gardner who both went the extra mile in contributing to the success of the conference.
“Post-conference we received much positive feedback from delegates, with many commenting on the warm hospitality, the beer and matching food ‘mix and mingle’ social on the Friday night, the ‘hop on, hop off’ bus tour and the quality of the speakers and the informative content.
“As reported by our treasurer Natasha Viliamu, the conference delivered a significant surplus. which has placed the association in its strongest ever financial position. The challenge for future executives will be to be good stewards of the reserves. It is my hope that we hold the reserves long-term, allowing dividends to compound and in time use the interest earned to support the association’s activities.”
Colin has stepped down after six years as president of the TPIA and handed the reins to Lew Sarten, but continues on the executive as Immediate Past President.
Colin Comber thanks Bruce Wallis for his 17 years of service to the TPIA.
Vice-president Bruce Wallis also retired, having served 17 years on the executive committee. Bruce has given outstanding service in securing speakers and sponsorship for meetings over many years, is a loyal member and a great champion of the association. In addition to arranging the transport, Bruce has been the association’s bus driver for many years on the annual investors’ bus tours.
The meeting voted to recommend life membership for Bruce to the incoming executive.
The election of officers resulted as follows:
President Lew Sarten; vice-president to be decided by the incoming committee; committee, Tony Johns, Richard Woodd, Natasha Viliamu, Stephanie Murray, Jo Taylor.
The position of treasurer remains vacant for now while the committee investigates using the Xero online book-keeping system and the ANZ bank online direct service for bill payments.
The legal requirement and need for a registered annual audit is also under review.
LOCATION HOMES
At the Location Homes show home for the TPIA annual general meeting (from left):
New president Lew Sarten; Location Homes managing director Campbell Mattson; outgoing president Colin Comber; outgoing vice-president Bruce Wallis.
For the agm Location Homes Ltd generously donated the use of their fabulous new show home at 31 Links Drive, Bell Block.
Location Homes is a New Plymouth owned and operated design and build business specialising in high-end residential construction. The owners are Campbell and Hannah Mattson.
Glen Stevens, project manager, said the company had enjoyed 250% growth since formation in 2015 and has branches at Kaikohe and Mangawhai. It employs 12 people at the NP head office and has access to 25 staff on wages and contracts.
Homes are built for investment groups on design and build packages. “Why build rather than buy new? Because by comparison we offer better financial arrangements, lower maintenance, meet all building codes and the resale values are better,” Mr Stevens said.
By Richard Woodd
See the full 2016-2017 Presidents Report here.
