Peter lives in the Kapiti Coast just an hour north of Wellington. In 2019, he joined Future Skills Academy where he teaches Building Surveying and the Building Regulatory Environment programme.
He shares a love of animals with his family. They have two horses, two dogs, and a cat. Peter and partner Fairlie are building their own house in 2022 for their family of four kids.
He has a diploma in Building Surveying and extensive industry experience. He started as a carpenter in the New Zealand Army and has worked in local and central government. More recently Peter was the General Manager of Consenting and Compliance at Christchurch City Council, and then a Director for the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. He has also consulted to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in response to the Kaikoura earthquake.
Peter's goal for learners is to ensure they use common sense for sometimes very litigious issues. He relishes explaining why we do certain things in building surveying and seeing the penny drop with students. He wants to see his learners become exemplary building surveyors for local government.
Students should expect plenty of learning and picking their way through technical and legislative problems, Peter says.
“There is also lots of hands-on work experience in the courses being taught so they have to be prepared to process plans, write reports, and inspect building work.”
He is inspired by seeing students grasp technical issues and taking their time to solve a problem.
“The construction industry in New Zealand is booming and with booms come issues. Having well-trained people who inspect building work to ensure compliance, saves a lot of heartache if things were to fail.”
Peter says building surveying and supporting building surveyors is hard work but it is crucial.
“The family home is usually a person's largest asset and I have seen what getting it wrong looks like and the effects it has on people. Getting it right is important.”
