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Last week most of the country, or at the very least a third of it, heaved a high sigh of relief when the Independent Hearings Panel released its quite sensible recommendations on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (PAUP). The sigh was justifiable to some degree considering just how crazy the outcome could have been given the precursors. Read more
In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s 1818 classic, Victor Frankenstein claims to have created his monster for the betterment of humankind. Of course, Frankenstein’s undertaking proved more arrogant conceit than utopian undertaking. Read more
Former UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson once quipped that a week is a long time in politics, so you can be forgiven if you’ve forgotten about National’s latest fix to the housing crisis: a $1 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund. Launched at the party’s conference, the fund would allow debt-constrained councils to borrow on an off-the-books basis to put in the infrastructure necessary for housing development. Read more
That is the question that policymakers in New Zealand have been pondering for over 170 years. It is not a simple question to answer. Read more
With government about to table legislation that would allow greater amalgamation of local authorities in New Zealand, this report examines how other countries have embraced the diversity of local government to enhance their economic competitiveness. Local government plays a vital role in national productivity. Read more
Wellington (25 July 2016): The people of the larger Wellington area were right to vote against amalgamation and avoid the expensive tangle of red tape. We are seeing Auckland struggling to be efficient and address issues effectively and in a timely way. Read more
Tax policy is usually about picking your poison. Set company taxes too high relative to international norms and firms will want to set up abroad. Read more
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, so they say. But sometimes distance can also make you see things more clearly – not just if you are farsighted. Read more
With most major political parties in favour of scrapping urban growth boundaries, land use regulations have captured a fair number of headlines over the past few weeks. And well they should. Read more
Whether on the sports field or in the boardroom, the adage that ‘if you cannot measure something, you cannot control it’ is well known. It appears Local Government New Zealand has taken this piece of wisdom to heart with the launch of their Excellence Programme. Read more