Latest news with #TheNewZealandInitiative
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
The New Zealand Initiative Supports Resource Management Reform Package As Important Interim Step
Press Release – The New Zealand Initiative The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. The Government's announcement of sweeping reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act represents an important interim step toward fixing New Zealand's broken planning system. The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. 'We applaud Ministers for stripping out unnecessary consenting hurdles and bringing forward an NPS on infrastructure to speed up investment and housing supply,' says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. 'But without similarly bold action to lower barriers in the grocery sector, New Zealanders risk missing out on the opportunity to open up the retail grocery sector to competition.' The reforms tackle multiple fronts simultaneously – from enabling granny flats and papakāinga housing to removing barriers for primary sector development and streamlining infrastructure projects. New national policy statements for infrastructure and renewable energy generation signal that the Government recognises infrastructure as vital to prosperity. 'We particularly welcome the focus on removing unnecessary consent requirements that have added cost and delay without meaningful environmental benefit,' Dr Hartwich said. The Government's commitment to removing certain types of land from the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land reflects common-sense priorities. 'These changes represent a philosophical shift from discretionary control to enabling development,' Dr Hartwich said. 'The new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure sends a clear message that infrastructure is critical to our prosperity, not an inconvenience to be managed.' However, The New Zealand Initiative believes the Government can do more. The organisation's recently released proposal on Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion would perfectly align with the suite of reforms the Government has put forward. 'By integrating our Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion framework into this package, Ministers would remove planning, consenting and investment barriers all at once,' the Initiative's Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton added. 'That single, coordinated pathway would finally allow well-capitalised new entrants to open a network of supermarkets well in advance of the final phase of resource management reforms being implemented.' The proposal would enable the market to discover what is possible in grocery retail by removing regulatory bottlenecks that have historically protected incumbents from new competition. 'Nothing we do now under the existing RMA framework will ever be truly sufficient, given the fundamental structural problems with the current regime,' Dr Hartwich said. 'But the Government is making meaningful progress while we wait for Phase Three's complete overhaul – and our supermarket framework shows how they could go further.' The organisation noted that the reforms align with evidence-based approaches to urban development and economic growth, including enabling mixed-use development and reducing barriers to productive land use. 'These reforms demonstrate that good policy can advance environmental outcomes and economic development simultaneously,' Dr Hartwich said. 'The question was never environment versus economy – it was about creating systems that work for New Zealand families and businesses.'
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
The New Zealand Initiative Supports Resource Management Reform Package As Important Interim Step
Press Release – The New Zealand Initiative The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. The Government's announcement of sweeping reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act represents an important interim step toward fixing New Zealand's broken planning system. The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. 'We applaud Ministers for stripping out unnecessary consenting hurdles and bringing forward an NPS on infrastructure to speed up investment and housing supply,' says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. 'But without similarly bold action to lower barriers in the grocery sector, New Zealanders risk missing out on the opportunity to open up the retail grocery sector to competition.' The reforms tackle multiple fronts simultaneously – from enabling granny flats and papakāinga housing to removing barriers for primary sector development and streamlining infrastructure projects. New national policy statements for infrastructure and renewable energy generation signal that the Government recognises infrastructure as vital to prosperity. 'We particularly welcome the focus on removing unnecessary consent requirements that have added cost and delay without meaningful environmental benefit,' Dr Hartwich said. The Government's commitment to removing certain types of land from the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land reflects common-sense priorities. 'These changes represent a philosophical shift from discretionary control to enabling development,' Dr Hartwich said. 'The new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure sends a clear message that infrastructure is critical to our prosperity, not an inconvenience to be managed.' However, The New Zealand Initiative believes the Government can do more. The organisation's recently released proposal on Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion would perfectly align with the suite of reforms the Government has put forward. 'By integrating our Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion framework into this package, Ministers would remove planning, consenting and investment barriers all at once,' the Initiative's Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton added. 'That single, coordinated pathway would finally allow well-capitalised new entrants to open a network of supermarkets well in advance of the final phase of resource management reforms being implemented.' The proposal would enable the market to discover what is possible in grocery retail by removing regulatory bottlenecks that have historically protected incumbents from new competition. 'Nothing we do now under the existing RMA framework will ever be truly sufficient, given the fundamental structural problems with the current regime,' Dr Hartwich said. 'But the Government is making meaningful progress while we wait for Phase Three's complete overhaul – and our supermarket framework shows how they could go further.' The organisation noted that the reforms align with evidence-based approaches to urban development and economic growth, including enabling mixed-use development and reducing barriers to productive land use. 'These reforms demonstrate that good policy can advance environmental outcomes and economic development simultaneously,' Dr Hartwich said. 'The question was never environment versus economy – it was about creating systems that work for New Zealand families and businesses.'
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
The New Zealand Initiative Supports Resource Management Reform Package As Important Interim Step
The Government's announcement of sweeping reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act represents an important interim step toward fixing New Zealand's broken planning system. The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. "We applaud Ministers for stripping out unnecessary consenting hurdles and bringing forward an NPS on infrastructure to speed up investment and housing supply," says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. "But without similarly bold action to lower barriers in the grocery sector, New Zealanders risk missing out on the opportunity to open up the retail grocery sector to competition." The reforms tackle multiple fronts simultaneously – from enabling granny flats and papakāinga housing to removing barriers for primary sector development and streamlining infrastructure projects. New national policy statements for infrastructure and renewable energy generation signal that the Government recognises infrastructure as vital to prosperity. "We particularly welcome the focus on removing unnecessary consent requirements that have added cost and delay without meaningful environmental benefit," Dr Hartwich said. The Government's commitment to removing certain types of land from the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land reflects common-sense priorities. "These changes represent a philosophical shift from discretionary control to enabling development," Dr Hartwich said. "The new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure sends a clear message that infrastructure is critical to our prosperity, not an inconvenience to be managed." However, The New Zealand Initiative believes the Government can do more. The organisation's recently released proposal on Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion would perfectly align with the suite of reforms the Government has put forward. "By integrating our Fast-Track Supermarket Entry and Expansion framework into this package, Ministers would remove planning, consenting and investment barriers all at once," the Initiative's Chief Economist Dr Eric Crampton added. "That single, coordinated pathway would finally allow well-capitalised new entrants to open a network of supermarkets well in advance of the final phase of resource management reforms being implemented." The proposal would enable the market to discover what is possible in grocery retail by removing regulatory bottlenecks that have historically protected incumbents from new competition. "Nothing we do now under the existing RMA framework will ever be truly sufficient, given the fundamental structural problems with the current regime," Dr Hartwich said. "But the Government is making meaningful progress while we wait for Phase Three's complete overhaul – and our supermarket framework shows how they could go further." The organisation noted that the reforms align with evidence-based approaches to urban development and economic growth, including enabling mixed-use development and reducing barriers to productive land use. "These reforms demonstrate that good policy can advance environmental outcomes and economic development simultaneously," Dr Hartwich said. "The question was never environment versus economy – it was about creating systems that work for New Zealand families and businesses."
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Budget 2025: Agriculture needs protection and investment
This is particularly the case when prebudget announcements have been used to generate interest and soften the blows. Memories return of pre-birthday decisions of whether the 'surprise' present would be a new school bag or boots. As a student, before loans were the norm, travelling home by train or bus for Easter was evaluated for affordability against staying in hostels. Now we see media coverage of decisions having to be made about which bill to pay, and what that means about feeding the children. Fixed income means making choices. It is a zero-sum game. The Green Party has offered its alternative budget. Analysis by The New Zealand Initiative's Dr Oliver Hartwich has revealed that the utopian vision for a different country 'is based on ludicrous assumptions and bad economics'. Dr Hartwich explains that the cornerstone of the Green revenue plan, a wealth tax raising $72.5 billion over four years, is optimistic. Germany, France and Sweden abandoned similar taxes because of capital flight, tax avoidance and administrative nightmares. The Opposition has also indicated that it would have made a different decision in order to keep the pay equity promise. When asked how, the answer was 'we'll have to find it'. This is less convincing than the leader's statement that they can't possibly yet say how any funding will be achieved. In launching her Budget, Finance Minister Hon Nicola Willis stated that without the savings from the pay-equity promise, 'new initiatives would need to be funded from extra taxes or more borrowing, both of which would put New Zealand's economic recovery at risk'. In contrast, the saved money will be used to stimulate the business that will, at least in theory, enable productivity gains and increased income for everybody in New Zealand. Dr Jacqueline Rowarth says there's not a lot in the budget for agriculture this year. Of note is that the primary sector, which is responsible for the bulk of the new money coming into the country from exports, was not given its own Budget package. Like other businesses, claims can be made on depreciation, which is important for capital items such as tractors. But the $4.95 billion over the next four years announced by Agriculture Minister Hon Todd McClay is continued baseline funding for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). It is not new money. Its continuation is important in supporting the sector to lift on-farm productivity and profitability, strengthen rural communities, and drive higher returns at the farm and forest gate. The intention of past investment is being achieved. Stats NZ data published mid-May show that, yet again, agriculture, forestry, and fishing led the gains. Value-added output rose 7.4% and labour productivity rose 9.8%. Multi-factor productivity, which includes labour and capital productivity (ie hours worked per unit of output, and capital inputs such as land, machinery and equipment), increased by 8.3%. Stats NZ defines productivity as a 'measure of how efficiently capital and labour are used within the economy to produce outputs of goods and services. A higher productivity rate means a nation can either produce a higher level of goods and services with the same level of inputs or produce the same level of goods and services with a lower level of inputs'. Over the last economic cycle (2008-2024), agriculture has achieved 2.4% multifactor productivity gains a year (forestry, fishing and 'services to agriculture' achieved 0.2%). In considerable contrast, accommodation and food services achieved 0.9%. In the last year, output in the accommodation and food services sector fell 3.8%, and labour productivity fell 9.1%. More work for fewer gains. Tourism, holidays and eating out will not get New Zealand out of debt. But agriculture has continued to support the economy. According to Stats NZ, last month, the value of exports from New Zealand was greater than that of imports. Exports were driven by the value of meat and milk products – the sustainable pasture-based protein that New Zealand farmers produce so well. The agricultural powerhouse needs protection and investment for the future to ensure that it can continue to do what New Zealand needs. Doubling the value of the export economy is the Government's goal because it will benefit all New Zealanders through increased investment in health, education and infrastructure. With guidance and policy adjustments, it will also stimulate wage and salary growth equitably.
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
The New Zealand Initiative Supports Industry-Led Training Reforms, Calls For School Pathway Changes
Press Release – The New Zealand Initiative The Government's industry-led reforms set a strong foundation. Complementing them with improved school-level pathways would create a comprehensive solution to New Zealand's skills challenges. The New Zealand Initiative strongly supports the Government's move to give industries more control over apprenticeships and training. 'Minister Simmonds' announcement today addresses a key issue in our vocational education system,' says Dr Michael Johnston, Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. 'The shift from Te Pūkenga's centralised approach to industry-led training through Industry Skills Boards is a positive step forward.' 'The creation of these boards to set training standards will help ensure apprentices develop skills that are directly relevant to their workplaces. This connection between training and workplace requirements is vital for both learners and employers,' Johnston said. However, the Initiative calls for the Government to also establish clearer pathways from secondary schools into industry training. 'While these industry-level changes are important, our research shows that the pathway problem begins earlier. Too few school leavers consider apprenticeships because our secondary system doesn't provide clear vocational routes,' Johnston said. 'We recommend establishing a National Certificate of Industry Training as a parallel qualification to University Entrance. This would signal to students that vocational pathways offer equally valuable career opportunities.' Johnston added, 'The Government's industry-led reforms set a strong foundation. Complementing them with improved school-level pathways would create a comprehensive solution to New Zealand's skills challenges.'
