MEDIA

Wellington (2 June 2016): The government’s draft national policy statement (NPS) on urban development, while a step in the right direction, will not fix Auckland’s housing crisis because it ignores infrastructure, according to The New Zealand Initiative. Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith today launched draft policy guidance under the Resource Management Act, which looks to force councils to zone more land for development when house prices breach a certain affordability threshold. Read more

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Our Head of Research, Dr Eric Crampton, talks to Radio New Zealand about the housing crisis, and why Auckland Council needs to release more land for development. Read more

Our Research Fellow, Jason Krupp, discussed with Paul Henry the proposals from across the political spectrum to scrap Auckland's urban boundary in order to take pressure off high land prices. CLICK HERE to watch the video. Read more

Wellington (19 May 2016): Wellington’s historic buildings help make Wellington a wonderful city. But they also pose a deadly threat in case of an earthquake. Read more

Wellington (18 May 2016): The New Zealand Initiative has welcomed calls to scrap Auckland’s urban growth boundary, saying the evidence unambiguously shows that these sorts of policies artificially push the costs of housing up. This comes after Labour Housing Spokesman Phil Twyford today said his party would abolish Auckland’s city limits should it be voted into government. Read more

Wellington (12 May 2016): If the Government is committed to the goal of having a smoke-free New Zealand by 2025, a thorough debate about the regulations of e-cigarettes needs to be held, says The New Zealand Initiative. The Health of the State report, released by The New Zealand Initiative in April, looks at public health and lifestyle regulations. Read more

Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talks to Guyon Espiner on Radio New Zealand about whether or not proposed taxes on sugar would be effective. Read more

Our Head of Research, Dr Eric Crampton, talks to Radio New Zealand about the effect of Mexico's sugar tax, suggesting that in order to emulate its effects New Zealand would need to impose a tax of at least $2 per litre of soda - something that not even public health researchers are proposing. Read more

Our Head of Research, Dr Eric Crampton, talks to Radio New Zealand about proposals for sugar taxes are not the silver bullets they are often made out to be. Read more

Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, joins Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB to discuss our latest publication, The Health of the State. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich discusses The Health of the State, The New Zealand Initiative's latest report on lifestyle taxes and regulations, such as sugar taxes, e-cigarettes and alcohol marketing, on TVNZ Breakfast on 21 April 2016. Read more

Wellington (20 April 2016): Regulations and taxes on sugar are unlikely to improve public health, a new report from The New Zealand Initiative says. The Health of the State report, released today, argues that paternalistic regulations have an adverse effect on society where freedom of choice is increasingly becoming permitted only with the consent of the state. Read more

Our Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich, talked to Paul Henry about the tax announcements ahead of Budget 2016. Read more

Our Head of Research, Dr Eric Crampton, talks to Radio New Zealand about sugar taxes, and why we should value individual freedom and personal responsibility. Read more