web analytics

The hidden homeless and the speculators

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, May 16th, 2016 - 44 comments
Categories: class war, Ethics, housing, national - Tags: , , ,

Some excellent pieces on Auckland’s housing over the weekend. From The Nation:

Auckland’s hidden homeless

A growing numbers of families are being forced to live in cars because of unaffordable housing.

Families living in their cars. Brighter Future!

Government figures show rents for three-bedroom houses across Auckland have increased by 25 percent in five years, and that’s spawned a new type of property market — garage rental accommodation.

Social workers say some families are paying almost $400 a week to put a garage roof over their heads, and a social policy analyst says one in 10 south Auckland properties has a garage tenant.
..
Manukau East MP Jenny Salesa has a growing number of constituents who call a garage home because they can’t afford rising rent prices. “We’ve been told that some people rent out garages at $200 a week,” she says. “Some rent out at over $300 a week, but when you look at the average rent in Otara and south Auckland, $200 or $300 is affordable.” … Newshub spoke to a group of 50 social workers who said families living in garages is common. We heard of one case with a family with two young kids had been living in a garage for two years. Their weekly rent? $380. …

This is wrong. It is a moral failure, a leadership failure, a market failure – it is every kind of failure.

The squeeze on housing stocks is driving the demand for garage space. There are 4500 people on the Housing New Zealand waiting list, and emergency accommodation providers like the Monte Cecilia Housing Trust have been turning families away for years.

And the Nats are intent on selling off state housing.

Following up on The Nation, Tim Watkin at Pundit:

How Special Housing Areas are failing & the immorality of land bankers

It’s time to call out land bankers and require urgent action, because Auckland’s lack of houses is driving people in their cars

But what social service agencies are now reporting is a growing – yes, growing – group of Kiwis living in their cars or renting garages. Social workers in South Auckland to a person say they can’t remember it being this bad. Rents have risen 25 percent in five years and emergency houses are full. If you can’t afford the rent, there’s nowhere to go. Except your car, or perhaps someone’s garage.

When wages have only gone up 10 percent in the same time those rents have risen 25 percent, you can see why some can’t keep up and are forced into those cars and garages.

So it’s time for mum and dad property investors to ask themselves a few hard questions. If the cost of your borrowing is forcing people to pay rents they can’t afford, maybe you shouldn’t be in the landlord business. Even if you are only one stone in the mountain, have you borrowed too much to morally justify your investment?

But even more in the gun are the property developers, especially those who are land banking in this market. It’s time to call out those land bankers and say enough. … Because your land banking is making kids sick. It’s driving families into their cars. It’s increasingly immoral to fiddle while Auckland burns.

Auckland desperately needs houses and if you’re a developer sitting on land, then you’re putting your own finances ahead of the need of families to have a roof over their heads. …

A moral argument for people to forego easy money? I agree. But the Nats are laughing at us.

Final piece, this morning’s anonymous editorial in The Herald:

‘Supply’ excuse for housing lets govt stand idle

It is convenient for the Government to attribute the price of houses entirely to a lack of supply because it enables it to avoid taking effective action to reduce demand for investment homes. It is an argument that makes the Government popular with home owners who have already invested heavily in multiple houses, for it not only relieves them of effective taxation but promises to supply Auckland with many more potential investment properties.

The pace of house price rises cannot be slowed just by building more houses, particularly more “affordable” houses. Those are exactly the stock investors are looking for. The cheaper the house for its location, the better the likely capital gain. There is no limit to the demand for speculative property in and around Auckland, and making more land and housing available will only add more fuel to the fire. …

Exactly. Without a legislative fix like Labour’s Kiwibuild you can’t build “affordable” housing. You have to build enough housing that it becomes affordable. How long will National get away with fiddling with minor tweaks instead of confronting this fundamentally broken market?

44 comments on “The hidden homeless and the speculators ”

  1. Richardrawshark 1

    They don’t care, looks like most of NZ don’t care, I’m ok Jack stuff em.

    The question is do I want to be a part of a society that behaves like this.

    The answer is no but there is nothing I can do about it.

    If National get in again i’m leaving the country, simple stuff. Selling up and out of here.

    Perhaps that’s the plan to make housing more available, those of us who leave due to this National disgrace.

    • Paul 1.1

      New Zealand has become a greedy, cruel and selfish place.
      30 years of the poison of neo-liberalism has done its job.

      • Attiya Andrew 1.1.1

        I agree Paul!

      • whateva next? 1.1.2

        I still have faith that once people realise there is a choice, “the vast majority of NZers” would actually opt for a decent society where the middle income people can be supported to support those who are less fortunate. At the moment, we are indoctrinated with “competition is good” and so everyone strives to win, at the cost of others.Cooperation is much cooler than competition, and being part of something bigger than yourself is a bigger buzz than “winning” Masterchef, NZ Got Talent, The Bachelor etc ad nauseum.

        • Paul 1.1.2.1

          There is willful ignorance in this country.
          Many people are only too happy to turn a blind eye to the fellow citizens’ plight.

    • Anno1701 1.2

      “If National get in again i’m leaving the country, simple stuff. Selling up and out of here.”

      My famil and I feel the same, as EU passport holders the Netherlands is looking like a good option right now ! , maybe Finland or Slovenia so my children dont end up with huge student loans, plus 6 weeks plus paid leave sounds pretty good to me !

  2. adam 2

    I thought the market had spoken, and it did not like poor people. Why bother housing people who can’t get with the only game in town, and be winners. It’s their own fault. They were born brown, and they don’t vote national so why should we care. Look most of these people don’t even vote, so at the end of the day this national government should do the right thing and look after the people who voted for them and keeps them in power. Look at the polls, national are light years ahead and there is no opposition. And labour did it too…

    • Jono 2.1

      Terrible social conscience. But that seems to be the way of NZ these days doesn’t it…

  3. Bill 3

    Set a formulaic limit on chargeable rent tied to a houses GV. Set the limit so that it isn’t possible to have a tenant pay off a (say) 20 year mortgage…or a 30 year mortgage. Or set it so it can only ever pay the interest on a 20 or 30 year mortgage. In other words, get the cash cow out of renting.

    Bring in squatters rights.

    Bring in ‘tenancy for life’ legislation.

    Take all commercial and residential stock that sits empty for (say) five years. Just take it. retro-fit or renovate for habitation.

    And when the next housing crash comes along, scrap housing supplement and put the $1.2 Billion or whatever that goes from the public purse into the pockets of landlords – put it into hospitals or schools or mitigation/preparation measures around warming.

    • Nic the NZer 3.1

      Steve Keen suggests a simple but better idea. Limit borrowing to a multiple of the rental income estimated for the property. This turns it from a competition in who can borrow the most to one in who can provide the most equity to their purchase (everybody has the same borrowing limit for any property).

      But i think the only solution to people living in cars is govt owned social housing. I dont think this market is functional without it.

      • Anno1701 3.1.1

        “govt owned social housing”

        or as our current GOVT like to call it

        “low hanging fruit”

        • Penny Bright 3.1.1.1

          Please don’t buy into the deliberately confusing language?

          STATE housing is PUBLIC.

          SOCIAL housing is PRIVATE.

          Social housing providers taking over STATE housing is the PRIVATISATION of STATE housing.

          Those who want to stop the privatisation of STATE housing should defend State tenants who are refusing to accept 90 day eviction notices.

          Full credit to the gutsy directly-affected State tenants in the Tamaki Housing Group and their supporters who are fighting the privatisation of State housing in Glen Innes / Tamaki.

          The first step in the privatisation of these Tamaki State houses – has been the transfer of 2,800 of them to the Tamaki Redevelopment Company – this jointly-owned central / local government ‘hybrid’.

          Note who supported the transfer of State houses to the Tamaki Redevelooment Company?

          Alan Johnson from the Salvation Army’s Policy Research Unit, and Co-Convenor of Child Poverty Action Group.

          (Alan Johnson told me this to my face.)

          Facts are facts and truth is truth.

          I am on the side of the directly-affected State tenants of Tamaki and New Zealand who are fighting the privatisation of State housing and it’s transfer to private ‘social housing’ providers, whether purportedly ‘not for profit’ NGOs or ‘for profit’ commercial operators.

          Penny Bright
          2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

          • Ad 3.1.1.1.1

            As Mayor, how much more public housing in Auckland will you commit to constructing?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.2

      +1

      Especially squatters’ rights and tenancy for life.

      • adam 3.2.1

        Squatters rights – joke in Auckland mate, been trying to find places to squat in this city – apart from the empty house waiting for roll over profits. There is no where. I’ve looked. I had people out looking for a specific type of house, run down, property a bit rough, no power connected, and a few other criteria.

        I then when into those properties to check them out. And every one is being lived in. Every dam hovel is full. Ever piece of crap I though we could make habitual and put people in – was already habituated.

        These are homes with no power, no water, and on the whole quite hellish. There are families living in them. And paying really shitty rents.

        Squatters rights, the middle class will howl.

        • Anno1701 3.2.1.1

          I know a few young people who are squatting in Auckland right now

          2 of them in Parnell in a disused commercial premises , they have re-connected the power them selves and should be nice and warm this winter for a change !

          • adam 3.2.1.1.1

            Anno 1701, rule of thumb, don’t ever mention locations, even suburbs. Say Auckland central, keep the buggers guessing.

            Good on them!

            I know a few in commercials as well, but, I’m trying to get families into houses, and the commercial properties just not good enough for that.

            Yes squatting a small movement at present, When we get another financial hit, which I’m guessing will be some time around August. We will have a few more commercial properties come up.

            • Anno1701 3.2.1.1.1.1

              I squatted for years around Europe, Met some great people, had some great parties , saw some some incredible artworks (especially in the Netherlands before the squatter laws were weakened ) , Some of the squats i stayed in had library’s, meditation/prayer rooms, restaurants/cafes

              HAZ (housing action zone ) manor in Luton even had a housing office to help people get into state flats & there own mediation team to avoid conflicts getting out of hand .

              some of the best years of my life !

              • Sabine

                squats in berlin, 1983, kept this girl of the road and got me back on track. Would not even want to guess what would have happened had I not happened on these people.
                And yes, lot’s of art. Also lot’s of drugs, hunger and fear. T’was interesting times.

  4. Peter 4

    NZ voted for a free market winner takes all approach. Morality, market failure and social concern are irrelevant to the minority who voted National in.

  5. Anne 5

    S’okay folks. All’s gonna be well. John Key’s solution to Auckland’s housing crisis… (extreme sarc)

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201800820/john-key's-solution-to-auckland's-housing-crisis

    • Paul 5.1

      Key only cares for the company he made at Merrill Lynch.
      Anyone under $25 million isn’t worth his breath.

  6. grumpystilskin 6

    Seems according to our PM, all you have to do is tell winz and it’ll be fixed. You’ll be in a cosy house in no time!

  7. esoteric pineapples 7

    It is almost inevitable that Auckland is going to become a city where large chunks of housing are empty or have very few occupants while other parts of the city have families crammed into a bedroom etc. This is simply an economic reality that is unfolding as Auckland homes simply become a vehicle for investors to profit from. They buy houses and hang on to them long enough to make a good profit out of continuing prices rises. People needing a house to live in in Auckland won’t be able to afford the rents and will have to cram together in ever larger numbers in houses to make ends meet. Unfortunately, unlike sharemarkets that eventually reach a peak as the price of shares disconnects from the real value of the asset, in the Auckland housing market there are almost unlimited international funds to continue to pump into the market for years ahead. Even if a lot of houses are built (which won’t happen) the demand from the market is going to way ahead of what is available. The only way you could slow the Auckland housing market is mass building of new homes, banning overseas investors from buying property, and introducing a proper capital gains tax, now of which this government is going to do.

  8. Mosa 8

    The up shot of this miserable sad story is that most kiwis don’t care.
    It does not effect the silent John Key majority at all,they are cushioned by wealth and credit cards and Keys soothing voice that everything is great and poverty is just an aberation ,trick of the light if you will.
    Poverty and living in cars is no longer unacceptable as it once was and it shows that neo liberal policies are working and the Brighter Future Key promised is here.
    Anyway if you are living in a car or garage its your own failure not the governments.
    The people this effects don’t have a voice that can be heard,there not important or have influence to change their predicament
    The sooner we accept that the problem is entrenched and has been for the last 30 years and won’t go away we won’t have to acknowledge the problem exisits in our country and focus on other issues like how to avoid paying tax on our hidden millions.

  9. Colonial Viper 9

    Anyone gutsy enough to end Auckland population growth and start moving people south of the Waikato.

    There are good houses going in smaller towns for under $200K.

    • Sabine 9.1

      one of the things that should be said to would be ‘business investor’ migrants.
      If their business is not viable out of Auckland than maybe its not viable, or to be more polite, create a business anywhere but in Auckland and you get yer residence permit. IF thats not happening go invest in a different country.

      And buying up rental, residential and commercial property for landbanking should not be considered a ‘business investment’.

      So any would be migrant gutsy enough to migrate from Beijing or Berlin directly to Dunedin?

      Why should the People of Auckland that have lived here for decades, have their families, their jobs, and their social networks give up their jobs and move elsewhere?

      • Gangnam Style 9.1.1

        “So any would be migrant gutsy enough to migrate from Beijing or Berlin directly to Dunedin? ” Plenty of people have

        • Sabine 9.1.1.1

          good.
          Cause frankly i would like to stay in Auckland, and so would my 4th generation West Auckland Family.

      • Sabine 9.1.2

        and we should consider that the issue of homelessness is not one confined to Auckland alone.
        There are homeless people in the South Island too. Any gutsy people there that want to move up and fill up the Waikato?

        • Gangnam Style 9.1.2.1

          No it’s not, a workmate, conservative Nat voting well-to-do has just come back from a month long camper van trip around the South Island & she said she had never seen so many homeless people living in their cars before, she said not just Queenstown but West Coast, CHCH everywhere, she was quite shocked (so was I). I have had some interesting conversations with her since.

          • Sabine 9.1.2.1.1

            the worst bit about this all is that Auckanders are moving. But they are not the gutsy ones that go to breach frontiers and start business and the likes. No they are the ones that cashed up and are now coming to a residential neighbourhood near you and fucking up the real Estate prices there.

            It is not confined to one city alone, and to just simply call for ‘gutsy aucklanders’ – what a stupid comment in itself – is not going to fix the issue.

            The selling of the state houses is happening everywhere, the selling up for speculation has hit all other regions. The lack of ‘affordable housing’ build, the kicking out people that are not served by the free market, the utter failure of the free market to create anything ‘affordable’ in itself is coming home to roost everywhere now.

            I am just amazed that after – what at least the last three years of fuck all in regards to housing nationwide we still have people suggesting that ‘gutsy aucklanders’ could just move to the waikato or elsewhere where housing is ‘cheap’ and start all over. There is a reason housing is cheap there, and much has to do with lack of jobs.

            Fuck, many gutsy aucklanders don’t even have the money to move from one flat to the next.

            • whispering kate 9.1.2.1.1.1

              Sabine has it not occurred to you many Aucklanders are just sick of living in Auckland. Crowded roads, grid lock most of the time, hours to get to anywhere, there are many people who are leaving and its just unfortunate that they may be rarking up the house prices elsewhere, blame it on the Government not the poor sods who just want out of the God damn place.

              I have been on the road for a few days and you would be surprised how many people I meet who are sussing out other areas where they might live – looking at Property Guides and just wanting a bit of peace and quiet. None of us asked for huge increases in our population, streets full of strangers and feeling like an outsider. For once I know how the Maoris felt when we inundated their country and took it over. We, the people never asked for this inundation, and for our homes to be priced out of reach for our kids. Its a disgrace what is happening.

              Why couldn’t it have been a controlled intake, a better control of our housing stock, just a bit of common sense really but National and Labour before it have welcomed in far too many for our small population and lack of infrastructure and housing to cope with them. If the houses are rising in the provinces its not the fault of Aucklanders who want to get the hell out.

              This present Government are abominable in their ineptitude at dealing with this situation.

      • Anno1701 9.1.3

        ‘business investor’ migrants

        you mean pizza hutt/dominoes owners….

        HOW MANY pizzas do we really need !

        • Visubversa 9.1.3.1

          You don’t need anything as expensive as a restaurant. A couple of $2Dollar shops staffed by minimum wage workers will get you a business residency. Then you can get on with the real job, buying real estate to launder the big bucks you ripped off with sweatshops or corrupt deals. Or else you get one of your kids a student visa and once they have an IRD number you send them $2 million to buy property.

  10. Gangnam Style 10

    “So did MSD house any1 today from a car? PM said WINZ would not send them back 2 their cars tonight?” Asks Helen Kelly

  11. dave 11

    bang up the interest rates smoke these greedy bastards out we need a rescission badly i never thought i would say that we need a crash i applaud the reserve banks action turn the easy credit/money flow off it cant get any worse speculators need to be bankrupted i wouldn’t even start kiwi build until after a crash and got some relevance to incomes back in the market. speculators can jump off a bridge for all i care scrap that rental supplement its not helping at all
    build emergency camps on the golf courses and playing fields
    the misery shouldn’t be hidden fucken invade the mind set of the plastic world national and there supporters live in

  12. Jack Ramaka 12

    The Auckland market has been seriously distorted by the capital flows from Asia I worked in the real estate industry in Auckland for 3 years so I am not making up porkies!!!

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Government investments boost and diversify local economies in lower South Island
    $2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Government future-proofs EV charging
    Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • World-leading family harm prevention campaign supports young NZers
    Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • First Chief Clinical Advisor welcomed into Coroners Court
    Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Next steps for affected properties post Cyclone and floods
    The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • New appointment to Māori Land Court bench
    E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work
    113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Vertical farming partnership has upward momentum
    The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote Address
    E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patients
    The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Second Poseidon aircraft on home soil
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Further humanitarian aid for Türkiye and Syria
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Community voice to help shape immigration policy
    Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today.  “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for Taranaki
    Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of Police
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government confirms vital roading reconnections
    Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in Aotearoa
    Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupō following Cyclone Gabrielle
    A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery
    Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability services
    The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and member
    Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announced
    Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today.  The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High Court
    High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ still well placed to meet global challenges
    The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Western Ring Route Complete
    Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Briefings to Incoming Ministers
    This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient Fiji
    Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recovery
    The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Next steps developing clean energy for NZ
    The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Statement from the Prime Minister on Stuart Nash
    This morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • CPTPP Trade Ministers coming to Auckland
    The Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Govt approves $25 million extension for cyclone-affected businesses
    $25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More than 160,000 new Kiwis to call NZ home
    80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Scholarships propel Kiwi students to NASA
    The Government continues to invest in New Zealand’s burgeoning space industry, today announcing five scholarships for Kiwi Students to undertake internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash congratulated Michaela Dobson (University of Auckland), Leah Albrow (University of Canterbury) and Jack Naish, Celine Jane ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand to attend regional security meeting in Australia
    The Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health and safety action plan for ports
    The health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Bikes and scooters to be exempt from FBT
    Bikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Foreign Affairs Minister to reaffirm our close relationship with Fiji
    Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New legislation to streamline Cyclone recovery
    The Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed. The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-03-22T23:05:01+00:00