To mine or not to mine … - NZIER Insight 15
March 29, 2010
The government’s proposal to remove 7,058 hectares of land from Schedule 4 restrictions on mining under the Crown Minerals Act, and to investigate further mineral resources on conservation land stirred a strong public response. It pitches the tangible potential gains of mining against … Read more
NZ, the US and trade liberalisation: don't panic! NZIER Insight 14
March 24, 2010
If one was to believe some of the recent media articles in New Zealand, it would be easy to think that we’re completely mad to be negotiating a free trade agreement with the US. We beg to differ. While no trade deal will keep everyone happy, and some difficult trade-offs will be requi … Read more
Most better off under new tax structure - NZIER Insight 13
March 9, 2010
Likely tax changes in the upcoming Budget will leave most households better off. NZIER’s preliminary estimates suggest the median household earning $65,000 a year can be better off by around $12 a week. This is the impact of a likely reduction in personal income tax and increase in GS … Read more
Bolder reforms needed to stop the rot - NZIER Insight 12
January 20, 2010
Anyone who seriously thinks that the Tax Working Group's (TWG) recommendations are radical needs a reality check. The TWG report is a valuable contribution to the economic debate, and deserves a good airing. But if New Zealand is to close the income gap with Australia, we need to do m … Read more
East Asian economic integration: a shot in the arm for the New Zealand economy - NZIER Insight 11
January 17, 2010
NZIER economic modelling shows that the New Zealand economy would benefit significantly from being included in a free trade agreement with East Asian countries. An ambitious agreement that covers trade in goods, services, investment and encourages trade facilitation and competition co … Read more
Turkey economics - NZIER Insight 10
December 17, 2009
In the news last week were resource consent applications for 16 intensive dairy farm developments in the South Island’s Mackenzie Basin. These would house nearly 18,000 cows indoors for much of the year in vast stables of “cubicles” or stalls. The government stated that it does not su … Read more
Something for nothing - NZIER Insight 9
December 9, 2009
Why work for zero pay? That's what more than one million New Zealanders actively involved in volunteering do. People do not normally supply their time and effort (outside their family) without being paid. So volunteers are clearly motivated by something other than pay. Understanding t … Read more
Competition can raise value for public money - NZIER Insight 8
November 26, 2009
The public purse is used to purchase approximately $30 billion dollars of goods and services per year. Now more than ever, the fiscal situation demands central and local government departments spend wisely. One very effective way to ensure value for money in procurement processes is f … Read more
Border taxes: should New Zealand be worried? NZIER Insight 7
November 23, 2009
A number of countries are talking about introducing border taxes to protect their local industry from imports from countries that have no or soft policies to tackle climate change. This is a risk to New Zealand’s exports, but overseas consumer perceptions of the sustainability of good … Read more
NZ exports - more diverse than commonly thought - NZIER Insight 6
October 21, 2009
New Zealand businesses offer a wide range of products that are competitive in the global market. The days of New Zealand being the ‘market garden’ for the United Kingdom disappeared in the 1960’s. The size of our dairy and meat export portfolio can fool us into thinking that the non-f … Read more