The Resource Management Act 1991 was an act of economic self-sabotage. Over three decades it inflated house prices by imposing what economists call a regulatory tax: the share of prices created by planning restrictions alone. Read more
PART 1 – HIGH-LEVEL VIEWS ON THE OVERALL REFORM PACKAGE 1. Introduction and support for reform intent 1.1 The New Zealand Initiative welcomes the opportunity to submit on the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. Read more
The Planning Bill 2025, introduced to Parliament on 9 December 2025, represents the most significant reform of New Zealand’s resource management framework since the Resource Management Act 1991. Among its stated objectives is the enablement of “competitive urban land markets”, which signals a conceptual shift in how the planning system conceives of its relationship to housing supply and affordability. Read more
Samuel Colt invented the revolver and a slogan to go with it. “God created men, Col. Read more
| GDP Quarterly Change: | 0.26% |
|---|---|
| GDP Annual Change: | 0.55% |
| Inflation: | 2.73% |
| Optimal OCR: | 2.00% |
| Optimal OCR Gap: | -0.50% |
| Forecasted OCR Change: | 0.00% |