REPORTS

The record net outflow of New Zealanders migrating to Australia and further afield should be seen as an "orange light" rather than a red light, according to a research note by The New Zealand Initiative. The report, Are Kiwis fleeing?, examines recent migration trends and finds that while the net outflow of 60,100 New Zealand citizens in the year to May 2024 is significant, it is currently offset by a near-record inflow of migrants who are likely more highly qualified than the average New Zealander. Read more

The New Zealand Initiative is urging the government to abandon the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, warning that the proposed legislation could harm the very news organisations it aims to help. In a new research note, the Initiative argues that the bill, which would require large digital platforms to negotiate payment for news content with New Zealand media companies, is based on flawed premises and risks significant unintended consequences. Read more

The New Zealand Initiative’s report proposes a comprehensive reform of the country's transport funding model. The report, Driving Change: How Road Pricing Can Improve Our Roads, authored by Senior Fellow Dr Matthew Birchall, argues that the current fuel tax based system is outdated and unfair. Read more

This report is on the critical challenges facing the country's university sector, based on its tertiary education symposium "The Future of Our Universities" held in May 2024. The report, written by Dr James Kierstead, highlights several pressing issues threatening the sustainability and quality of tertiary education in New Zealand: Severe funding pressures, with universities collectively forecasting a deficit for the first time in 2024 Declining international rankings of New Zealand universities over the past decade Growing bureaucratisation diverting resources away from core teaching and research functions Concerns about threats to academic freedom and viewpoint diversity on campuses Underinvestment in research and development compared to other OECD countries "The challenges our universities face are complex and deeply entrenched,” said Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Read more

This report calls for a science-based approach to using artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms. This will help schools get the most out of AI while reducing risks to teaching and learning. Welcome to the Machine: Opportunities and Risks of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Education, written by Senior Fellow Dr Michael Johnston, will help educators and policymakers navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in education. Read more

This report, "City and regional deals", draws on the Initiative's extensive work on localism and international best practices to explore how partnerships between central and local government can empower communities to tackle their unique challenges and seize opportunities for growth. "For too long, our councils have borne the costs of growth while the benefits flow almost entirely to central government in Wellington," says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of the New Zealand Initiative. Read more

The New Zealand Initiative today released a research note highlighting the potential pitfalls of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for New Zealand's foreign policy independence and infrastructure development. In the report, Belt and Road Initiative - Implications for New Zealand, authors Nick Clark and Dr Oliver Hartwich explore the BRI's origins, objectives, and recent developments. Read more

2023 was a great year for the Initiative. Have a look through our annual report to see what we achieved and what others are saying about what we do. Read more

New Zealand’s Executive Branch has grown to an abnormal size. The number of departments, portfolios, and ministers likely causes a suite of coordination, policy drift and resource management problems. New Zealand relies on the Executive for everything from education to roads. Read more

This research note questions how New Zealand has managed to sustain its large and growing current account deficits with the rest of the world without seeing a corresponding deterioration in its net international investment position (NIIP). It highlights that while New Zealand has been spending more overseas than it earns, the country’s liabilities to the rest of the world have not increased nearly as much as one would expect. Read more

On 7 March 2024, the Coalition Government introduced a Fast-Track Approvals Bill. Its purpose is to ‘provide a streamlined decision-making process to facilitate the delivery of infrastructure and development projects with significant regional or national benefits’.1 The Bill is a key aspect of the Government’s programme for Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform.2 It is part of the National and New Zealand First coalition agreement and a key component of the Government’s 100-Day Plan. Read more

This new research note, When the Bloat Began: Non-Academic Staffing at New Zealand Universities over the Long Run, 1961-1997, reveals the year in which non-academic employees started to outnumber academics at our universities. Building on the findings of our earlier research report, Blessing or Bloat? Read more

From 2026, students will have to pass new assessments in reading, writing and numeracy to attain any level of NCEA. However, pilots of the new assessments in 2022 and the first full-scale assessment round for these new standards in 2023 indicate that if they are adopted as a corequisite for NCEA as planned, completion rates for the qualification will fall precipitously. Read more

Classroom streaming – the separation of students into classes based on their prior attainment – is currently a topic of debate in New Zealand. Some commentators have called for the practice to be banned. Read more

Requiring Medsafe approval for pharmaceuticals already approved by at least two trustworthy overseas regulators makes little sense. Foreign pharmaceutical approval agencies are well-resourced. Read more