Budget 2017 scores a 7/10 from Property Council in recognition of improvements to both housing and infrastructure investment “After years of underinvestment, we are particularly pleased to see government attempting to beef up their funding and put in place some solid foundations for future growth,” says Connal Townsend, chief executive, Property Council New Zealand. Continue →

The announcement that Budget 2017 will allocate a further $11 billion in new capital infrastructure has been warmly welcomed by industry leaders “It will be essential that this new funding unlocks local and private capital to accelerate much-needed infrastructure investment,” Infrastructure New Zealand CEO Stephen Selwood insists. Continue →

The New Zealand economy has just celebrated its seventh year of uninterrupted annual expansion, BERL chief economist Dr Ganesh Nana notes On the back of strong population growth, in turn driven by unprecedented migration inflows, GDP has grown 18 per cent since 2010. Continue →

A tax expert is calling for the introduction of a poll tax on immigrants to help fund the extra infrastructure and public service costs associated with New Zealand’s growing population University of Auckland Business School Senior Lecturer in Tax Law Mark Keating  argues the government should impose a flat levy on most immigrants to New Zealand to help cover the extra infrastructure and service costs from population increase. Continue →