Articles by Andrew Bayly

There has been much talk in recent years of the ‘cashless society’. Certainly, our major banks are keen on electronic banking. By closing their branches and reducing the number of human tellers, replacing them instead with ATMs, the banks reduce their overheads. Some would claim e-banking is also more secure – “the cheque’s in the mail” is no longer an excuse. It’s also…

The row that raged last week over the Reserve Bank’s role in the housing market is an argument we must resolve – and quickly. Since the Reserve Bank started reducing interest rates in May last year, house prices have jumped 25 per cent. Average house prices in Auckland hit $1 million in October and the median house price across New Zealand increased by 20 per cent, from $605,000…

If, as many predict, we will have to learn to live with Covid-19 for some years, we need to get our border issues sorted out. No, I’m not talking about our international border. I’m talking about the one down the road here on the edge of Auckland. I’m talking about the borders you get when you lockdown a region or a city; the border that divides people who live in one zone and…

Let’s not put too fine a point on it: for the past five weeks we’ve been living in the middle of a crisis of unknown magnitude. It’s been a time of unprecedented change and for many it will have been an intense period of worry and anxiety. But however much lockdown might have separated us, it has also brought us together as families and communities united in fighting a common…

Day 28 Update: Managing your hair! examples of people helping their communities; new SOS Cafe Facebook page initiative; and planning for the ‘Stand at Dawn’ commemoration on ANZAC Day.

Day 23 Update: Recent business tax changes; New electorate boundaries announced; and congratulations to Sam at Port Waikato for reopening his dairy.

Day 19: Need to keep exercising; distribution of free face masks to the local community and special issue to a retirement home in Tuakau; good news for golf and bowling clubs; and please email me at andrew@baylymp.co.nz if you would like my assistance

Day 14 Update: Delivery of face masks & face shields, online sales from butcheries & fresh produce stores, thanks to Blooming Hill Flowers for gifting flowers to hospitals, and update from IRD Commissioner on what do with changes to child support/family assistance payments and paying PAYE and other taxes.

Day 10 and we are making great progress - together. Supplying face masks for our health workers and horticultural growers across the electorate and our 17 community response teams working really well now. New food arrangements for the vulnerable taking shape now.

Day 7 Update: Good progress with local community response teams contacting the most vulnerable, distributing full face shields to pharmacists, doctors, dentists and trying to use fresh produce grown in Franklin to help feed our most vulnerable.

New Zealand is in danger of losing many of its precious heritage buildings as councils and owners struggle to cope with earthquake (seismic) issues and New Building Standards (NBS). Earthquake strengthening is now a huge concern for planners, builders and owners – and, because it’s a public safety issue, rightly so. Unfortunately, the extent of its impact is only now being…

The heated exchanges that occurred at a recent Ministry for the Environment meeting in Pukekohe are symptomatic of the pressures building on our growers and farmers. They are becoming increasingly worried about the future and Government policies are the key reason. They turned out in force to meet Ministry for the Environment officials and Freshwater Leaders Advisory Committee…