Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

National says widening access to 5 percent-deposit mortgages will help thousands more New Zealanders into their first homes. But viewed through eLocal’s Hollowing Out of New Zealand investigation, the policy raises a more fundamental question: does helping households take on larger mortgages actually create national wealth — or does it reinforce the financial system that helped make housing unaffordable in the first place? eLocal Report: Based…

Dr Robert Malone argues that soaring rates of reported mental-health problems among women may reflect something broader than an epidemic of psychiatric disease. Drawing together surveys on diagnosis, life satisfaction, loneliness and global mental-health burden, he asks whether modern culture and the medical system itself is increasingly turning ordinary human distress into pathology. eLocal Report: Based on commentary and research presented by…

New Zealand First says it will campaign to allow greater economic development on conservation land, including mining and quarrying outside national parks. Deputy leader and Resources Minister Shane Jones says conservation status should not automatically prevent land from contributing to jobs, exports and economic growth. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Ellen O'Dwyer for RNZ HERE · New Zealand First is taking a potentially significant…

Outgoing National MP Andrew Bayly is calling for New Zealand’s superannuation age to begin rising from the next parliamentary term, arguing that continued delay will make future reform more severe. His proposal would increase eligibility by one month each year from 2029, eventually lifting the age from 65 to 68 by 2065. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Craig McCulloch for RNZ HERE · Andrew Bayly is using his final weeks in Parliament to…

New Zealand’s alcohol consumption has fallen to its lowest recorded level, with younger generations increasingly turning away from drinking and low- or no-alcohol alternatives gaining ground. The shift may be positive from a health perspective, but it comes as hospitality businesses face rising costs, widespread closures and profound changes in how younger New Zealanders socialise. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Adam Burns for RNZ HERE ·…

A New Zealand Police staffer is before the courts facing 39 charges, including allegations of rape, kidnapping, indecent assault and unlawful sexual connection. The case is one of 10 active prosecutions arising from investigations by the Police National Integrity Unit, according to information obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Sam Sherwood, National Crime Correspondent for RNZ HERE · RNZ…

Three years after Sidney Ross Bridson was killed at his isolated Waitaanga property, the two men convicted of his murder have been sentenced in the High Court at New Plymouth. The sentencing brought renewed focus to the impact of Bridson’s death on a family that described him as a generous, caring man whose life was taken before his time. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Tara Shaskey for RNZ / New Zealand Herald HERE · Sidney Ross Bridson,…

Thousands of New Zealand first-home buyers are confronting the painful aftermath of the housing boom, with properties purchased near the market peak now worth less than the mortgages secured against them. While economists say negative equity is generally manageable for borrowers who can continue making repayments, it can leave households effectively trapped — unable to sell, relocate or access the equity they expected their home to build. eLocal…

Canadian-owned Methanex is preparing to effectively close its New Zealand operations after concluding that declining natural gas availability makes continued methanol production unsustainable. The decision threatens jobs and economic activity across Taranaki, while simultaneously releasing significant gas supplies for electricity generation and other industrial users. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by RNZ HERE. · New Zealand’s largest…

The Reserve Bank has lifted the Official Cash Rate by another 25 basis points to 2.75 percent, its second consecutive increase. While the Bank believes inflation is moving back towards target and New Zealand’s economic recovery is regaining momentum, it has signalled that interest rates may need to rise further before monetary policy returns to a more neutral setting. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Gyles Beckford, Economics Correspondent…