Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

New Zealanders are badly ripped off by profit-gouging companies in some of the country’s most important sectors. The Big Four banking oligopolies make super profits totalling about 3% of GDP. The supermarket duopoly makes excess profits of $1 million a day. The lack of competition in energy, building materials, and other sectors is also gouging consumers. These are all “broken markets” contributing to the “broken New Zealand” we are currently…

The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is challenging Mayor Wayne Brown’s misleading claim that a rates cap would only save Auckland households the equivalent of a can of baked beans a month. Josh Van Veen, spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, says: · “The numbers simply do not lie. In Auckland, average residential rates went up 20.9 percent between 2022 and 2025, from $2,992 to $3,617.33. A 2-4 percent rates cap would have saved the…

Who says getting older means slowing down? At Acacia Cove Retirement Village, retirement is about rediscovering freedom, connection, and enjoyment. With everyday tasks like maintenance and gardening taken care of, your time is truly your own — giving you the space to focus on what matters most to you. Whether it’s joining a social group, enjoying a swim, or simply unwinding in tranquil surroundings, life here is relaxed, fulfilling, and…

The bodies are being recovered. The memorial services are being held. The inquiries are being announced. But as New Zealand moves from the immediate horror of the Mount Maunganui tragedy into the familiar ritual of official review, a harder set of questions is emerging. Not just “what went wrong at 9.30am on January 22?” but “why does this keep happening?” and “what, exactly, is the plan?” · The answer to that last question, as far as anyone…

The Government is negotiating with the US to provide access to our critical minerals, while a memo before the Waitangi Tribunal says a backdoor deal violates obligations to Māori Resources minister Shane Jones has adopted a Trumpian slogan, and hopes New Zealand's mining industry can benefit from Trump's desire for critical minerals. Photo: Facebook · New Zealand has been holding closed-door discussions with the United States on the supply of…

For ordinary households, the “energy crisis” is no longer a headline—it’s a permanent line item. The price shock that began during the COVID era and intensified after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not cleanly reversed. In many Western countries, energy costs have settled into a new, higher plateau—one that acts like a stealth tax on families, small businesses, and national competitiveness. Some will argue this is merely the unavoidable price…

When Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today that Judith Collins would become the next President of the Law Commission, he reached for familiar talking points about her “astute legal knowledge” and her service to the country. What he didn’t mention was far more significant: this marks the first time in the Law Commission’s 40-year history that a current serving politician has been appointed to lead this supposedly independent…

Wellington — Winston Peters has used the first sitting of Parliament in the 2026 election year to deliver a wide-ranging and combative address, sharply criticising the former Labour-Green Government’s economic record while positioning New Zealand First as a party of experience, delivery, and “real-world” governance. Speaking after opposition leaders’ contributions, Peters said the moment called for vision, credibility and confidence, but…

History leaves patterns. When money creation is examined not as an abstract theory but as a mechanism of power, a consistent record emerges — one rarely discussed in mainstream economics. Nations that attempt to reclaim monetary sovereignty, restrain debt-based banking, or challenge reserve-currency privilege tend not to be debated on their merits. They are pressured, isolated, destabilised, or destroyed. Neo-Piracy Preface — Part 3: When…

Auckland, New Zealand — After a challenging 2025, Kiwibank economists are forecasting a marked economic turnaround next year (2026), with signs of recovery emerging across key sectors and confidence rising among households and businesses. 2025: A Difficult Year, But Momentum Building · Economists at Kiwi Bank describe 2025 as a year where the New Zealand economy struggled to gain sustained momentum. Throughout the year, higher interest rates…