Property

• Home consents hit 44-year high (1 March 2019)
• What evidence-based ‘healthy home’ standards look like (18 February 2019)
• Updated KiwiBuild figures released (24 January 2019)
• National average asking price steadies over 2018 (4 January 2019)

KiwiSaver & Saving

Concern increased retirement contributions could result in backdoor education cuts

The education sector union NZEI TE Riu Roa is calling on the government to come clean about how increased employer contributions to Kiwisaver and other retirement schemes will be funded for the education sector.

• Key --- for mandate read mockery (25 May 2011)
• KiwiSaver cuts put further pressure on Health budget (24 May 2011)
• Public mandates one of four major Budget policy proposals (22 May 2011)
• English takes Budget message to investors (20 May 2011)

Home Loans

• LVR start date deferred until 1 October 2016 (12 August 2016)
• Kiwibank cuts variable home loan rates (11 August 2016)
• BNZ cuts interest rates (10 December 2015)
• Kiwibank cuts floating interest rates (10 December 2015)

Employment

• Strike notice 'reflects pressure of underfunded disability sector' (31 March 2019)
• CTU backs minimum wage rise (30 March 2019)
• A historical first: FIRST Union workers win fixing rule (3 March 2019)
• Workers to picket high-end North Shore supermarket for wages they can live on (3 March 2019)

Tax

• Retail NZ asks Nash to stand by GST commitment (16 November 2017)
• Ditch the paper and file GST online - IRD (24 October 2017)
• Auckland builder gets 34 months’ jail for evading more than $500,000 in tax (26 September 2017)
• Tax law change needed to help rebuild and preserve buildings - NZ First (8 February 2017)

Prices & Spending

Discretionary spending increases

Figures released today by Paymark, which processes around 75% of all electronic transactions in New Zealand, show that Kiwis spent a total of just over $4.6 billion in December via Paymark's network, pushing the annual growth rate up slightly to 3.4 per cent.

• Electronic card spending up again in October (9 November 2011)
• Oily Rag by numbers (16 September 2011)
• Tomatoes and green vegetables lift food prices (25 August 2011)
• Core retail card spending up (9 August 2011)

Investing

• Kiwibank switches home loan promotion (7 June 2013)
• Akaroa Gallery to reopen once earthquake repairs completed (5 April 2013)
• Motorcyclist killed in Marlborough crash named (3 April 2013)
• Social housing is Chch Council's shame - Brownlee (14 March 2013)

Business

• Commerce Commission draft decision 'risks constraining Auckland growth' (29 May 2019)
• REANNZ appoints CEO (29 May 2019)
• Synlait announces $7.00 kgMS forecast milk price for 2019/2020 season (28 May 2019)
• oOh! announces new NZ sales appointment to help lead national growth (27 May 2019)