Sustainability council wants a warrant of fitness for homes

The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development (NZBCSD) is calling for the implementation of a performance rating system for homes that would indicate how insulated and heat-efficient a home is.
The NZBCSD says that homebuyers and investors are starting to require sustainable properties that are insulated and energy efficient.
However in New Zealand, there [...]

Citizens ready to take action against super city

About 40 people met with community groups and MPs to discuss the super city proposal and its implications for Waitakere City on Monday night at the Kelston Community Hall.

The meeting was called by Grassroots Action Group (GAG), a West Auckland group formed to enable ordinary people to understand and have their say on the [...]

Car-crushing bill a worry for speed shops

The car-crushing bill may hurt businesses selling car modifications.
The proposed Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill will allow for cars used for illegal street racing to be seized and destroyed.
Alfred Chan, sales manager at Speed Factory, an online business that sells car modifications, says business may be affected by people afraid of being seen as a [...]

New ACT Party president under no illusions

ACT Party president Michael Crozier says he has a clear vision of what the job entails and what he wants to achieve, just two months after being elected.
Dr Crozier formerly held the office of vice-president and decided to stand when then-president Garry Mallett stood down.
“The president of the ACT Party has the job of making [...]

Government wasting money on software, say open sourcers

The Government is spending $2 billion a year on computing budgets, but 80 per cent of that money is spent “just standing still”, experts say.
Chris Daish is the government liaison officer for the New Zealand Open Source Society (NZOSS). He says a recent survey of Government agencies found 80 per cent of ICT budgets were [...]

Auckland governance – hear ye, hear ye. Or not.

The proposed restructuring of Auckland’s local government has divided public opinion and sparked a great deal of outcry. Some worry their rural area will become slave to city interests while others fear restructuring is merely the first step towards privatising Auckland’s assets, worth $28 billion. Underlying much resistance is concern over lack of representation in [...]

Taxes down, productivity up – Mr Douglas has unfinished business

The man who oversaw some of the most radical reforms in the history of the New Zealand economy has unfinished business.
Sir Roger Douglas returned to Parliament at the 2008 general election, and has a clear vision of what he says should be done to boost the economy.
He says productivity needs to increase and [...]

National budget backs warmer homes scheme

After this week’s Budget, 180,000 homeowners will be eligible for grants to improve insulation and energy efficiency within their homes.
The scheme comes as part of the Government’s major investment in household energy efficiency.
As announced in the budget, the scheme will be given $323.3 million over the next four years.
More than one million homes in [...]

Many people living in Auckland have raised concerns over National’s plan to make Auckland a ’super city’.

The government announced a plan to create a unitary Auckland council earlier this year which will have a vested interest in the success of the Auckland region.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, believes the creation of a unitary council will result in making a “great place greater”.
“Our plan will allow Auckland’s civic leaders to think [...]

National reveals details for $1.5bn Broadband plan

The government has revealed plans to improved New Zealand’s broadband infrastructure, providing citizens with high speed broadband.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce unveiled the new organisation the government has introduced to execute the broadband plan. The firm is ‘Crown Fibre Companies’ and is a crown-owned investment company.
The firm has been hired by the government to [...]