Will city deals change anything?

Will city deals change anything?
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown and NZ First leader Winston Peters doing a city deal. (Image: X/@MayorWayneBrown)
Dileepa Fonseka
Simon Court’s description of how New Zealand allocates its infrastructure funding conjures up images of Oprah Winfrey’s stunt in 2004 where she gave away cars to random members of her live studio audience.  But instead of Winfrey shouting “You get a car, and you get a car” while pointing to people watching her show, in Court’s description it's politicians doing the pointing and they’re giving away the infrastructure for the cars, rather than the vehicles themselves. “Every election season,...

More Infrastructure

EPA’s Allan Freeth sets record straight
Primary Sector

EPA’s Allan Freeth sets record straight

Resignation news a simple case of "bad timing", says environment watchdog CEO.

Pattrick Smellie 07 Nov 2025
War on Nature v Going for Growth
Opinion

Pattrick Smellie: War on Nature v Going for Growth

Some big environmental eggs were broken this week to 'go for growth'.

Pattrick Smellie 07 Nov 2025
‘Remarkable growth’: Fulton Hogan posts higher profit
Economy

‘Remarkable growth’: Fulton Hogan posts higher profit

Fulton Hogan paid a total dividend of $180.4m for 2025.

Duncan Bridgeman 05 Nov 2025
EPA head quits with fast-track changes
Policy

EPA head quits with fast-track changes

The latest fast-track reforms go far beyond supermarket resource consenting.