By Pattrick Smellie May 20 (BusinessDesk) - The National Party proposes ambitious new trade targets for New Zealand's relations with both China and the United States in a foreign affairs discussion document released this morning for public consultation. Overseen by foreign...

By Jenny Ruth May 20 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand Bankers' Association is calling for a rethink of the Reserve Bank’s bank capital proposals to avoid hurting the economy. “Independent analysis by former Treasury Secretary Dr Graham Scott shows the Reserve Bank should re...

By Gavin Evans May 20 (BusinessDesk) - Building a new rail link to Marsden Point and upgrading the existing Northland line could bring forward Northport’s development as a major freight handler for Auckland and help boost the broader regional economy, an economic analysis says...

By Jenny Ruth May 15 (BusinessDesk) - The Reserve Bank’s third discussion paper on its bank capital proposals points to a lack of robust policy process, is an embarrassment to New Zealand and undermines the central bank’s credibility, according to a former Reserve Bank officia...

By Pattrick Smellie May 14 (BusinessDesk) - Fewer students than expected have taken up the government's offer of free fees for tertiary education, allowing nearly $200 million over four years to be redirected into a revamp of vocational skills training, Finance Minister Grant...

By Gavin Evans May 14 (BusinessDesk) - Provisional migration data suggests the country gained a net 4,500 permanent and long-term residents in March, down from a revised 8,565 in February but up from 3,396 in March last year. That takes the provisional net gain for the 12 m...

By Pattrick Smellie May 13 (BusinessDesk) - Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones mixed defiance with apology for his handling of the Provincial Growth Fund during a briefing intended to demystify the process by which funds from the $3 billion fund are managed....

By Jenny Ruth May 13 (BusinessDesk) - The Reserve Bank says it has received 90 formal submissions on its proposal to near double the minimum amount of tier 1 capital banks have to hold and is warning that submissions close this Friday. Meanwhile, ASB Bank’s Australian paren...

By Gavin Evans May 10 (BusinessDesk) - OceanaGold has sought a mining permit over its Wharekirauponga discovery in the Coromandel Forest Park. The deposit lies in the northern part of the 3,762 square-kilometre Hauraki exploration permit the company and its predecessors hav...

By Jenny Ruth May 9 (BusinessDesk) - Is it all the fault of journalists focusing only on poorly performing listed companies, or is it just that New Zealanders highly value their privacy and anonymity? Or is it just that NZX’s listing rules and its continuous disclosure requ...

By Gavin Evans May 9 (BusinessDesk) - First Gas says a hydrogen pipeline trial it plans is likely to be among the first projects undertaken at the National New Energy Development Centre being set up in Taranaki. The company, which operates the trunk gas transmission network...

By Pattrick Smellie May 9 (BusinessDesk) - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern added further weight to speculation that the government is preparing to shift the goalposts on its KiwiBuild initiative to build 100,000 affordable homes within 10 years. Speaking at the Just Transitio...

By Pattrick Smellie May 9 (BusinessDesk) - Global demand for New Zealand's meat and dairy products is under threat as the world responds to climate change by eating more and more plant-based protein, Hollywood filmmaker James Cameron told the government's Just Transitions conf...

By Pattrick Smellie May 9 (BusinessDesk) - The government will invest $27 million to establish a new energy centre in Taranaki as a gesture towards assisting the region's transition from a multi-billion dollar oil and gas industry to a low-carbon economy. Prime Minister Jac...

By Nikki Mandow May 9 (BusinessDesk) - Changes to whistleblower legislation to make it easier for employees to report everything from bullying to fraud have been delayed. This also pushes back moves to potentially bring the private sector into a critical part of the legislatio...

By Rebecca Howard May 8 (BusinessDesk) - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut rates by 25 basis points to a record low 1.5 percent and economists expect it to cut again.  Changes to the central bank’s forecasts in the latest monetary policy statement now show a chance for an...

By Gavin Evans May 8 (BusinessDesk) - Expansion of gold mining at Waihi is inherently unsustainable, will increase emissions, and will provide only moderate employment benefits relative to winding down the operation and remediating the site, Land Information Minister Eugenie S...

By Pattrick Smellie May 8 (BusinessDesk) - Reactions to the net zero carbon emissions legislation released today range from Greenpeace attacking it as "toothless" and "miserly" to Federated Farmers calling it "frustratingly cruel". Two key issues are at the heart of those a...

(Adds detail throughout) By Rebecca Howard May 8 (BusinessDesk) - The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to a record low of 1.5 percent and signaled more cuts to come. The New Zealand dollar fell.  "The Monetary Policy Committee decided a lower OC...

By Rebecca Howard May 8 (BusinessDesk) - The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 1.5 percent and signaled more cuts to come. The New Zealand dollar fell.  "The Monetary Policy Committee decided a lower OCR is necessary to support the outlook for em...

By Pattrick Smellie May 8 (BusinessDesk) - After months of cross-parliamentary wrangling, the government this morning unveiled its long-awaited draft legislation that will guide New Zealand to its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Climate Change Respo...

By Paul McBeth May 7 (BusinessDesk) - Christchurch city councillors were left ruing central government's decision to dial back its share of the largely successful $2.24 billion programme to rebuild and repair the city's horizontal infrastructure such as water pipes and roads. ...