Reports & Media

Wellington (Wednesday, 27 May 2026) – New Zealand can be a much more prosperous country, and the policy choices needed to get us there are well within reach, says The New Zealand Initiative’s Executive Director, Dr Oliver Hartwich. The Initiative today released Prescription for Prosperity 2026, its fourth briefing to an incoming government. Read more

In this episode, Eric talks with Dr Benno Blaschke and Chris Parker about why our current approach to housing supply, which is focused on housing targets and delivered through “predict and provide”, has consistently failed. The explore what a better system could look like by discussing Benno's proposed alternative, where an independent panel would use price-based indicators to evaluate council plans against the conditions of competitive urban land markets. Read more

Dr Benno Blaschke talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about his research note Beyond Targets, arguing that housing targets alone are insufficient without addressing the planning rules and zoning that create artificial scarcity. Dr Blaschke proposed an independent expert panel, likening it to a financial adviser for cities, to help councils get the urban economics right rather than leaving housing affordability to political decision-making. Read more

Dr Benno Blaschke talked to Jesse Mulligan on RNZ Afternoons about his new report Beyond Targets, which argues that New Zealand's "predict and provide" approach to housing planning locks projections into rigid regulation that fails to respond to real market demand. Dr Blaschke proposes a more flexible system with an independent accountability function, similar to the Reserve Bank's role with interest rates, that monitors price signals and adjusts zoning to ensure housing is provided where people actually want to live. Read more

Wellington (Thursday, 21 May 2026) – Housing targets have long been a political football. They are also an emotional political subject. Read more