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This is The New Zealand Initiative’s 2026 Prescription for Prosperity. Since 2017, the Initiative has prepared a briefing for the incoming government. Read more

Housing targets have long been a political football. They are also an emotional political subject. Read more

1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 This submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Improving Alcohol Regulation)Amendment Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellingtonbased think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more

The Government’s 2025 Defence Capability Plan commits $12 billion over four years, including $9 billion of new spending. But without institutional reform, new money risks being absorbed into a system too slow and fragmented to deliver modern capability, a new report from The New Zealand Initiative warns. Read more

New Zealand’s ministers answer to Parliament for departments they cannot control. They cannot choose, direct or remove the chief executives who run those departments. Read more

2025 marked a turning point for The New Zealand Initiative’s mission to build a more prosperous country. Ideas we have championed for years moved from research papers into the Government’s reform programme. Read more

When land is subdivided and new roads are created, every holder of a registered covenant or easement over that land must individually consent before the road can vest as public road. In practice, this can mean obtaining written consent from hundreds of parties and their banks, at significant cost in legal fees and delays that are ultimately passed through to the price of new homes, even though courts have never found that any of these parties has a material interest. Read more

Report author Roger Partridge will also discuss his report on a webinar with Fran O'Sullivan and Fraser Whineray on 2 March at 2:30 pm. You can register for that webinar here. Read more

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This submission on the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill 2025 (the Bill) is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more

PART 1 – HIGH-LEVEL VIEWS ON THE OVERALL REFORM PACKAGE 1. Introduction and support for reform intent 1.1 The New Zealand Initiative welcomes the opportunity to submit on the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. Read more