Table of Contents
Republished with Permission
Author: Bryce Edwards
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Act enters the messy, at times unhinged world of local politics
Herald Editorial: David Seymour and Chris Hipkins are right, local politics needs a shake-up (paywalled)
Karl du Fresne: Why shouldn't ACT have a go? The Left's been at it for decades
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): What's so bad about political parties having a go at council elections?
Azaria Howell (Herald): Jesus ‘very well might support Act’, leader David Seymour says
RNZ: ACT looks to stand candidates in local elections for first time
Post: ACT seeks candidates to stand in local body elections (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): S&P Global Ratings cuts 18 councils' credit ratings - will their borrowing costs rise? (paywalled)
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Western Bay of Plenty Council to leave Local Government New Zealand
Tom Hunt (Post): Begonias, bikes, pipes, Airbnbs ...now you can have your say (paywalled)
Julie Jacobson (Post): City’s newest bike lane ‘confusing and dangerous’ for some (paywalled)
RNZ: Dunedin City Council agrees to consult community on report about flood risks
RNZ: 'One-size-fits-all' approach to wasterwater treatment flawed, scientist says
Brent Edwards (NBR): Criticism of Government’s ‘one size fits all’ approach to water (paywalled)
Peter Newport (Crux): The question worth hundreds of millions of dollars that QLDC won't answer
RNZ: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown agrees to help local boards
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Council hired security for whistleblower staffer who complained about boss
Nick Truebridge (Stuff): The multimillion-dollar block of land a council controversially wants to take for a graveyard
James Doolan (Herald): Why Auckland Council leaders’ calls for a hotel bed tax won’t help attract world-class events (paywalled)
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): How the NZ International Convention Centre could change Auckland's city centre (paywalled)
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): High Court reserves decision on Whangārei fluoridation
ODT: New floor levels not for South D
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): ‘What did you do, Koro?’ Māori ward councillor brings ‘home truths’ to Pākehā voters
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Rotorua Lakes Council CEO plans digital engagement for better feedback
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE, DEFENCE FORCE
Thomas Manch (Post): New Zealand’s case for a Trump tariff carve out (paywalled)
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): 'What do they want of us?' - Peters and Rubio to meet this morning
Thomas Manch (Post): Winston Peters talks 'expectations' with Trump officials (paywalled)
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Ukraine critical for New Zealand in Rubio meeting - Patman
RNZ: No decisions expected on US aid changes for Pacific until April
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Sixty days to do a deal? NZ-India trade negotiators given shot of urgency
Adam Pearse (Herald): PM Luxon hits out at India trade deal doubters but downplays talk of 60-day deadline
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Howzat! An India trade deal in 60 days?
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Luxon: ‘You can’t have prosperity without security’
Gaurav Sharma (RNZ): Explainer: How Khalistan could hurt Luxon’s free trade deal chances with India
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Explained: Indian PM’s ‘anti-India’ and ‘terrorist’ allegations
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): Talking travel and trade, the PM scores a PR win in India
Ani O’Brien: New Zealand's relationship with India back on track
Phil Pennington (RNZ): The future of warfare: Killer drones and AI decision making
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Aid groups: Hike, don’t slash climate funding
MEDIA
RNZ: Stuff owner becomes sole holder of one million shares
Michael Daly (Stuff): Stuff Group owner changes single share in Stuff Digital to a million
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Will a white knight ride to the Herald’s rescue?
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Billionaire Jim Grenon's NZME shake-up draws Takeovers Panel's attention
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): NZME chair voices ‘grave concerns’ over risk to editorial independence (paywalled)
Rebecca Stevenson (BusinessDesk): Takeovers Panel confirms it is looking into Jim Grenon's push to remove NZME board
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Takeovers Panel unlikely to ping Grenon’s NZME play: lawyer (paywalled)
Katie Todd (RNZ): TVNZ job cuts expected to save broadcaster $8.9m
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Shortland Street job cuts considered by TVNZ
HEALTH
Peter Crampton and Shelley Campbell (Post): The high price of the revolving-door approach to health leadership (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Doctors fear Govt instruction means they can’t talk freely about public health issues
Rachel Graham (RNZ): Funding for the Nurse Practitioners Transition Programme comes to an end
Sarah Dalton (Post): Dear Commissioner Levy – please respond to your emails (paywalled)
Robin Martin (RNZ): Taranaki radiology services nearing 'crisis' mode
Finn Blackwell (RNZ): Dental health treatment for prisoners needs to improve, advocates say
Dionne Christian (Listener): Health in 2025: Is there any hope for our mental health system? (paywalled)
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Man who died on mental health ward in 2014 was failed by staff - coroners
SCHOOL LUNCHES
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Officials warned Libelle could fail to deliver cut-price school-lunch contract (paywalled)
Lauren Crimp and Giles Dexter (RNZ): School lunches provider, Libelle Group, owes more than $14 million to nearly 250 creditors
Cameron Smith & Benjamin Plummer (Herald): School lunch provider Libelle Group owes creditors more than $14.3m
Alka Prasad (Post): Government blamed for another school lunch provider insolvency (paywalled)
Richard Prebble (Herald): How I would fix the free school lunch programme (paywalled)
David Farrar: TVNZ reporting a fourth hand rumour as news
INFRASTRUCTURE, PPPS
Simon Wilson (Herald): Road tolls, PPPs and the Investment Summit: Time for some honesty (paywalled)
Rob Campbell (Newsroom): No free lunch in overseas investment (not even a late or inedible one)
David Farrar: Useful Public Works Act reforms
George Heagney (Manawatǔ Standard): $7.2m in funding for Marton rail hub pulled
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT
Grant Duncan (The Conversation): ‘Politically weakened’ or ‘muddling through’ – Luxon and Hipkins ranked on their mid-term prospects
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): How Luxon’s bleakest week as PM gave way to his brightest
Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On Luxon’s Survival Chances, And The India FTA
David Burton (Post): Protecting hard-won reforms from the ‘anti-woke’ agenda (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Labour need to follow the Keir Starmer blueprint
The Overhang: The Overhang 2.2: Boundary Issues Parts 1 & 2
The Overhang: The Overhang 2.3: Boundary Issues Part 3
PUBLIC SERVICE
RNZ: Department of Internal Affairs proposes cutting 64 jobs
Anna Whyte (Post): Collins expects ’zero tolerance’ of sexual harassment in public service (paywalled)
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Business of Government: Newcomers, old timers, arched eyebrows and more (paywalled)
GAMBLING
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): 'Not under my watch' - Minister blocks TAB's $150m casino deal
Thomas Coughan (Herald): Do two ATM withdrawals in a day make you a problem gambler? New government rules think it might
HOUSING
Jarrod Kerr (Post): IMF warned laxer capital rules could fuel another housing boom, but it’s supply, not demand, that needs attention (paywalled)
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): Will next summer be just as intolerable for townhouse dwellers?
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Houses overheating from poor design not more insulation
Greg Ninness (Interest): Despite falling interest rates the housing market turned in a very average performance in February
1News: Median house price dips, sales rise year-on-year – REINZ
TRANSPORT
RNZ: Waka Kotahi puts the brakes on reversing some speed limits
Max Frothy (Local Democracy Reporting): Appeals lodged against Nelson Airport runway plan
Roeland van den Bergh (Post): Auckland Airport starts work on temporary runway (paywalled)
ECONOMY
Liam Rātana (Spinoff): The Māori economy is more diverse and wealthier than ever
Christoph Schumacher (NBR): Has New Zealand’s recession finally ended? (paywalled)
BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT, CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): The Covid loans are proof high trust models don't work
Rob Stock (Post): The right to tell your colleagues what you are paid (paywalled)
Chris Keall (Herald): Mastercard, Consumer NZ urge surcharge ban amid Commerce Commission fee caps (paywalled)
Chris Keall (Herald): Tech Insider: ‘Inflationary’ – ‘Surprised’ telcos worry about potential levy rise, Starlink in the gun as Goldsmith outlines reforms (paywalled)
Alice Peacock (Newsroom): Dairy price pain for consumers with more ‘sticker shock’ ahead
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): What is going on with the price of butter?
Raphael Franks (Herald): Woolworths Te Atatū closure leaves 15,000 residents without supermarket
ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Fisheries minister attacks own officials’ data as ‘demonstrably false’
Brent Edwards (NBR): Climate change risks will be ranked on severity and readiness (paywalled)
Matthew Hall (Post): Wildlife Act decision ‘should mean more care for nature, not less’ (paywalled)
Katie Henderson (Newsroom): Government has work to do to build trust on gene tech bill
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Bioscientists go bananas for GM law reform (paywalled)
RNZ: New Zealand could face twice as many extreme atmospheric rivers, NIWA says
Felix Walton (RNZ): The Department of Conservation join international effort to protect endangered leatherback turtles
EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Report calls for a trades entrance qualification to rival University Entrance
Jerry Cyone: Auckland Uni Law School teacher: we must decolonize the universities and undo the damage of the “colonial project”
Laine Priestley (ODT): Wallaby burned in spate of St Patrick's Day fires
Ben Tomsett (Herald): Dunedin university students kick off St Patrick’s Day with couch fires, booze, and a barbecued wallaby
ODT Editorial: Boost for the University of Otago (paywalled)
ENERGY
John Lewis (ODT): Wind farm rejection large blow, Jones says
RNZ: Consent for Southland Wind Farm declined due to potential impact on local environment
OTHER
RNZ: Seven in court over Destiny Church-linked protest at library Pride Festival event
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): Petition launched to get artist John Middleditch's sculpture removed from University of Otago
RNZ: Rich baby boomers urged to leave something behind for charity
David Harvey (Listener): Proposed new protest rules: A loss of freedom or are greater police powers now needed? (paywalled)
David Harvey: Too Much Protest, methinks - Part 2
Layla Bailey-McDowell and Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira (RNZ): Prisoner on hunger strike alleges he was beaten by prison guards
Edward Gay (Stuff): ‘An accumulation of errors’: Police took 77 minutes to get to double child homicide
Benn Bathgate (Waikato Times/Post): Retail crime in New Zealand: ‘More brazen, more organised, more violent and more aggressive’ (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Don't wait to increase KiwiSaver contributions to 10 percent, providers say
Lachlan Colquhoun (NBR): Kiwi migrants helping to create a ‘Big Australia'
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Top diplomat slams expats in NZ who 'lie' about bad treatment in South Africa
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Auckland dialysis patient says deportation of Tongan wife will kill him, case is with Associate Immigration Minister
André Chumko (Post): Cultural plan ‘should not value the world over NZ’ (paywalled)
