No bubble to worry about: Alexander

BNZ’s chief economist has rejected suggestions from the Finance Minister that the country’s house price inflation has become a bubble.
18 Apr 2013 more >>

Government predicts house price boom

New Zealand’s Government is expecting another house price boom but won’t be intervening with measures such as rent control or public housing schemes, Finance Minister Bill English says.
21 Jan 2013 more >>

Government affordability proposals a mixed bag for investors

Some property investors will feel the sting of the Government’s moves to tackle housing affordability, but not as sharply as they might have, says the New Zealand Property Investors Federation.
30 Oct 2012 more >>

Greens slam Govt affordability package

More development on Auckland’s fringes is not the answer to the housing affordability crisis, the Green Party says.
29 Oct 2012 more >>

RBNZ targets house prices

The new Reserve Bank Governor must increase the OCR if house prices rise rapidly, even if inflation is on target. Finance Minister Bill English and RBNZ Governor-Designate Graeme Wheeler signed a new Policy Targets Agreement (PTA) yesterday. The Reserve Bank Act states that the Governor is accountable for maintaining price stability.
21 Sep 2012 more >>

No cheap houses being built: English

No houses are being built for the lowest-income quarter of New Zealand’s population, Finance Minister Bill English told media last week. His comments are backed up by the Productivity Commission report on housing affordability which noted that the country’s new homes over the past 50 years had tended to be large, expensive houses or top-end apartments.
03 Aug 2012 more >>

Association backs call for strengthening help

Government help for commercial property owners needing to do earthquake-strengthening work should be taxation-based, says Auckland Property Investors Association president David Whitburn.
16 Jul 2012 more >>

Govt plans cuts to accommodation supplement

Labour says a reduction in the accommodation supplement handed out by Work and Income may lower the amount landlords are able to charge in rent.
01 Jun 2012 more >>

Triple jump for EQC levy

Earthquake Commission (EQC) levies will triple from next year as the Commission seeks to rebuild its Natural Disaster Fund (NDF).
11 Oct 2011 more >>

Tax changes 'essential' to remove investment property bias - SWG

Tax changes are "essential" to remove the distortions that favour housing as an investment over basic savings products, according to the Savings Working Group report.
01 Feb 2011 more >>

LAQC changes confirmed

Proposed new rules confirmed today as part of the wider tax shake-up will eliminate landlords’ and businesses’ ability to claim depreciation on buildings and tighten the rules for LAQCs.
07 Dec 2010 more >>

Landlords fret over possible tax hit

180,000 Kiwi landlords with about $213 billion invested in the sector could be in for a rude awakening come Tuesday.
06 Feb 2010 more >>

Capital gains tax on property still alive

The government is not ruling out a capital gains tax to keep the housing market under control.
13 Aug 2009 more >>

MPs grill Bollard over interest rate hikes

Reserve Bank Governor Allan Bollard has warned MPs that they will fight the next election campaign amid the highest interest rates in recent times.
06 Aug 2007 more >>