And when food-producing land makes way for housing, don’t fret – there’s plenty of kina to be harvested
More regulations are being shredded or rewritten as the government steps up development and eases back on environmental concerns.
Paving the way for more houses is likely to be the big headline-grabber among the latest announcements.
Housing and Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform Minister Chris Bishop delivered a speech and issued a press statement to say the Government will establish ambitious new housing growth targets for New Zealand’s cities while making it easier to expand both upwards and outwards (which suggests good horticultural or pastoral land will be gobbled up by housing providers).
But hey. If we run short of vegetables, fruit and other farm products, we could tuck into kina.
In his capacity as Oceans and Fisheries Minister, Shane Jones has announced an increase in the recreational daily catch limit for kina around the northeastern North Island and a new special permit to remove kina. This could count as a conservation measure, of course, because the aim to tackle kina barrens.
On the other hand, as Minister of Resources, Jones is taking stock of the country’s critical minerals getting to grips with the country’s mineral potential. Or finding reasons to dig holes in the ground.
But perhaps the best economic-growth news comes from Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins.
She tells us the Endeavour Fund Investment Plan – the Government’s $55 million-a-year fund for science and research- has been revised to ensure investments “align with this Government’s priority of rebuilding our economy”.
“We are focused on a system that supports growth, and a science sector that drives high-tech, high-productivity, high-value businesses and jobs.
“Commercialisation is essential to realising the social and economic potential of our science, innovation and technology system. I look forward to learning more about the impactful projects funded through future funding rounds.”
Point of Order readers will welcome this as a refreshing change of approach after reading these two recent posts about the squandering of science funding:
But hey. If we run short of vegetables, fruit and other farm products, we could tuck into kina.
In his capacity as Oceans and Fisheries Minister, Shane Jones has announced an increase in the recreational daily catch limit for kina around the northeastern North Island and a new special permit to remove kina. This could count as a conservation measure, of course, because the aim to tackle kina barrens.
On the other hand, as Minister of Resources, Jones is taking stock of the country’s critical minerals getting to grips with the country’s mineral potential. Or finding reasons to dig holes in the ground.
But perhaps the best economic-growth news comes from Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins.
She tells us the Endeavour Fund Investment Plan – the Government’s $55 million-a-year fund for science and research- has been revised to ensure investments “align with this Government’s priority of rebuilding our economy”.
“We are focused on a system that supports growth, and a science sector that drives high-tech, high-productivity, high-value businesses and jobs.
“Commercialisation is essential to realising the social and economic potential of our science, innovation and technology system. I look forward to learning more about the impactful projects funded through future funding rounds.”
Point of Order readers will welcome this as a refreshing change of approach after reading these two recent posts about the squandering of science funding:
- June 25 –
- July 22
But one thing puzzles us. The Scoop website this week included –
Tuesday, 2 July 2024, 11:36 am | New Zealand Government
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today released the updated Endeavour Fund Investment Plan – the Government’s $55 million per annum fund for science and research. More >>
Collins presumably despatched her press statement to news media a day before she or her staff had it posted it on the Government’s official website.
Latest from the Beehive
4 JULY 2024
Speech
This morning I’d like to talk to you about the Coalition Government’s plan to fix our housing crisis and share some more details about our ambitious agenda for change.
New Zealand and Nauru are deepening their relationship, including on economic resilience and education, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says.
The Government will establish ambitious new housing growth targets for New Zealand’s cities, while taking steps to make it easier to expand both up and out.
Increasing the recreational daily catch limit for kina around the northeastern North Island and a new special permit to remove kina will help tackle kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.
The Government has marked a major milestone for rural connectivity at the official opening of the 500th RCG mobile tower in Anawhata today, Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
3 JULY 2024
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today released the updated Endeavour Fund Investment Plan – the Government’s $55 million per annum fund for science and research.
Work on a critical minerals list and a stocktake of New Zealand’s known mineral potential is underway and will be key to enabling a strategic, considered approach to developing the country’s resources and strengthening mineral resilience.
In his statement on housing, Chris Bishop said he was laying out six changes the Government will progress to free up land for development, which is pillar one of the Going for Housing Growth Plan.
A Housing Expert Advisory Group of urban experts and economists have helped put the package together.
These changes are:
- The establishment of Housing Growth Targets for Tier 1 and 2 councils
- New rules requiring cities to be allowed to expand outwards at the urban fringe
- A strengthening of the intensification provisions in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD)
- New rules requiring councils to enable mixed-use developments in our cities.
- The abolition of minimum floor area and balcony requirements
- New provisions making the MDRS optional for councils
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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