Across Quay St we have the Ferry Building, a similar vintage, but the real magic lies beneath.
Philip A. Phillips, former bankrupt and intermittent hardware retailer was the city’s first mayor and, reliable sources tell me, began the long process upon his election in 1871 of filling in the harbour. Today the CPO sits on land dredged back from the sea.
How, a simple chap may ask himself, all this could have been achieved without the guidance of a National Planning Guide or the over-arching wisdom to be found in a National Policy Direction?
A mystery. Meanwhile politics was in some disquiet over the TaxPayers Union breaking ranks with Nicola Willis’ inability to control spending. I was more interested in the omnibus bills dripped by Chris Bishop and Simon Court; the Planning Bill and its cousin the Natural Environment Bill. This is the coalition’s delayed response to the Resource Management Act.
The RMA was born of good intentions and, like a lot of policies built on a desire to use regulation to make life better; made life worse. I’m a simple man, as my columns attest, but some things are so broken they need to be thrown into the harbour. But, we don’t live in simple times and the changes proposed by Bishop and Court look impressive.
How, a simple chap may ask himself, all this could have been achieved without the guidance of a National Planning Guide or the over-arching wisdom to be found in a National Policy Direction?
A mystery. Meanwhile politics was in some disquiet over the TaxPayers Union breaking ranks with Nicola Willis’ inability to control spending. I was more interested in the omnibus bills dripped by Chris Bishop and Simon Court; the Planning Bill and its cousin the Natural Environment Bill. This is the coalition’s delayed response to the Resource Management Act.
The RMA was born of good intentions and, like a lot of policies built on a desire to use regulation to make life better; made life worse. I’m a simple man, as my columns attest, but some things are so broken they need to be thrown into the harbour. But, we don’t live in simple times and the changes proposed by Bishop and Court look impressive.
David Seymour, Simon Court (middle) and Chris Bishop have
repealed the RMA with a Planning Bill. Photo: Alex Cairns
The aforementioned Taxpayers Union was impressed; calling it the countries biggest tax cut, based on the reduced economic drag imposed by the previous regime. I understand what Court and Bishop are attempting to do and am confident that their reform will unlock pent-up construction as well as reducing the cost of housing.
There is an untold story; underneath the fiscal failure are successes at the micro level that, cumulatively, are significant. The RMA reforms build on the improvements Chris Penk is making in construction; and although he has yet to abolish the building code he is forcing a market solution to building warranty issues and reliving councils of the liability for defective workmanship.
The real change here is the speed of getting a council permit once local authorities cease being liable for faulty design or construction. This, on top of relaxing what products can be sold, is an achievement that deserves greater acknowledgement.
The success of Erica Stanford has been covered extensively, and she deserves the applause. Her ministerial colleague, Mark Mitchell, isn’t receiving enough attention for his successes. The level of custodial sentences under his regime is increasing.
This is having the predictable effect of less victims of violent crime. In the 12 months to October 2023, based on survey data, there were 185,000 victims of violent crime. This was reduced to 147,000 in the 12 months to August 2025.
The aforementioned Taxpayers Union was impressed; calling it the countries biggest tax cut, based on the reduced economic drag imposed by the previous regime. I understand what Court and Bishop are attempting to do and am confident that their reform will unlock pent-up construction as well as reducing the cost of housing.
There is an untold story; underneath the fiscal failure are successes at the micro level that, cumulatively, are significant. The RMA reforms build on the improvements Chris Penk is making in construction; and although he has yet to abolish the building code he is forcing a market solution to building warranty issues and reliving councils of the liability for defective workmanship.
The real change here is the speed of getting a council permit once local authorities cease being liable for faulty design or construction. This, on top of relaxing what products can be sold, is an achievement that deserves greater acknowledgement.
The success of Erica Stanford has been covered extensively, and she deserves the applause. Her ministerial colleague, Mark Mitchell, isn’t receiving enough attention for his successes. The level of custodial sentences under his regime is increasing.
This is having the predictable effect of less victims of violent crime. In the 12 months to October 2023, based on survey data, there were 185,000 victims of violent crime. This was reduced to 147,000 in the 12 months to August 2025.
The success of Erica Stanford has been covered extensively,
and she deserves the applause. Photo: Chino Barrett-Lovie
If you believe in competent government, Mitchell is delivering. Less people are being physically assaulted because of the work he is doing in his portfolio. The first task of the state is to protect its citizens and Mitchell is doing that.
Meanwhile. We should not overlook the return of monetary orthodoxy to the Reserve Bank with a single focus on inflation and Willis’ effective management of Adrian Orr into private life.
Karen Chhour’s removing section 7AA of Oranga Tamariki Act that bound the agency into providing a practical commitment the treaty of Waitangi and became the basis of perverse outcomes for marginal children is something to be celebrated. As it the work by Brooke van Velden in reforming labour laws, especially the spiking of the Fair Pay Agreements that posed a significant fiscal headache for the Crown.
These are not small advances. Nor was the death of co-governance in the water reforms that threatened to impose a permanent rent-seeking oligopoly into key infrastructure, the attempts to re-ignite gas exploration and the projects approved and the many more pending in the fast-track approval process.
It is important to focus on the macro failure and it is the role of the TaxPayers Union to advocate without fear or favour on the dismal fiscal record of this government. It is equally important that we do not overlook the exceptional work being done off-camera that is making the lives of kiwis better, safer, and financially more secure.
If you believe in competent government, Mitchell is delivering. Less people are being physically assaulted because of the work he is doing in his portfolio. The first task of the state is to protect its citizens and Mitchell is doing that.
Meanwhile. We should not overlook the return of monetary orthodoxy to the Reserve Bank with a single focus on inflation and Willis’ effective management of Adrian Orr into private life.
Karen Chhour’s removing section 7AA of Oranga Tamariki Act that bound the agency into providing a practical commitment the treaty of Waitangi and became the basis of perverse outcomes for marginal children is something to be celebrated. As it the work by Brooke van Velden in reforming labour laws, especially the spiking of the Fair Pay Agreements that posed a significant fiscal headache for the Crown.
These are not small advances. Nor was the death of co-governance in the water reforms that threatened to impose a permanent rent-seeking oligopoly into key infrastructure, the attempts to re-ignite gas exploration and the projects approved and the many more pending in the fast-track approval process.
It is important to focus on the macro failure and it is the role of the TaxPayers Union to advocate without fear or favour on the dismal fiscal record of this government. It is equally important that we do not overlook the exceptional work being done off-camera that is making the lives of kiwis better, safer, and financially more secure.
Karen Chhour’s removing section 7AA of Oranga Tamariki
Act that bound the agency into providing a practical commitment
the treaty of Waitangi and became the basis of perverse
outcomes for marginal children is something to be celebrated.
Photo: Chino Barrett-Lovie
Next week the Half Year Fiscal Update will be released. It is going to be unpleasant and validate the Taxpayers fatwah against fiscal ill-discipline. But let’s take a moment to acknowledge the competence and determination of a cohort of outstanding ministers who, outside of the headlines, are doing what they were elected to do..........The full article is published HERE
Damien Grant is an Auckland business owner, a member of the Taxpayers’ Union and a regular opinion contributor for Stuff, writing from a libertarian perspective
Next week the Half Year Fiscal Update will be released. It is going to be unpleasant and validate the Taxpayers fatwah against fiscal ill-discipline. But let’s take a moment to acknowledge the competence and determination of a cohort of outstanding ministers who, outside of the headlines, are doing what they were elected to do..........The full article is published HERE
Damien Grant is an Auckland business owner, a member of the Taxpayers’ Union and a regular opinion contributor for Stuff, writing from a libertarian perspective
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