Dawn chorus: YIMBYs vs NIMBYs
Growing push for higher density pits young renters against older boomer property owners in the fringe suburbs; Higher density depends on infrastructure spending and apartment confidence
TLDR: Today’s there’s a couple of great pieces below looking at the political economy around increasing housing density close to the centres of the big cities. This piece from Rob Mitchell highlights how higher density development depends on infrastructure investment by councils and confidence in the future of apartments.
This piece from Dileepa Fonseka focuses on the political economy problems for that higher density development. Older suburban property owners don’t want density anywhere near them and currently control councils. Next year’s elections will be doozies in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Briefly in our political economy
Great detail 'He considered a high-rise development of the former car sales yard, but was told the city’s infrastructure couldn’t take the extra load. There was also strong demand for inner-city housing that didn’t come with body corporate levies he says.'
They say Gisborne is a place of “splendid isolation” but there are challenges, and many are working hard to overcome them. A special report.
A new documentary by building experts John Gray and Roger Levie has uncovered the shocking state of apartment buildings around New Zealand.
Important story on PRC🇨🇳 IP theft & the political pressures on businesses to do nothing. NZ kiwifruit growers are being arm-twisted to agree to assist suppliers in China who are now producing unauthorised Gold3 kiwifruit. Read the OIA docs here: knz.co.nz/official-infor…
Farmers Weekly NZ @FarmersWeeklyNZ
No stone left unturned on housing? Not even close. From both sides of politics. All because of the Treasury/National/Labour/Green debt-target driven obsession with starving everyone of state-funded capital. Excellent reporting from @SamSachdevaNZ
"I don't make anything off keeping these rentals, I break even." Really? The unasked question here? What were the tax-free capital gain on the five properties?
In the global political economy
Scott Morrison scraps COVID-19 vaccination deadline plan news.com.au/world/coronavi… via @newscomauHQ
Signs of Russia’s military buildup on Ukrainian border—massive ground & amphibious assault forces—are deeply worrying. All point to imminent possibility of invasion. Critical US and @NATO allies send clear signal of dire consequences if Moscow invades.
Many countries have made their tax systems less progressive, all in the context of rising inequality. @JosephEStiglitz, @toddntucker, and @gabriel_zucman write that such policies threaten the sustainability of markets and the survival of capitalism itself:
“The worry is this water is coming into direct contact with the underside of the ice shelf where the ice tongue and shallow seafloor meet. This is the last stronghold for Thwaites. Once it unpins from the sea bed...there’s nothing else for it to hold onto”
Signs o’ the times news
Excellent from @dileepa_fonseka on YIMBYs vs NIMBYs. “Residents have become adept at repurposing the language of social justice to preserve income inequality and segregation in the places where they live.”
This is important work from @dileepa_fonseka. This govt is actively making life harder for migrants. Staff at Immigration NZ spend a lot of time wasting on pointless workshops and teambuilding activities while the residency queue is out of control.
Other places I’ve been
The lack of information coming from the Government on future vaccine plans is detrimental, @FranOSullivan, @bernardchickey and @Moce_Doce agreed. #NZQandA
#nzpol tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-z…
