The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 16

BusinessNZ-BNZ PSI survey finds worst result outside of covid months; Treasury publishes study on AI, noting NZ’s low investment rates may hamper use; EPA approves fungus use to control needle grass

Photo by Ryunosuke Kikuno on Unsplash

TL;DR: The top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day to 6:00 am are:

1. BNZ released its Performance of Services Index for June, finding that services sector is at its lowest level of activity for a non-lockdown month since the survey began in 2007.

2. The Treasury released an analytical note on the potential economic impacts of artificial intelligence in NZ. Authors Harry Nicholls and Udayan Mukherjee say that New Zealand's relatively "low levels of investment in intangible capital" could slow AI implementation.

3. Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston announced the rollout of a new phone-based case management service targeting young people on Jobseeker Support.

4. The EPA announced that it’s approved Marlborough District Council's application to use a strain of fungus to control Chilean needle grass.

5. Poverty: The Māori Gambling Harm Minimisation Collective (Te Kāhui Mokoroa) called for more action to support Māori experiencing gambling harm.

6. The Cawthron Institute researchers published a study modelling the vulnerability of different New Zealand habitats to invasion by Gold Clams

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The Full Journal of Record on Tuesday, July 16