Can an Empty House Tax Help Boost Affordable Housing in New Zealand?
Ranjana Gupta, Auckland University of Technology Photo by Breno Assis on Unsplash The property market is New Zealand’s largest industry, adding NZ$41.2 billion a year to gross domestic product. But there is a debate over how we tax houses – particularly those...
Can We Prevent the Extinction Crisis Driven by Invasive Species?
Andy Sheppard, CSIRO; Melodie McGeoch, La Trobe University; Philip Hulme, Lincoln University, New Zealand, and Phill Cassey, University of Adelaide Photo by Jens Rademacher on Unsplash Invasive alien species are driving biodiversity loss and extinctions...
Can Gene Mapping Help Save Critically Endangered Species?
Joseph Guhlin, University of Otago and Peter Dearden, University of Otago Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash The genetic mapping of almost the entire kākāpō population has shed new light on specific traits that will help conservation biologists in...
Are Labour and National Party Transport Policies Incompatible with NZ’s Emission Reduction Goals?
Philip Laird, University of Wollongong Photo by Eddie Bugajewski on Unsplash Both the Labour government and the opposition National Party have now released major transport polices that put the emphasis on maintaining and expanding roads. The cost and priority...
Are Commercial Lobbyists Gaining the Upper Hand in New Zealand’s Public Health Discourse?
Words by Boyd Swinburn Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash Calls for public health action have historically been swamped by industry opposition and now this imbalance is even worse. Whatever happens in this year’s election, the Labour Government...
Is Targeted Protection the Key to Managing Endemic COVID?
Words by Michael Plank, University of Canterbury; Freya Shearer, The University of Melbourne; James McCaw, The University of Melbourne, and James Wood, UNSW Sydney Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash Interventions designed to limit the spread of COVID have...
What Impact Could Smaller Parties Have on New Zealand’s Policy Reforms?
Words by Dr. Luke Oldfield Photo by Koon Chakhatrakan on Unsplash Some elections have a little more on the line than usual. October 14 could be one of those elections. Polling has suggested that no single party is likely to win a majority of seats and it is a coin...
Can ‘Degrowth’ Economics Save our Ecosystems?
Mike Joy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Photo by Christian on Unsplash You may not have noticed, but earlier this month we passed Earth overshoot day, when humanity’s demands for ecological resources and services exceeded what our planet...
Can We Create ‘Sponge Cities’ Without Spending Billions?
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland Photo by Phillip Flores on Unsplash Tune into news from about any part of the planet, and there will likely be a headline about extreme weather. While these stories will be specific to the location, they all tend to include...Subscribe by Email
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