Housing, planning and the long arc of where we live.
Auckland's Downtown Carpark redevelopment has been granted fast-track approval, clearing a major consenting hurdle for a waterfront project that would replace the seven-storey carpark with two towers, three podium buildings and a new laneway network.
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says 40,581 new homes were consented in the year to June, a 19 percent rise and the first annual total above 40,000 since 2023.
Auckland councillor Richard Hills says residents and businesses need clearer guidance on when the City Rail Link will open, after officials again declined to identify even the month passenger services will begin through the $5.5 billion project.
Westpac NZ is lifting several fixed home-loan rates from Tuesday, with its one-year advertised special mortgage rate rising 0.20 percentage points to 4.99 percent as wholesale funding costs put new pressure on borrowers.
ANZ has lifted its floating home loan rate to 6.04 percent, putting mortgage pressure back in front of households after the Reserve Bank's first official cash rate increase in more than three years.
Wellington Airbnb host Julie Wilson has put a local-operator face on a rates decision that could reshape short-stay accommodation in the capital, warning the council's new settings may reduce visitor options and push up costs.
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says real estate agents will no longer face an automatic five-year disqualification for some continuing professional development and fee-payment breaches, after Parliament passed the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill.
Newly reported Ministry of Social Development performance measures have raised concern that emergency housing targets could create pressure to reduce motel grants even when people still need somewhere safe to stay.
Infometrics' chief forecaster says the 2020s are shaping up as the weakest decade for house-price growth in about 70 years, challenging a familiar rule of thumb.
Beyond the monthly price index, a handful of quieter indicators tell you where the housing market is really heading.