Big questions for local councils

By Alex Penk

Do you expect your council to light your streets and fix the potholes? Do you think it should provide clean…

Investing in people, regardless of return

By Julian Wood

Like the proverbial frog in the slowly heating pot, many of us are blissfully unaware of the change currently going…

The Budget partnership between the people and our Government

By Julian Wood

Each year the Budget charts a broad course for the years ahead. It outlines how much money the Government has,…

Tax the robots?

By Julian Wood

We’re now quite used to dire predictions concerning the future of work, job stability, and automation. As far back as…

Our insecure future of work

By Kieran Madden

Many pinned Trump’s election and the Brexit vote as being fueled by people’s fear of losing their way of life….

New Zealand, let’s stop being a cheap date

By Julian Wood

Travellers are enamoured with us. Last year, 3.5 million visitors arrived in New Zealand to check us out. This is…

Newspaper coverage of regional development paper

Newspapers around New Zealand published articles in response to our Growing Beyond Growth report on regional development Read articles from: …

NZ Herald Focus interview on regional development paper

Bernadine Oliver-Kerby interviewed Alex Penk about our regional development paper for NZ Herald’s online video series. Watch the interview here

Alex Penk on RNZ National – Regional Development

The day we released our paper Growing Beyond Growth – rethinking the goals of regional development in New Zealand, CEO Alex…

Get real about regional spending

By Julian Wood

If you put people in a room and ask them how to bring growth to New Zealand’s regions, someone will…

Growing Beyond Growth: Rethinking the goals of regional development in New Zealand

By Julian Wood

New Zealand is already feeling the effects of an oncoming wave of economic and demographic change which should dramatically influence…

The regional role of iwi

By Julian Wood

Bill English has made a splash in the last few days, both for his sheep shearing skills and his first-time…

What’s dragging beneath Gareth Morgan’s new TOP sail?

By Jeremy Vargo

The story of last week was of course, John Key, and the end of his incredible run of political popularity….

The ‘un-meat’ needs of our regions

By Julian Wood

In 1798, Thomas Malthus, a controversial but influential political economist, predicted that the world’s population would soon outstrip its food…

The true cost of getting “Ready for Work”

By Julian Wood

Labour’s “Ready For Work” policy is a great idea. Unveiled at the party’s conference, the plan offers on the job…

Stretching the potential of flexible work

By Danielle van Dalen

“All we really want is a little control – and to make that 6 o’clock yoga class once in a…

Working hard, still struggling

By Danielle van Dalen

In New Zealand’s poverty debate, work is often touted as the silver bullet solution, the one thing that will solve…

Clear expectations

By Julian Wood

The Reserve Bank has done a fantastic job over the last 27 years, doing what it is supposed to do…

Productive thinking

By Julian Wood

Everybody wants New Zealand to be a great place to work and live. High wages, high growth, high productivity, low…

Death pledge

I went with my father the day he paid off his mortgage. Afterwards, it seemed like his back straightened a…