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Nau mai, haere mai.
Housing is a perpetual source of angst and argument in New Zealand. If we’re not talking about the cost of houses then we’re talking about lack of them. If we’re not talking about housing shortages then we’re discussing housing quality. And round and round the discussion goes.
So it was inevitable the new policy from Housing Minister Chris Bishop was going to trigger debate around the type of homes we want to have in the future – and where we want them.
The proposed policy includes intensification along transport corridors and more mixed-use developments. These have been largely viewed as positive. But the minister’s plan to drop minimum dwelling size requirements has raised real concerns.
As Christine McCarthy writes, small apartments are not always problematic. There have been plenty of micro-apartment developments overseas that have been well-received and even celebrated.
But to be a positive addition to New Zealand’s housing stock, our new housing developments need to be well-designed and targeted to the right groups. If not, we risk facing another generation of shoebox apartments – largely unsuitable for many of those in need of housing.
As always, you’ll find much more to read in this newsletter and on our homepage, including a look at how the new generative AI internet search tools can increase the risk of returning false, misleading or partially correct
information.
Many thanks for reading and until next week, mā te wā.
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Debrin Foxcroft
Deputy New Zealand Editor
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Christine McCarthy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Housing minister Chris Bishop says removing minimum dwelling size rules will deliver homes that are “bigger than a car”. But tiny houses might be a short-term solution that causes long-term issues.
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Merja Myllylahti, Auckland University of Technology
The government has revived the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, but the way AI may be skewing news results and visibility is off the table for now. My new research suggests it should be a priority.
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Emmy van Esch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Post-COVID, many companies are offering perks to entice workers back into the office. But research found 78% of workers valued what was outside the office window above all else.
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Richard Shaw, Massey University
Arguments for electoral reform in the UK just got stronger with a low Labour vote delivering a massively disproportionate number of seats.
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Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato
A proposed new rocket launch site in Canterbury highlights the need for New Zealand space law to keep up with a rapidly developing but under-regulated and risky sector.
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Alison Blair, University of Otago
The Beatle’s first film, A Hard Day’s Night, debuted on July 6 1964. Sixty years on it still explodes with revolutionary pop-cultural energy.
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Matthew Henry, Massey University
Many datasets have gaps and biases due to how the information was gathered. Developers must account for this to avoid embedded wrong assumptions being carried across to train future AIs.
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Mark John Costello, Nord University; Peter Townsend Harris, University of Tasmania
By the end of the century, half the world’s deep ocean could be acidic – with serious consequences for some marine animals.
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Marta Rychert, Massey University; Kate Diesfeld, Auckland University of Technology; Lois Surgenor, University of Otago
Some professions offer rehabilitation for workers guilty of misconduct. But the rules in New Zealand are inconsistent and a better model could save careers and public investment in expensive training.
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Markus Luczak-Roesch, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
As the digital economy accelerates, New Zealand needs new rules to regulate how we develop new services– and who develops them.
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Rachel Williamson, University of Canterbury
We’re finally getting stories about women who want to be more than mothers. So why does A Family Affair leave us so dissatisfied?
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From our foreign editions
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Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia
Many years beyond the average American retirement age, politicians vie for power and influence. Their constituents tend to prefer they step back and pass the torch to younger people.
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Brandon Michael Sideleau, Charles Darwin University
Fatal crocodile attacks are extraordinarily rare in Australia – and there is no evidence to suggest their numbers are too high.
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James Vaughan, Aberystwyth University
Starmer’s formula of moderation and caution about the Gaza conflict is unlikely to satisfy some of his backbenchers
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Garret Martin, American University School of International Service
The three-day meeting is touted as a time to celebrate the alliance’s 75th anniversary. But gathered leaders face serious questions that will affect NATO’s future.
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Ursula Kania, University of Liverpool
You know that thing with the name? the whatsamajig? the whozeewhatzit?
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Stasja Koot, Wageningen University; Bram Büscher, Wageningen University; Lerato Thakholi, Wageningen University
The southern African wildlife economy is socially and environmentally unsustainable.
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Ryan North, University of Wollongong; Tim Barrows, UNSW Sydney
Few observations exist from before the 2002 Larsen B Ice Shelf collapse. We’ve now estimated how many billions of tons of glacier ice were lost – and what it means for the future.
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Yassine Souilmi, University of Adelaide; Gabriel Conroy, University of the Sunshine Coast; Jane Balme, The University of Western Australia; Sally Wasef, Queensland University of Technology
Dingo DNA study reveals an ancient population split and surprisingly recent links to New Guinea singing dogs.
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