Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics

[miket12]

BNZ have now dropped their 6 and 18 month and their two- and three-year mortgage rates ahead of Thursday's OCR announcement. They'd previously dropped their one-year mortgage rate.

Speculation is that the banks have factored in a 25-basis point drop in the OCR but I personally wouldn't fix until after Thursday in case the RBNZ drops the OCR by 50 basis points.

We've got two mortgages on the rental property... one is off set against our "rainy day fund" and the other came of fixed on to floating at the end of September. We're waiting until after the OCR announcement to see if the banks move further in interest rate drops and whether we'll fix for 6 or 12 months. Isn't it fun playing the mortgage interest rate game? No really.... but at least they're heading down and not up!!!

 

[jonesy101]

If One.nz have any sense they should remove every character from those stupid ads. Brother from another udder and the man munching on a biscuit can stay though.

 

[miket12]

The hatred on Winne at the moment is nothing compared to what a number of developers/builders in Auckland are feeling towards Chris Bishop and the Auckland mayor/councilors at the moment.

A bit of background. Under the previous government (and in consultation with National), Megan Woods released a town planning proposal for councils to adopt called Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) which allowed for greater intensification by allowing up to three houses to be placed on a site and up to three Storeys high without requiring a Land Use resource consent.

Auckland council then put into place Plan Change 78: Intensification (PC 78) which allowed for large parts of Auckland to be changed from the zoning requirements of the old district plan (called the Auckland Unitary Plan). Even though PC 78 hadn't been fully implemented, Auckland Council started accepting developments for the changed zoning requirements.

Then there was the general election and National and the other coalition partners decided that the MDRS didn't go far enough... they wanted Councils to allow for even greater intensification by, amongst other things, allowing for taller apartment buildings within walking distances from train stations, transport hubs and "city centres".

This meant, that last month, Auckland councillors voted to accept Plan Change 120 (PC 120) as a replacement to PC 78. The problem is that when they kicked PC 78 to the curve, ALL buildings designed to it (and the MDRS) instead had to comply with Auckland Unitary Plan. This means, any resources consents currently under review by Council now have to be changed back to the Unitary Plan requirements which, in most cases, only allows for two dwellings on a site without a Land Use resource consent and can only be two storeys high.

Any dwellings that are currently under construction or with a building consent will need to have a Certificate of Compliance applied for before 9 October. In most cases, neighbours permission (good luck getting that if the neighbour didn't want a three storey dwelling built beside them) will be needed for Council to issue a Corticate of Compliance.

The happiest people are Auckland City town planners who now have a huge number of Resource Consent applications to work through and surveyors/private town planners as they apply for resource consent dispensations for all the developments currently underway.

There are some extremely pissed off developers out there who have spent thousands on documentation for developments which now may be useless!!!

 

[Worried2Death]

It is allegedly worse than a baby was found at the camp

Worse? There's not much worse than that, must be fukn horrific if true.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Worse? There's not much worse than that, must be fukn horrific if true.

Pregnant again?

 

[defensivebomb]

Pregnant again?

Even worse than that.

Wearing a Cronulla jersey

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Are all the posters outraged at Colberts show being cancelled (blaming Trump) also outraged at Stuart Nash being cancelled by the left for his crude description of a woman?

 

[Bay39er]

Pregnant again?

..

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Who’s over council rate increases?

Rates can’t keep growing higher than the overall economy, inflation and wages.

We accepted 10% rises when it was from $1000 to $1100. $100 a year is manageable. When rates compound and go from $8k to $10k it’s unsustainable.

I’m voting for any candidate in elections that will reduce rates, even if they are in all other ways incompetent. Councils can collapse as far as I’m concerned. The system relies on ever growing promises and is unsustainable.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

The hatred on Winne at the moment is nothing compared to what a number of developers/builders in Auckland are feeling towards Chris Bishop and the Auckland mayor/councilors at the moment.

A bit of background. Under the previous government (and in consultation with National), Megan Woods released a town planning proposal for councils to adopt called Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) which allowed for greater intensification by allowing up to three houses to be placed on a site and up to three Storeys high without requiring a Land Use resource consent.

Auckland council then put into place Plan Change 78: Intensification (PC 78) which allowed for large parts of Auckland to be changed from the zoning requirements of the old district plan (called the Auckland Unitary Plan). Even though PC 78 hadn't been fully implemented, Auckland Council started accepting developments for the changed zoning requirements.

Then there was the general election and National and the other coalition partners decided that the MDRS didn't go far enough... they wanted Councils to allow for even greater intensification by, amongst other things, allowing for taller apartment buildings within walking distances from train stations, transport hubs and "city centres".

This meant, that last month, Auckland councillors voted to accept Plan Change 120 (PC 120) as a replacement to PC 78. The problem is that when they kicked PC 78 to the curve, ALL buildings designed to it (and the MDRS) instead had to comply with Auckland Unitary Plan. This means, any resources consents currently under review by Council now have to be changed back to the Unitary Plan requirements which, in most cases, only allows for two dwellings on a site without a Land Use resource consent and can only be two storeys high.

Any dwellings that are currently under construction or with a building consent will need to have a Certificate of Compliance applied for before 9 October. In most cases, neighbours permission (good luck getting that if the neighbour didn't want a three storey dwelling built beside them) will be needed for Council to issue a Corticate of Compliance.

The happiest people are Auckland City town planners who now have a huge number of Resource Consent applications to work through and surveyors/private town planners as they apply for resource consent dispensations for all the developments currently underway.

There are some extremely pissed off developers out there who have spent thousands on documentation for developments which now may be useless!!!

I have to renew a waste water (septic) consent in Auckland as it’s been in place for 15 years. $4k council fees, $5k for an engineer, $1k in testing and other costs.

The system has been tested every month, serviced independently every 6 month, never had an issue or exceeded its design. Someone make it make sense!

Were all paying for this red tape as highly qualified people are employed doing irrelevant tasks. People wonder why the cost of living is so high in NZ and businesses are closing everywhere.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Heads up, I pay $1000 per year for servicing and council monitoring of a small commercial septic system in Auckland.

The council is now making rural Auckland properties get their septic system serviced and overseen and approved by council. At the moment it’s free (first year). Give it a few years and another ‘user pays’ charge will be passed on as council sticks their nose in where it’s not needed.

Add it to the pool monitoring fees, dog registration, commercial building WOF checks, etc that keep council people employed at our cost.

The creeping red tape is enough to make me start researching how to become a sovereign citizen

Council rant over. Get them under control National!

 

[defensivebomb]

Are all the posters outraged at Colberts show being cancelled (blaming Trump) also outraged at Stuart Nash being cancelled by the left for his crude description of a woman?

I suspect Nash has been told to get out there with loose lips and rebrand himself. It doesn't really look like he is reining it in - quite the opposite. Looks like he is courting a type of voter

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I suspect Nash has been told to get out there with loose lips and rebrand himself. It doesn't really look like he is reining it in - quite the opposite. Looks like he is courting a type of voter

Winston, Jones and now Nash playing politics Trump style!

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Thought for the day:

The Greens see colonised peoples (like māori or Palestinians) as having had their sovereignty violated, the right to self-determination and the right to their land and culture.

Yet simultaneously they argue that individuals have a right to move freely and are hence, pro immigration and anti nationalistic (burn flag) values.

Square this circle…

 

[defensivebomb]

Thought for the day:

The Greens see colonised peoples (like māori or Palestinians) as having had their sovereignty violated, the right to self-determination and the right to their land and culture.

Yet simultaneously they argue that individuals have a right to move freely and are hence, pro immigration and anti nationalistic (burn flag) values.

Square this circle…

They also forget their Pakeha roots

 

[miket12]

Reserve Bank drops OCR by 50 basis points. Here's from the email from the RBNZ...

OCR reduced to 2.5%​

8 October 2025

Annual consumers price index inflation is currently around the top of the Monetary Policy Committee’s 1 to 3 percent target band. However, with spare capacity in the economy, inflation is expected to return to around the 2 percent target mid-point over the first half of 2026.

Economic activity through the middle of 2025 was weak. In part, this reflects domestic constraints on the supply of goods and services in some industries, and the impact of global economic policy uncertainty. Household consumption is recovering, partly because of lower interest rates, and elevated commodity prices continue to support the primary sector. House prices are flat, and residential and business investment remain weak.

Economic growth in New Zealand’s trading partners is proving resilient, partly because of strong investment in AI-related activity, but is expected to slow in 2026.

There are upside and downside risks to the inflation outlook in New Zealand. Cautious behaviour by households and businesses could slow the economic recovery, reducing medium-term inflation pressure. Alternatively, higher near-term inflation could prove to be more persistent.

On balance, the Committee reached consensus to reduce the OCR by 50 basis points to 2.5 percent. The Committee remains open to further reductions in the OCR as required for inflation to settle sustainably near the 2 percent target mid-point in the medium term.

Read the full statement and Record of Meeting

Media contact:
Brendan Manning
Manager External Stakeholders
MOB: 021 923 217
Email: [email protected]

 

[MaybeTop8]

Craig Renney, a voice of reason


View: https://bsky.app/profile/clrenney.bsky.social/post/3m2nlb7aarc2e

 

[defensivebomb]

Craig Renney, a voice of reason


View: https://bsky.app/profile/clrenney.bsky.social/post/3m2nlb7aarc2e

It's a double edged sword eh. Cheaper rates but it means the economy needs to be jump started

I was a bit annoyed when Willis announced how much better interest rates are under National. She knows damn well why. Just relying on the financial illiteracy of voters.

The reality is that everyone has to talk up the recovery so that people relax and start spending again. Thinking the economy's f*cked only makes it worse as people don't hire and stop spending

 

[miket12]

Craig Renney, a voice of reason


View: https://bsky.app/profile/clrenney.bsky.social/post/3m2nlb7aarc2e

Using his logic then, interest rates going up (in his view) is a good sign.... except that means that inflation has gotten out of control due to an overheated economy and due for a contraction/recession. But then, that's exactly where the party he advises on economy policy sent the country and earned him a role as a Labour Party Policy Board member.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Using his logic then, interest rates going up (in his view) is a good sign.... except that means that inflation has gotten out of control due to an overheated economy and due for a contraction/recession. But then, that's exactly where the party he advises on economy policy sent the country and earned him a role as a Labour Party Policy Board member.

Just ignore the bloke, he’s a biased muppet.