Blog

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the changes were about ensuring CAA was financially stable. Photo: New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association Agricultural aviators say a proposed increase of its industry levy is a tax on a tax that will disproportionately impact agriculture over other aviation sectors. New Zealand had just over 100 certified agricultural aviators - who sprayed agri-chemicals or fertiliser, worked for conservation purposes or to manage biosecurity threats, and also supported forestry and horticulture. Its governing body, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched consultation on a raft of proposals around changes and increases to fees, levies and charges. The Crown provided nearly half-a-billion dollars of funding to the CAA since 2020, to cover the loss of reve...

Credit card applications are up 5 percent on last year, but are still 40 percent down on 2019 levels. Photo: 123RF Demand for consumer credit continues to fall, with business liquidations on the rise. The latest report by credit bureau Centrix also indicates an improvement in the number of consumer arrears in July, though demand for credit was down 3 percent on the year earlier, along with a 22 percent drop in new car loans. "There is a drop off in discretionary spending, so things that aren't required, such as motor vehicles, have really slowed down as far as consumer demand is concerned. They're just not spending money," Centrix managing director Keith McLaughlin said. He said the Reserve Bank's 25-basis-point cut to the official cash rate last month had sparked a round of interest ra...

Cyber attacks that take down entire computer systems are becoming increasingly common. Photo: RNZ Small and medium sized businesses have a one in three chance of being the target of a cyber attack. New research from the National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of New Zealand's Government Security Bureau (GCSB), reveals that despite the high risk, many businesses do not put cyber security measures in place until it was too late. NCSC works to provide trusted and authoritative information and advice, while also collating a profile of the threat landscape in New Zealand. Director Michael Jagusch says businesses need to improve their defences before they're attacked. The latest NCSC research - the Cyber Security Behaviour Tracker - found 36 percent of small and medium businesses (SMEs)...

Photo: RNZ There are some indications that home loan borrowers may have taken heed of the Reserve Bank's May warning that interest rates could rise further - and fixed their mortgages for longer terms as a result. In May, the Reserve Bank said its monetary policy committee had discussed whether another increase in the official cash rate was appropriate. It published a forecast in which the OCR was likely to increase again towards the end of this year. Then in August, it cut the OCR by 25 basis points and signalled more reductions were likely to follow. Data from the Reserve Bank relating to new loans and top-ups - not those refixing - shows that the proportion of lending on a six-month rate fell from 18 percent to 16 percent from May to June. At the same time the proportion fixed for a y...

The number of over-65s who are renting could double by 2048. File photo. Photo: 123rf / Warren Goldswain Some pensioners are spending up to 95 percent of their superannuation on rent. In the next instalment of RNZ's Crunching the Numbers series, Checkpoint spoke to some superannuitants about how they are forced to navigate sky-high rents and few accommodation options, instead of being able to settle into a comfortable retirement. The issue is only expected to get worse, with the Retirement Commission estimating the number of over-65s who are renting could double by 2048, to more than 600,000. A pensioner in Whanganui - who Checkpoint agreed not to name - pays $450 a week for her two-bedroom rental, with just $70 dollars left over from her pension. She has to work part-time to cover her ...