NBR panel interview: How NZ responds to shocks
I recently participated in a panel interview with NBR on how New Zealand responds to shocks. My fellow panelists were former Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Alan Bollard and academic Ilan Noy.
Blog
NZ may already be in recession
GDP fell 0.6% in the December quarter. Although this is the first official quarter of decline, it almost certainly marks the start of a recession, with economic activity likely to fall further in the March quarter. I am less convinced it will be the shallow 'goldilocks' recession the RBNZ has projected
Credit agencies concerned with NZ’s ballooning deficit
New Zealand's current account deficit expanded to a record 8.9% of GDP in December and could risk a credit rating downgrade for New Zealand. Cool the jets with too much frivolous debt-fueled consumption.
The ultra running economist
My professional focus is on regional economics, with many projects looking at the role of recreation and leisure activities on our local economies. What many of you probably don’t know is that work is deeply personal for me, and I moonlight as an aspiring ultra runner in 100 mile races.
Benje Patterson – ‘set your own boundaries’
Arrowtown-based economist Benje Patterson has been working remotely from Arrowtown for six years now – long before it was fashionable, and the young father of three wouldn’t have it any other way.
Population growth flatlines, but some regions are still booming
People have been leaving New Zealand as the borders have reopened. But that isn’t the end of the story for regional population growth. Taking an even closer look at the regions shows that people are not only leaving New Zealand, but are also migrating within the country.
Regional entrepreneurship leads the charge
There was sharp lift in the number of businesses operating in New Zealand over the past year – […]
Reserve Bank shouldn’t be too trigger happy despite high inflation
Inflation data to September caught many forecasters with their pants down. The consensus had been that inflation would […]
Strong headline, masks recession for some
Don't let the stonking GDP headline of 1.7% production growth in just three months mislead you. Growth was strong in the June quarter, compared to March, only because March was nothing to write home about. The March quarter was a write-off - as we all sat spluttering at home with Omicron.
Queenstown risks reputational damage
Queenstown - they risk damaging the entire reputation of the New Zealand tourism sector. If people go home not having been able to wine, dine, and play how and when they want, then people won't wax lyrical about New Zealand to their friends and family when they return home.
$139.8 million spent in Rotorua by mountain bikers who visited ...
A new Benje Patterson report commissioned by RotoruaNZ that assesses the contribution of mountain biking to the Rotorua Lakes Economy shows that $103.4m was spent in Rotorua last year by visitors who visited for the sole purpose of mountain biking. Other visitors who mountain biked while staying in Rotorua for other reasons spent a further $36.4m, a total contribution of $139.8m to the local economy.
Economic cohesion is improving across the regions
A key focus of regional economic development is to help ensure that economic opportunities are widespread throughout the regions. Ideally over the long term we want to see the gaps between economic performances in our regions close so that where you are located is no barrier to success.