Nick is a Senior Fellow, focusing on local government, resource management, and economic policy.
Nick brings 30 years experience in policy and advocacy inside and outside of government. He comes to us from 19 years at Federated Farmers, where he was its National Policy Manager. As well as managing a team of policy advisors, Nick led Federated Farmers' work on economic policy, including on fiscal policy, tax policy, monetary policy, banking policy, competition policy, and overseas investment policy.
He also worked extensively on local government policy issues and has been the administrator of the Local Government Business Forum, a grouping of national business organisations with an interest in local government policy issues.
Last week I received my rates invoice from Christchurch City Council. To my dismay, I learnt that my rates for the city council and regional council combined have increased by 11%. Read more
This week, Stuff reported on a story that seemed so absurd, it caught our attention: the idea to fence a pool on a remote island, just meters away from the Pacific Ocean. On Motukawaiti Island, 3.5km off Northland’s coast, authorities have mandated that a small swimming pool be enclosed. Read more
Another step towards much-needed reform of New Zealand's resource management laws is underway, in the form of a Bill to restore balance and streamline processes. The Resource Management Act (RMA) and associated regulations have become a serious handbrake on the economy. Read more
On Monday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon released his government’s 40-point policy action plan for the next three months. Perhaps the most important, but also the most controversial, item on his ‘to-do list’ is reform of the Resource Management Act (RMA). Read more
1.1 This submission on the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. In combination, our members employ more than 150,000 people. Read more
In this podcast, Nick and Eric talk to Sam Broughton and Simon Randall from Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) about the potential for implementing city and regional deals in New Zealand - formal long-term partnerships between central and local government to better plan and fund local infrastructure and economic development. They explore the benefits such deals could provide, like aligning incentives, enabling tailored local policies, and sharing gains, while also examining the political barriers that need to be overcome. Read more
New Zealand is heavily centralised. This stifles local initiative and contributes to sluggish productivity and anaemic economic growth. Read more
This report, "City and regional deals", draws on the Initiative's extensive work on localism and international best practices to explore how partnerships between central and local government can empower communities to tackle their unique challenges and seize opportunities for growth. "For too long, our councils have borne the costs of growth while the benefits flow almost entirely to central government in Wellington," says Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director of the New Zealand Initiative. Read more
Wellington (Tuesday, 28 May 2024) - New research from The New Zealand Initiative suggests city and regional deals could be a key to unlocking New Zealand's economic potential and boosting living standards across the country. The research note, "City and regional deals", draws on the Initiative's previous work on localism and international best practices to explore how partnerships between central and local government can empower communities to tackle their unique challenges and seize opportunities for growth. Read more
While instant gratification reigns supreme and attention spans are shorter than a Tik-Tok video, the grand old game of test cricket finds itself, like the New Zealand economy, on a sticky wicket. The rise of T20, with its frenetic pace, flashy uniforms, and pyrotechnic displays has left the traditional five-day format looking as outdated as a record player. Read more
New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit of at least $100 billion, a huge amount for a small country and a significant drag on productivity and economic growth. Not all of this can be financed from within New Zealand, meaning a need for overseas investment. Read more
1.1 This submission, in response to the Controller and Auditor-General’s report Making Infrastructure Investment Decisions Quickly (2023), is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative). The Initiative is a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit of at least $100 billion, a significant drag on productivity and economic growth. Not all this deficit can be financed from within New Zealand, meaning we will need overseas investment. Read more
In this podcast episode, Oliver and Nick discuss their recent report on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for New Zealand. They caution that while BRI investments could potentially help fund New Zealand's large infrastructure deficit, the country needs to be very careful about engagement to avoid becoming locked into China's geopolitical sphere of influence. Read more
The New Zealand Initiative today released a research note highlighting the potential pitfalls of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its implications for New Zealand's foreign policy independence and infrastructure development. In the report, Belt and Road Initiative - Implications for New Zealand, authors Nick Clark and Dr Oliver Hartwich explore the BRI's origins, objectives, and recent developments. Read more