Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Why does an urban section cost $200K plus???

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Posted as a Stuff comment to a David Killick article. This is something the Productivity Commission noted in their Housing Affordability ...
Thursday, July 24, 2014

Councils and Consents

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The issue with consents is quite simple:  there is zero risk-assessment in the process, the way Councils run them.  Schedule 1 IS risk-based...
Thursday, July 17, 2014

Another cold-eyed but well-argued Spengler piece

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In this magisterial article , David P Goldman argues that America has bungled everything for a decade-and-a-half, and is frankly now incapab...
Friday, April 25, 2014

CBD rebuild stall - blamed on Private Developers!

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There are two very fundamental reasons why the commercial rebuild of the Christchurch CBD has not occurred. 1 - the precincts idea and th...
Friday, March 07, 2014

Mike Greer and Spanbuild to do Factory House Builds

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Great news. Factory builds are tighter, more accurate, use CNC machines instead of drug-addled hammer hands, and are manufactured under cov...
Friday, February 28, 2014

MUL's, RUB's, Zones and other Unearned Capital Gain drivers

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The thing the Clueless Councils have never twigged to, is the economic effect of a zoning squiggle on a map. The Productivity Commission F...
Thursday, February 27, 2014

Roads, Cars, Tiwai and EV's: a Singularity approaches?

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I'm always amused by the antics of the anti-roads brigade.  My initial reaction is simple:  don't these clowns realise that public t...
Wednesday, February 19, 2014

The stock reply to the Unaffordable Houses threads everywhere...

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So, go convince your local Clueless Council not to do the two things that have done most to make houses unaffordable: 1 - draw zoning squigg...
Wednesday, February 05, 2014

The Christchurch rebuild.

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Can Cera handle the Christchurch rebuild? The rebuild has already happened in commercial terms. The New CBD (the Sydenham/Addington/Midd...
Monday, January 13, 2014

Families determine academic progress, and lifetime earning capacity

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In a single, well-referenced article , George Will nails the causes of inequality. Families.  And, to a lesser but still significant exten...
Sunday, January 05, 2014

The Christchurch CBD Precincts

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The road to hell is paved by Good Intentions (not an original thought) but let's count some of these 'intentions'. - Commerce ...
Friday, December 13, 2013

Four Thoughts re First Homes

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The interlocked factors (I ranted aboot this yesterday here) are just too hard to tackle, even individually. One alternative (which may hap...
Thursday, December 12, 2013

Hoose prices.

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There is a Gordian knot here: a myriad of interlocking and mutually reinforcing factors. No use tackling any one alone. Zoning which b...
Sunday, December 08, 2013

Popery

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The Pope has ruffled a few feathers.... Many of the more history-aware readers of the early capitalists (Smith, Ricardo etc) have pointed...
Wednesday, September 11, 2013

RMA Reform?

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Amy Adams makes a key point: "When the RMA becomes the basis on which Councils look to • Take their own stance on national laws they d...
Tuesday, September 10, 2013

ACC Deputy Mayor on the Housing Accord

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“I’m very comfortable that we haven’t started to bleed out into the countryside.” Ms Henny Pulse, chair of the Auckland First Unionaterise...
Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Commissioners to administer challenges to TLA Development Contributions.. Egads, Transparency and Appeals. Will the madness Evah stop?

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The Left Honourable President-for-life of the Union of Local Gubmint Drones, Larry Fool, has slammed the introduction of Commissioners for t...
Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Local Gubmint receives another planning shock: complulsory 30-year asset horizons

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The Left Honourable President-for-life of the Union of Local Gubmint Drones, Larry Fool, has slammed the new 30-year planning horizon to be ...
Sunday, August 18, 2013

Development Contributions to be limited

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Transcription of Lawrence Yules' (Chair, Local Gubmnint Apologists' Association) remarks (remember I did predict wailing and gnashin...
Sunday, June 23, 2013

New Christchurch International Convention, Gambling and Pleasure Centre Announced

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Sir Very Clownley, ably flanked by Dodger Button with Hob Carker bringing up the rear of the entourage, today swept into town to announce th...