Infometrics January newsletter
January 2018
NEWSLETTER
The Infometrics Team wishes you a happy and prosperous 2018!
In Gareth Kiernan’s annual “From the beach” article, he takes a look at the year ahead and what we can expect in seven areas of major policy shifts by the Labour-led government.
Kelvin Davidson examines a case study of the South Wairarapa, using Infometrics’ recently compiled Economic Prosperity Indices (EPIs) for local authorities.
For those of you in the market for an electric vehicle in 2018, Mieke Welvaert offers some useful insights into what you can expect.
Brad Olsen and Shaun Twaddle team up to investigate the government’s fees-free policy and whether it is the strategy that New Zealand needs to future-proof it’s skills needs.
From the beach 2018
This year is shaping up to be one of change for the New Zealand economy. Our annual dispatch From the Beach for 2018 concentrates on seven major areas of policy shift and how much change the Labour-led government might achieve in the next 12 months.
How prosperous are South Wairarapa’s main towns?
An Economic Prosperity Index (EPI) is an increasingly common tool for assessing regional living standards and is a complementary indicator to GDP growth. This article provides a case study for South Wairarapa, measuring prosperity in its three main towns: Greytown, Martinborough and Featherston. The analysis reveals some challenges that policymakers will need to face, including low skill levels in Featherston and the ageing population in Greytown.
Do you want to buy an electric car?
The time has come when buying an electric vehicle might be cheaper than getting a petrol car. This article addresses ten questions you might ask about electric vehicles.
Education 101: It’s time for a plan
The holidays are over, NCEA results are out, and school leavers are finalising their plans for the coming year – including for tertiary education. In this article, we argue that there’s more to be done in the tertiary sector than simply providing one year’s free tertiary education. We outline that the Government’s problem definition for fees-free misses the mark. Although there is scope to improve the effectiveness of the policy, we argue a national skills strategy should be next on the government’s list.