1+ hour, 31+ min ago  (482+ words) Aucklanders are being asked to have their say on this year's annual plan, which comes with a hefty 7.9% rates increase to fund the running costs of the City Rail Link. The increase will mainly cover the annual $235million bill for interest…...

2+ hour, 25+ min ago  (304+ words) If this is still going on in two or three weeks, lots of countries, including ours, will start to feel the pinch." Brent Crude Futures topped out at $85 a barrel overnight, the highest price since 2024. JP Morgan says it could…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago  (528+ words) Flat whites should cost $10.50 " but if customers would rather drink banana bread lattes, then cafes must evolve to survive, says an outspoken Wellington coffee roaster. Richard Corney, managing director of Flight Coffee, says while coffee commodity prices have dropped from…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago  (156+ words) Martin Cooper: Westpac picks 6 OCR hikes'Newstalk ZB Follow the podcast on Westpac's economists are picking 6 consecutive OCR hikes from December - they're forecasting that it will hit 4% by the end of next year. The OCR dropped to 2.25% just before Christmas, which…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago  (82+ words) The Prime Minister remains hopeful for a fall in unemployment this year. Unemployment's reached a 10 year high of 5.4% - with Auckland's unemployment rate rising again to 6.4%. Job numbers have increased, but that's been offset by more people joining or re-joining the…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago  (331+ words) I was having a good old debate with a mate at the weekend about interest rates." We're of the age where, mortgages are a thing." In Auckland, quote a bog and annoying thing." Paying them down is the aim of…...

1+ mon, 6+ day ago  (78+ words) Economists are expecting the Official Cash Rate to rise sooner rather than later, flattening forecasts for the property market." Cotality's latest report shows almost three quarters of local respondents expect house prices to rise this year. " Meanwhile, ANZ's slashed its…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago  (77+ words) The Official Cash Rate is expected to rise this year, although forecasters say predicting when is tricky. Inflation was stronger in the December quarter than expected, at 3.1 percent. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen is picking a hike in November - with…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago  (105+ words) "Rate hikes are likelier than not": ANZ Chief Economist comments on rise in inflation rates'Newstalk ZB An expectation the official cash rate will be held steady as inflation is higher than expected. Inflation's clocked in at 3.1 percent which means its…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago  (94+ words) New drug data shows a fall in the cost of methamphetamine seems to relate to increased consumption. The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey reveals a gram cost about $334 last year - compared to $563 in 2017." Over the same period, the proportion of…...