Cost-effectiveness Review of Tobacco Regulation In pursuit of the Smokefree 2025 Goal, the recently legislated Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 made three significant changes to tobacco regulation in New Zealand: decreasing the number of smoked tobacco retailers by over 90%; reducing the [...]
Ports: what role for mixed ownership? The great majority of the international published and peer reviewed empirical literature finds that a degree of private ownership tends to improve firms’ performance on average and over time. Key reasons are that the incentives and ability to monitor 100% government-owned [...]
Phil Barry on RNZ on heritage housing – March 22
Senior Analyst and Analyst TDB Advisory is currently hiring for two positions for our Wellington office. Applications for both positions close on Friday December 9, with the start date being early 2023. Do you want to work in a dynamic and stimulating team environment in a boutique advisory [...]
Livestock Export Ban – the Wellbeing Impacts In 2021/22, around 150,000 livestock were exported by sea, with a total value of $382m. All livestock exports by sea were cattle to China, largely for new dairy farms. Under the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, this trade will cease. The Bill [...]
Market Power The Commerce Amendment Act 2022 has changed the rules of the game when it comes to the misuse of market power in the New Zealand economy. From April 2023, firms with substantial market power may not act in a way that substantially lessens competition in [...]
Councils’ heritage policies In a recent report for the Voluntary Heritage Group, TDB analysed the policies and practices of all 67 district councils in relation to heritage properties – including for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (HNZPT) and non-HNZPT heritage-listed sites. We explored for each district council: [...]
Financial harm to kiwifruit growers In a report for Zespri, TDB estimated the financial impact that the Environmental Protection Authority’s proposal to end the use of Hydrogen Cyanamide would have on individual New Zealand kiwifruit growers. Our analysis uses orchard production information (e.g., hectares of different fruit [...]
Fonterra's Capital Restructuring When Fonterra was formed under its own special legislation, the government sought to level the playing field for competitors and expose Fonterra to pressures to perform. Constraints were placed on the mega co-op, many of which have since been removed or relaxed. Fonterra is [...]
How are the Government’s Commercial Businesses Faring? Currently, the government owns or part-owns eighteen large commercial businesses with combined assets totalling $78 billion. These businesses include three electricity generator/retailers, an airline, a post/courier company, a bank and minority stakes in three airports amongst other enterprises. Together these [...]