Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced yesterday the banning of letting fees. It was a seemingly welcome move, however some organisations have criticised it arguing there is economic reasoning for the fee. Jenn spoke to Angela Maynard, Coordinator of the Tenants’ Protection Association Auckland, on what letting fees are, why they were introduced and the effects on tenants and property management. She first asked; What is the association's stance on the ban?
Oto talked to Aliya, a former member of the NiceGoblins collective who now works as a filmmaker in Jakarta, Indonesia, about their creative process and their experiences working as an Asian creative in Aotearoa.
The government said it is planning to reduce merchant service fees for small businesses, which is a fee that banks charge for every transaction made on contactless debit and credit cards.
This week for our regular segment with the Green Party, Jemima spoke to Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson about the government's recent letting fee ban. They discussed what the Green Party thinks of the new legislation, the concern that a ban on letting fees could lead to a further increase in rent and what the Green Party wants to do to address increasing rent in New Zealand. They also discussed whether New Zealand should commit to the International Declaration on Biodiversity to protect the planet's ecosystems and human life itself.
Sherry continues her report on Banter Gebang, South East Asia’s largest landfill and home to 3,000 families. She visit the landfill as part of her journalism placement in Indonesia, Jakarta over the summer. This week, she talks to Resa Boenard, the founder of BGBJ, the school on Bantar Gebang. Ibu Rastinah, one of the women who work at the plastic sorting companies on the landfill, and the children of the class she helped out with.
Ron Gallipoli and Billie Fee are in the studio to talk about An Imposter, a song cycle and a melodrama opening at Basement Theatre tomorrow evening. Whakarongo mai nei!
Last week Transport minister Chris Bishop announced steps towards improvements to public transport from the Northwest of Auckland. The plan involves three stages, each promoting faster and more consistent public transport from the region. While early stages are planned for the next few years, later stages will be coming over the next ten or more years.
The government has also announced $53 million towards subsidising teachers registration fees. This announcement follows extensive campaigning from teachers on this issue, eliminating a barrier for new and long-time teachers in Aotearoa.
In our weekly catchup with National’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, starting with the transport upgrades in Northwest Auckland.
The government also announced increased visa application fees, some of them now more than double the previous cost. The government says this change will make Immigration NZ entirely self-sufficient, no longer at any cost to the taxpayer.
However, the projected gain from this fee increase is four times as much as Immigration NZ currently spends annually. While the increased funding is expected to be reinvested in improving services, the actual impact or allocation is currently unknown.
Additionally, increased fees may deter potential applicants and increase costs to businesses looking to hire employees from overseas. The change may therefore reduce the number of overseas teachers and healthcare professionals, among other jobs.
Wire host Castor spoke to CEO of immigration advisory group Aims and chair of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment, Arunima Dhingra, about the changes and their impact on immigration.
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