To meet international guidelines, New Zealand needs to double the workforce that supports people with diabetes. Unless that happens, newly-funded health technologies won’t get to those most in need.
Geoff Bertram, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Despite interest rates coming down, New Zealand’s economy is being pushed further into recession by government austerity measures. Basic macro-economic analysis shows why.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The proposed Future Fund is right on the money given New Zealand’s needs. But the three-year electoral cycle and lack of cross-party agreement could see it become just another political football.
Big banks increasingly use artificial intelligence in their investment decisions and software. But new research shows many people are still distrustful when it comes to technology and their money.
Lynzi Armstrong, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand decriminalised sex work in 2003. But according to new research, it risks falling behind other countries unless lingering difficulties for sex workers are addressed.
Richard Shaw, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
The tail wagging the dog is a risk in any coalition arrangement. But with two tails wagging vigorously, the National-led government is testing the limits of consensus and policy coherence.
Alex Beattie, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; John Kerr, University of Otago y Richard Arnold, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand’s news avoidance rates are higher than in any other surveyed country. Mood, political orientation and perceptions of sensationalism or bias all play a role.
William Cheung, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau y Edward Yiu, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The lack of transparency in automated property valuations is worrying for anyone involved in the real estate industry. But our new framework audits the AI-generated results.
New research shows the last big earthquake on the Alpine Fault ran from south to north. With a 75% chance of another rupture in the next 50 years, this improves how we can forecast its impact.
Māori and Pacific women are particularly disadvantaged by the BMI limit on access to public fertility treatment. Research shows Polynesians are much leaner than Europeans at significantly higher BMIs.
Integrating biogas, heat and floating solar panels on wastewater ponds could generate enough electricity to supply about 27% of households with renewable energy.
The predicted range of future warming remains stubbornly wide. But trying to land on a precise number diverts effort and attention from the climate impacts we’re already seeing.
Damage from the loss of a New Zealand naval ship in Samoa can be limited if salvage and cleanup crews move fast. But the depth at which the ship now lies will be a challenge.
Holly Thorpe, University of Waikato; Fiona Langridge, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; George Laking, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau y Judith McCool, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Health and wellbeing are greatly affected by extreme weather events. New research into how people and systems responded after Cyclone Gabrielle shows how we can react better to future emergencies.
Compared to countries we might benchmark against, New Zealand ranks poorly for inequality and the redistributive measures that would fix it. But other countries have shown it is possible to change.
Antje Fiedler, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau y Benjamin Fath, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis was hard. But today’s ‘long squeeze’ could be even harder for small business owners, as consumer spending and survival options diminish.
New Zealanders have less choice over their grocery shop than consumers in most developed countries. Breaking up the existing supermarket conglomerates would be a next logical step.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University