New Zealand (NZ) stories
New Zealand’s wage subsidy extension and infrastructure spending are meant to blunt soaring unemployment as the economy heads into recession.
Businesses must review hygiene, distancing and contact-tracing controls as thousands return to work under Alert Level 2.
New distancing and travel rules aim to help builders restart safely under Level 2, with updated protocols now available online.
Queenstown looks most exposed, with tourism reliance and Airbnb saturation making its property market vulnerable to a COVID-19 downturn.
A slump in private development could let ministers add 9,400 state houses, easing a record waiting list and propping up builders.
Recognition of waste-to-energy plants as essential has sharpened focus on their role in safely treating infectious rubbish during the pandemic.
New Zealand commercial rents and capital values are expected to keep falling as occupiers and investors stay cautious amid coronavirus uncertainty.
A Singapore research project is warning against over-optimism as its Covid predictions remain uncertain and meant only for educational use.
Temporary changes to resource consenting could speed up Covid-19 recovery projects, though councils warn wider planning reforms must follow.
Easing loan-to-value rules is only part of the fix, with commercial landlords warning wider support is needed to prevent a deeper downturn.
Employees need honest check-ins and flexible expectations as managers navigate remote work, mental health strain and constant uncertainty.
Access to cheaper medicinal cannabis for thousands of patients is expected to grow as licence applications are now under way.
New safety rules will let building sites reopen under Alert Level 3, helping protect workers and avoid a return to stricter lockdowns.
Small firms face months of cashflow pain as the wages subsidy runs thin and landlords and utilities keep billing during lockdown.
WorkSafe New Zealand says Level 3 firms must set out how they will protect staff and visitors, or face enforcement action.
Landlords face stricter eviction rules during the lockdown, as tenants must be 60 days in arrears before Tribunal action can begin.
Construction firms now have detailed COVID-19 rules to resume work under Alert Level 3, aiming to protect workers and avoid a return to lockdown.
First-home buyers could face lower deposit hurdles as the Reserve Bank weighs scrapping mortgage loan-to-value rules for a year.
Workers returning to sites after lockdown face added risks from inactivity, mental strain and social distancing, says NZISM President Greg Dearsly.
Retailers, couriers and cafes could see demand rebound sharply, with most New Zealand adults expecting to return once restrictions ease.
