AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 11, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown have signed a landmark Auckland City Deal, marking New Zealand’s first city deal and a new era of long-term partnership between Auckland and central Government. 

The Deal sets out how Government and Auckland Council will work together to unlock our biggest city’s potential, boosting economic growth and improving living standards across New Zealand. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Auckland has huge potential for growth that the whole country can benefit from.

“Auckland is New Zealand’s economic engine room. This Deal is about getting that engine room firing on all cylinders so that we can lift incomes, create more jobs and make Auckland, and therefore New Zealand, more prosperous.”

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says it’s another major win for Auckland.

“This is a new way of working that establishes shared accountability, recognising the size and significance of Auckland – we are more like an Australian state than any other local authority in New Zealand,” says Mayor Brown.

“The Deal better reflects Auckland’s contribution to the national economy. It’s clear; when Auckland does well, New Zealand does well.”

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says exciting things are already happening in Auckland and the Auckland City Deal will keep the momentum going.

“The new world-class convention centre is now up and running, we are liberalising Eden Park’s planning rules so it can host more concerts and events, and we are launching an investigation into planning rules holding Auckland’s CBD back. 

“When it comes to infrastructure, the Central Interceptor Project will be finished this year, the third main line separating freight from passenger rail is now open, funding has been confirmed to complete the Eastern Busway, the line to Pukekohe has been electrified, and the City Rail Link will open later this year.

“On top of this, eight projects in Auckland have been granted consent under our Fast-Track legislation representing thousands of jobs and billions in investment.”

The Government already has a range of tools and groups that interact with local government, such as NZTA co-funding for local roads, Urban Growth Partnerships and Crown funding for significant projects. 

“So, this Deal isn’t about reinventing the wheel and creating another layer of bureaucracy. It’s about coordinating across Government into one place so that it’s easier to work together and invest together to get stuff done. The new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport will play a key role here.”

Key commitments of the Auckland City Deal include:

• Establishing a long-term partnership between Government and Auckland Council, including regular meetings between the Prime Minister, Ministers and the Mayor. There will also be a senior official from both Government and Council who will be accountable for delivering on the Deal.
• Reviewing Eden Park’s ownership and operating model, recognising Eden Park as the national stadium, and contributing $5 million each toward relocating Auckland Cricket to Colin Maiden Park.
• Investing in the redevelopment and roofing of the Auckland Tennis Centre to support international events.
• Developing a strategy for innovation precincts in areas such as the Fisher and Paykel precinct and around University of Auckland’s flagship innovation centre in Newmarket (including MedTech-iQ); and strengthening Auckland’s global trade and investment links.
• Jointly developing a destination and major events strategy to grow tourism, events, and hospitality in Auckland.
• Establishing a coordinated 30-year transport strategy for Auckland, with priority projects reflected in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2027 including the North-West Rapid Transit project, Botany to Airport public transport, Mill Road, and CRL level crossings.
• Working together on the additional Waitematā Harbour crossing project, time-of-use charging, and more efficient transport network management.
• Introducing a new Crown uplift funding tool for mutually-agreed, high-priority projects. The Crown will consider contributing funding for projects where the Council raises new funding significantly above current Long-Term Plan and BAU funding levels (e.g., from council asset recycling or targeted rates).
• Working together on Predator Free 2050, Pest-Free Auckland, the Auckland Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy, and restoring the biodiversity of the Hauraki Gulf.

Mr Bishop says Deal highlights four particular growth areas where the Government and Council will work together to drive jobs and growth.

“In Drury, Government and Council will work with private developers on coordinated infrastructure planning to support major housing growth, including new schools and a hospital alongside local infrastructure investment.

“In the Maungawhau–Kingsland–Morningside corridor, Government and Council will collaborate on zoning changes, infrastructure planning and urban development opportunities associated with the CRL.

“In the city centre, a revitalisation plan will open up opportunities for housing and business growth, including further residential upzoning and a potential new primary school.

“At the Airport, Government and Council will work with Auckland Airport on a plan to improve surface access to this major trade, freight and employment hub.”

Mayor Brown agrees integrated planning alongside transport is vital.

“We must build where we have already invested significantly in infrastructure, and not in flood plains. We must provide housing near where people work.

“We can’t just build anywhere a developer wants to build. The Council has been clear greenfields developments are costly and don’t pay for growth, so I’m pleased we will be able to work with the Government to determine where growth makes the most sense, through the Regional Spatial Plan.”

Local Government and Auckland Minister Simon Watts says the Deal sets a new standard for collaboration between central and local government in New Zealand. 

“This is about long-term certainty and better delivery. By aligning our long‑term planning and focusing on the fundamentals – transport, housing, innovation and skills – we are building the foundations for a stronger, more prosperous Auckland. 

“The Deal enhances Auckland Council’s funding and financing tools rather than creating open-ended new spending.”

The Auckland City Deal establishes the model for future agreements with other regions, with work underway on two further Deals in 2026, in line with the National-ACT Coalition Agreement to institute long-term city and regional infrastructure deals, allowing PPPs, tolling and value-capture rating to fund infrastructure.

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation which strengthens trespass laws to make them more effective and practical for businesses has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“This government is committed to fixing the basics in law and order, and building a future where all New Zealanders can feel safe in their communities. One basic function that needs fixing, is the ability for a business owner to trespass somebody and stop them from returning.

 “The Trespass Act is not working effectively in a modern-day urban retail environment. Retailers are rightly very concerned about offenders engaging in criminal behaviour such as theft, and then just returning with impunity to do it all over again.

“These laws have remained virtually unchanged since the 1980s, when its focus was the removal of people from places like farms and private dwellings. They do not work for areas where the public freely enters, such as malls, busy shops, dairies and supermarkets. This legislation changes that.”

The Bill amends the Trespass Act by:

Increasing the maximum trespass period from two years to three years.
Allow businesses, such as franchises, to trespass individuals from multiple locations.
Increase the maximum fine for anyone refusing to leave when asked, or returning when trespassed from $1,000 to $2,000.
Increase the maximum fine for anyone refusing to give their name and address when requested, or giving false information, from $500 to $1,000.

The Bill will also close a loophole where people can avoid being trespassed by threatening the occupier, or simply walking away before they can be informed.

Under the Bill, a person will be ‘deemed’ to know they have been trespassed in retail and hospitality spaces, when the occupier has clear evidence of an attempt being made.

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Source: Green Party

The Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure emergency housing is available to all people experiencing homelessness this weekend as Cyclone Vaianu approaches the North Island.

“Luxon is telling everyone to stock up and prepare to stick out this storm at home. What does that mean for the people he has made homeless?” says Green Party Co-leader and Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick.

“The Government must choose to ensure everybody who needs it gets access to emergency housing this weekend, or they are choosing to leave New Zealanders on the street during what they’ve warned is a potentially ‘life-threatening’ event.” 

“As an indication of how crazy the current system is, Aucklanders displaced from their homes during the Anniversary Floods got rehoming support, but that resource was not available for those already displaced and without homes. We cannot let that happen again.” 

“This is a political choice. We can choose to ensure everyone is safe at home through this climate-change-charged extreme weather, and we are asking the Government to step up to that responsibility,” says Swarbrick

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Solar advocates, electricians and consumer campaigners are among those calling on the government to ditch its plans for an LNG import terminal and consider other options.

The Sustainable Energy Association and six other organisations, including the Green Building Council, Master Electricians, and Consumer NZ, have joined together to present an alternative proposal to deal with the country’s winter energy problem.

The new Smart Energy Alliance says that includes rapidly rolling out rooftop solar, moving domestic users off gas, and better managing the country’s hydro lakes.

The government announced in February it would proceed with plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in Taranaki, with whole-of-life costs spread across all electricity users through a levy.

The proposal, widely criticised at the time, has attracted renewed opposition after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted the price of fossil fuels – including LNG – to spike.

Gentailer chief executives were the latest to express doubts at the energy sector’s conference last week.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said in a statement last month that the LNG terminal was selected from a shortlist of five options that it considered “timely, feasible and of sufficient scale to meet dry year needs”.

It would also be beneficial to major industrial gas users, who had been forced to limit production or shut up shop altogether in recent years as domestic gas supply dwindled, the ministry said.

It said rooftop solar would support energy resilience in the longer term, but ruled it out as an immediate solution to the dry-year risk.

A Cabinet paper said distributed solar would not supply enough additional energy during winter, when the country was most likely to experience an energy shortage.

The options the ministry seriously considered – including more diesel and coal generation – were all capable of generating 1.5 terawatt hours of generation, no matter the weather, and could be deployed with a few years.

Smart Energy Alliance spokesperson Gareth Williams said the organisation did not accept the argument that solar was incapable of supporting the dry-year risk.

“It’s correct that solar isn’t the greatest resource in winter, but the modelling that we’ve done… shows that solar is really useful in terms of dry-year because it enables the [hydro] lakes to go into autumn and winter much fuller than they do currently,” he said.

“It was a very bold statement that it’s not relevant.”

What the country really needed was for politicians to agree on a cross-party energy strategy that properly weighed up all the options, Williams said.

“This constant change as to what we’re looking to do through every election cycle is just not going to lead to a good outcome.”

However, distributed rooftop solar was among the obvious solutions that should be rolled out straight away, he said.

Countries as diverse as Australia, Hungary and Pakistan have achieved massive uptake of rooftop solar and battery installations within a few years of rolling out government incentives.

A truly meaningful roll-out here would also need financial incentives.

“[Low-cost] financing by itself has some impact but the real acceleration comes when there’s some kind of rebate,” he said.

“Once it’s moving it has its own momentum and you don’t need [incentives] anymore.”

While solar capacity was built up, coal – which was already in the country – was capable of filling the gap that LNG would otherwise close.

“There is sufficient back-up from the Huntly power station using coal,” Williams said.

“Clearly we don’t want that to be the long-term solution… but as a temporary stop-gap for the next three or four years until those other projects can be accelerated, then we’re perfectly covered.”

Incentives could be particularly targeted at domestic gas users – which would have the additional benefit of saving limited gas supply for major industrial users who had limited alternatives, he said.

“The modelling we did looked for that 2TWh of additional generation, and we modelled it by reducing the amount of gas that was being used for electricity generation down to 45 percent of what it has been over the last three years.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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Source: Media Outreach

• Asia Pacific holds the largest share of ranked markets on the Index for the first time in more than a decade, claiming 10 out of 25 spots.
• Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea and India see leaps in ranking as Thailand and Malaysia re-enter the top 25.
• Technological and innovation capabilities emerges as the most important factor shaping investment decisions.
• Industrial policy is now critical in investment decisions, with 84 percent of investors citing it as extremely or very important.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 April 2026 – Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council today released the 2026 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index (FDICI), an annual survey of global business executives that ranks markets most likely to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) over the next three years. The 2026 Index sees Asia Pacific (APAC) claiming the largest share of the ranked markets (10 out of 25) for the first time in more than a decade, amid a global investment environment shaped by intensifying geopolitical tensions, expanding industrial policy, and accelerating technological competition.

The survey, conducted in January 2026 among more than 500 senior executives from leading corporations worldwide, shows that companies remain committed to international investment despite mounting uncertainty. Eighty-eight percent of respondents say they plan to increase foreign direct investment over the next three years, signaling sustained confidence in long-term global opportunities.

The United States and Canada retain their first and second positions on the Index. Japan rises to third, and China (including Hong Kong) climbs to fourth. Singapore (8^th), South Korea (11^th) and India (22^nd) post gains as Thailand (20^th) and Malaysia (21^st) re-enter the top 25 list after three and 12 years respectively— reflecting a strong showing from APAC.

“The APAC region emerges as a winner as investors recalibrate how they make decisions in a more turbulent operating environment,” said Shigeru Sekinada, Region Chair, Asia Pacific at Kearney. “The technological capability, economic growth potential, and geopolitical relevance offered by the top-ranking APAC markets make them choice FDI destinations among a business community that is both actively pursuing emerging opportunities and attentive to mounting complexities and risks.”

Middle powers and emerging markets attract renewed investor interest

Most APAC markets in the top 25 list saw improvements in rankings, but none as remarkable as Singapore, which rose from 15^th to 8^th place. This leap can be attributed to the city-state’s reputation as a hub for R&D and innovation, supported by tax incentives, research grants, and partnerships. One third (34 percent) of investors in the survey cite Singapore’s technological innovation as the strongest reason to invest there, followed by its economic performance (30 percent), driven by expansions in biomedical manufacturing and electronics, and sustained AI-driven semiconductor and server related growth.

Singapore’s significant gain in this year’s Index, alongside those of markets like Saudi Arabia, reflects the rise of “middle powers”—markets that are neither great powers nor small states but still exercise meaningful influence in international politics and generally abide by global rules and norms.

Meanwhile, emerging markets remain dynamic and increasingly interconnected with global investment flows. China ranks as the top market on the Emerging Markets Index for the third consecutive year. Thailand and Malaysia (6^th and 7^th on the Emerging Markets Index) post some of the largest gains in the rankings while Vietnam (16^th) rises three spots.Investor sentiment toward emerging markets has improved modestly year over year, suggesting that companies are increasingly looking beyond traditional investment hubs as they expand supply chains and pursue growth opportunities across a broader set of emerging markets.

Innovation drives investment decisions

Technological and innovation capabilities rank as the most important factor influencing where companies choose to invest, surpassing traditional considerations such as regulatory efficiency and domestic economic performance. As investment in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and data-driven technologies accelerates worldwide, markets with strong innovation ecosystems are increasingly viewed as the most attractive destinations for long-term investment.

Investors cite technological innovation as the strongest or tied strongest reason to invest in 10 of the 25 markets on the Index, including Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan (China).

Geopolitical risk and industrial policy reshape the investment landscape

Executives remain alert to rising global risks even as investment intentions remain strong. Geopolitical tensions rank as the most likely development over the next year (36 percent), followed by commodity price increases and political instability in developed markets (30 percent).

“Geopolitical instability and rising commodity prices have proven to be major factors impacting global business this year, as reflected in the current Middle East conflict. Supply chain resilience, diversification of energy sources and government policies will be crucial for markets to maintain their attractiveness in the eyes of investors in the medium term,” said Sekinada.

At the same time, industrial policy is playing an increasingly central role in shaping investment decisions. According to the survey, 84 percent of investors globally say industrial policy is extremely or very important in determining where they invest, and 57 percent believe it has a positive impact on their company’s business performance. APAC investors show strong support for infrastructure development and subsidies as the most effective industrial policy tools, with 88 percent of investors in the region viewing infrastructure-focused industrial policy as favorable, and 80 percent saying the same for subsidies.

About the 2026 Kearney FDI Confidence Index®

The 2026 Kearney FDI Confidence Index^® is constructed using primary data from a proprietary survey of 507 senior executives of the world’s leading corporations. The survey was conducted in January 2026. Respondents include C-level executives and regional and business leaders. All participating companies have annual revenues of $500 million or more. The companies are headquartered in 30 countries and span all sectors.

The Index is calculated as a weighted average of the number of high, medium, and low responses to questions on the likelihood of making a direct investment in a select market over the next three years.

Index values are based on responses only from companies headquartered in foreign markets. For example, the Index value for the United States was calculated without responses from US-headquartered investors. Higher Index values indicate more attractive investment targets.

All economic growth figures presented in the report are the latest estimates and forecasts available from Oxford Economics unless otherwise noted. Other secondary sources include investment promotion agencies, central banks, ministries of finance and trade, relevant news media, and other major data sources.

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.