Michael Andrew 
After a long struggle, the Environment Court has finally ruled that the ouvea premix stored across Southland will be removed by May 2021. Michael Andrew spoke to those involved in the campaign. The Paper Mill is part of Frame, a series of short, standalone documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. Made with support from … Read more
All you need to know about the government’s latest support package for businesses and sole traders affected by the rise in alert levels. What’s all this then? In response to the current – and possibly future – increases in alert levels, the government has introduced a financial support package for affected businesses. Called the Resurgence … Read more
My Food Bag has been the poster child of the ever-popular meal-kit game since it first began trading in 2013. Now that it’s heading to the stock market, investors are lining up to get in on the action. What’s all this then? New Zealand’s longest-running meal kit delivery company, My Food Bag, has been in … Read more
If you live in Auckland and your work is closed due to level three restrictions, and you can’t work from home, here’s what you need to know. Three days is a long time to go without trade for most businesses. For a few of them with low margins, it could spell a knockout blow. Because … Read more
The housing market monster continues to grow, causing panic and rapture, depending on who you are. Michael Andrew highlights some of the most vexing stats. It was supposed to be a quiet summer – the lazy, festive period that would typically see the masses forgoing open homes for the open road, and property investors taking … Read more
The recent GameStop frenzy showed how much US retail investors are prepared to lose to make Wall St burn. But are New Zealand investors motivated by the same activist zeal? Michael Andrew asked the founders of Hatch and Sharesies. There are many things in life that are very easy to dislike. For some people in … Read more
Houses might be the most popular and inflated purchases in New Zealand, but there are plenty of other products that are seeing soaring demand and prices over the past few months. Here’s a list of what New Zealanders are spending their money on with international travel out of the picture. Used cars (including vans) In … Read more
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing. Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it was the New Zealand-American … Read more
On the East Coast, a group of Māori-owned enterprises is innovating to create new revenue streams while doing what they love. New Zealand’s remote and sparsely populated regions are typically not the best places to create thriving brick-and-mortar businesses. In small communities miles away from any major centres, there are so many factors that can … Read more
Summer reissue: Claims that cherry pickers can pull in $400 a day should have all of us packing our bags and heading south. But is orchard work really that lucrative? First published November 27 2020 Every year, as a crisp and blissful summer thaws the South Island out of its languor, students at the University … Read more
Summer reissue: A definitive answer to a burning question: what is the best gluten-free bread of them all? First published October 21 2020 Outside of coeliac circles, not many people know that gluten-free bread is actually better than regular bread. It’s true.* After years of fastidious experimentation and perfecting, gluten-free bakers have now produced a … Read more
Summer reissue: The story of how a leisurely bike ride around Hawke’s Bay turned into a one-man rampage against perceived corporate privilege. First published October 24 2020 In the early hours of October 10, in a motel in Napier South, Ian Swney, 62, was struggling to sleep. A semi-retired kindergarten teacher, he’d travelled to Napier … Read more
As 2020 draws to a close, Michael Andrew asks the economists what they made of a year of dire forecasts, record spikes, lockdowns, recessions and resilience. It’s April 2020, New Zealand is in the middle of the nationwide level four lockdown, and I’m on the phone with my old university lecturer, Professor Paul Hansen – … Read more
The ex-military, gay, Lamborghini-driving CEO of Rocketwerkz is one of the highest profile figures in New Zealand gaming. Michael Andrew went to the new Auckland office to meet the man known as “rocket”. “It’s the fastest lift in the country,” said Rocketwerkz’s chief operating officer Stephen Knightly before we shot to the top of the … Read more
Stats NZ released a report yesterday that provides the most comprehensive view to date on housing in New Zealand. The findings are not pretty. It’s no surprise to anyone to hear that New Zealand’s housing is beset by great many problems. But it’s quite different to see the extent of the crisis laid out and … Read more
If you’ve been dreaming of that cute little cavoodle, prepare to end up locked in a bidding war with hundreds of equally desperate buyers. Nothing gets New Zealanders hot under the collar than a story about the rampant housing market. With travel – our traditional outlet of escapism – barred to most of us, we’ve … Read more
In an era of online everything, brick-and-mortar retail faces unique challenges. Now Spark is looking to innovative, immersive experiences to keep people coming back. On the average day, the main commercial artery of Queen Street in Central Auckland sees a fraction of the foot traffic that it did a year ago. The vacant atmosphere is … Read more
Claims that cherry pickers can pull in $400 a day should have all of us packing our bags and heading south. But is orchard work really that lucrative? Every year, as a crisp and blissful summer thaws the South Island out of its languor, students at the University of Otago toss up their end-of-year options: … Read more
With women making up only 3% of tradespeople in New Zealand, it can be tricky to find one for a construction job. That’s why this website has put all the details in one place. Hiring a tradesperson to do a big job on the house can easily turn into a stressful experience. It’s not just … Read more
With New Zealand tourism in a lull – and backpackers in the firing line – Queenstown-based start-up Kiwi Welcome is creating a new model of sustainable travel where visitors add value to the land. For the past few years – up until Covid-19 began hoarding the headlines – one of New Zealand’s most pressing public … Read more
With 27 speakers over a 10 hour event, Semi Permanent Aotearoa showed just how much New Zealand’s creative industry has to offer our economic and social rebuild. It’s a rare thing having 1,000 people in the same room at the same time in 2020. It’s even rarer to have 27 of a country’s most prestigious … Read more
Speculation surrounding the new Covid-19 community case in Auckland last week has cast a light on the pressure retail and hospitality workers face every day. For New Zealand, a new case of Covid-19 in the community is an alarming event in and of itself. The fact that the source of the transmission was initially a … Read more
On Thursday, Auckland Council voted on whether to standardise how weeds are managed across the region. Here’s what happened and why the issue has proven so controversial. What’s all this then? The Auckland Council Environment Committee recently debated its Project Streetscapes proposal which would seek to standardise the methods of managing weeds throughout Auckland’s road … Read more
It’s been a battle beset by fear, floods and corporate negligence. But will big business finally take responsibility for the toxic waste dumped around Southland? The Paper Mill is part of Frame, a series of short, standalone documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. Made with support from NZ On Air. Watch more here. It … Read more
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today addressed the business community in her first policy speech since last month’s election. Here’s what she had to say. What’s all this then? Speaking amid the din of the US election and new lockdowns across Europe, Jacinda Ardern today outlined her government’s economic plans to New Zealand’s business community. Referencing … Read more
Stats NZ has today released its labour market data for the three months to September, which shows an increase inline with most forecasts. What’s all this then? According to Stats NZ’s labour market data released this morning, New Zealand’s official unemployment rate has increased from 4% to 5.3% for the three months from July to … Read more
Kiwibank has officially moved into its new Auckland home – a building with a Six Green Star Certification near Wynyard Quarter. Michael Andrew went to see how sustainable a building has to be to earn so many stars. In late 2019, when fans at Eden Park were sipping away at Sprite, Coke and L&P while … Read more
The story of how a leisurely bike ride around Hawke’s Bay turned into a one-man rampage against perceived corporate privilege. In the early hours of October 10, in a motel in Napier South, Ian Swney, 62, was struggling to sleep. A semi-retired kindergarten teacher, he’d travelled to Napier from his home in Morrinsville to join … Read more
Super-low interest rates are a blessing to those already on the housing ladder. For those still renting and without a deposit, it is yet another nail in the long-sealed coffin of potential home ownership. Last week, when Heartland Bank became the first lender in New Zealand history to offer a home loan interest rate below … Read more