Insights
Auckland – neither amazing nor dreadful
Serviceworks – November 27, 2025
Auckland needs a cross-party commitment to lift productivity, invest in skills and back a serious innovation and start-up ecosystem
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Turn up the volume by voting this election
Serviceworks – September 20, 2025
One week into postal voting in the Auckland local elections, Mark Thomas offers the bemused or confused reasons to vote...
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Drop the ball on innovation, Auckland, and it’s everyone’s loss
Serviceworks – May 30, 2025
The more immediate problems of rush-hour traffic and house prices are clouding the fact that Auckland is significantly underperforming elsewhere
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AI for Climate Action: What’s Working Now in New Zealand and What’s Next?
Serviceworks – May 21, 2025
Artificial intelligence is already helping New Zealand tackle climate change — but what’s working now, what’s ready to scale, and...
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Call for New Auckland Agenda to tackle city’s challenges and opportunities
Serviceworks – March 26, 2025
Auckland council has established a $1.3 billion Future Fund to reduce reliance on rates for infrastructure.
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Auckland infrastructure: University’s Hiwa Recreation Centre shows how long-term investment approach can succeed
Serviceworks – February 26, 2025
The rooftop football field at Auckland University's new Hiwa Recreation Centre, which opened this month.
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Only an innovative Auckland can turn around NZ’s performance
Serviceworks – February 11, 2025
Agritech innovator Halter and its founder Craig Piggott have revolutionised dairy farming from Auckland – but they've done it despite...
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Improving relations: building the basics better
Serviceworks – December 17, 2024
Parents and offspring can have turbulent relationships as each navigate the path between giving up dependence and obtaining independence. This...
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Auckland’s risk of becoming becalmed
Serviceworks – November 5, 2024
If Auckland’s going to live up to its promise, the Minister for Auckland role has to have some defined mandates...
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New Zealand’s much needed mood moves
Serviceworks – October 17, 2024
The 2024 Mood of the Boardroom survey highlighted business leaders’ concerns with economic pressures, infrastructure deficits, energy system constraints and...
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Auckland’s chance to stand on the international podium
Serviceworks – August 20, 2024
This year’s State of the City report on Auckland landed just as the Olympics finished. If the city had been...
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NZ’s maddening local government
Serviceworks – June 13, 2024
The Economist says local politics is a mixture of the good, the bad and the mad – which must include...
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A tech ladder for a climate hole
Serviceworks – May 16, 2024
New Zealand must take a new approach to technological innovation if the country is to avoid a multibillion-dollar bill for...
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Project Auckland: The state of the city’s strengths today
Serviceworks – March 20, 2024
Auckland is back among the top 30 best student-friendly cities globally for the first time since 2019. Photo / Dean...
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City deals can drive Auckland to international levels
Serviceworks – December 12, 2023
The generational infrastructure deficit has a big impact on cities. The average Auckland commuter spends more than 120 hours a...
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Mayor Brown’s Auckland Deal is quite a meal
Serviceworks – November 22, 2023
Gateway cities around the world are so important to national prosperity that they need to be actively supported and with...
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Building Better City Budgets
Serviceworks – June 17, 2023
It can take months to prepare the classic Chinese dish the century egg, but the result is a rich, complex...
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Making New Zealand’s cities smarter
Serviceworks – May 25, 2023
This article originally appeared in the book "From Yesterday to Tomorrow: 60 years of Tech in New Zealand" which IT...
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Covering off Auckland’s future needs
Serviceworks – May 5, 2023
Covered stadiums such as Eden Park is proposing are uncommon internationally, although cities that Auckland looks to for inspiration such...
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The Project Auckland Panel Discussion
Serviceworks – April 11, 2023
At the recent Project Auckland Launch, the NZ Herald’s Tim McCready led Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck, Auckland...
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