Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

Today’s content

Housing
Financial Times: New Zealand’s housing crisis poses big test for Jacinda Ardern
Jean Bell (RNZ): Buying first home will be out of reach for more people in 2021 – CoreLogic
Dan Satherley (Newshub): House prices kept going up through December, Government and investors blamed
David Chaston (Interest): History repeating
Craig Elliffe (Herald): Taxing residential properties: Is it time to pull the lever? (paywalled)
RNZ: Average house price hit $788k in December
Andre Chumko (Stuff): Wellington property values grow fastest out of New Zealand main centres in 2020
Liz McDonald (Stuff): Christchurch home price rises gather pace during 2020
Ashley Church (One Roof): Why my views on property are out of step
Andy Fyers (BusinessDesk): How much more to buy a house where you live? (paywalled)
Anne Gibson (Herald): Landlords, tenants must read: wide sweeping tenancy law reform coming next month (paywalled)
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Action needed to halt rocketing house prices – CoreLogic
Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy (NBR): High house prices a handbrake on growth (paywalled)

Covid, vaccine, and border
Todd Atticus (Guardian): Watching New Zealand’s Covid success from bungling Britain has been torture
Brook Sabin (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern’s big challenge of 2021: The race to open the border for international travel
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Covid Tracer app use over Christmas/New Year lowest it has been in four months
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Pre-departure Covid-19 testing likely legally sound, but exemptions needed, expert says
Andrew Barnes (Stuff): 72-hour testing policy fails sense-check
Andrew Barnes (Herald): Covid 19 coronavirus testing for travellers needs a rethink (paywalled)
RNZ: Ministry of Health spent $37m on PPE that was defective or had quality concerns
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Chris Hipkins reveals why the Government isn’t subsidising pre-departure coronavirus tests

Economy, inequality and work
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Now may be as good as it’s going to get for the economy in 2021
Andrea Fox (Herald): Primary exports saved our bacon in 2020 but revenue outlook dims: MPI report
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Leading questions: ASB boss Vittoria Shortt says Kiwis should still be mindful about a potential downside in 2021 (paywalled)
Keith Woodford (Interest): Pivoting from production to permanent forests
Blair Ensor (Stuff): Christchurch liquor tycoon intentionally underpaid migrant staff

Waikeria prison riot
George Block (Stuff): Waikeria Prison riot: Concern over Corrections’ starvation tactics
Stuff: Investigation under way to determine whether charges will be laid over Waikeria Prison riot
Jonathan Mitchell (RNZ): Waikeria prison inmates’ protest was inevitable – justice advocates

Climate change, environment and conservation
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Major political debate on climate ahead
Zac Fleming (Newshub): Kiwis warned about buying coastal properties amid rising sea levels
Ella Stewart (RNZ): Coastal properties in hot demand despite threat of sea-level rise
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Kiwi coastal property buyers ignoring climate change threat, expert says
Ruwani Perera (Newshub): National calls on Government to invest in water quality upgrade at Auckland beaches
Pat Baskett (Newsroom): Whio swim against tide of biodiversity decline, with help
Susan Houge Mackenzie (Newsroom): The climate-friendly antidote to fast, high-carbon travel
Joe Bennett (Stuff): Leave Tarras alone, it’s a rare gem

Other
Stuff: Julian Assange’s dad reportedly asks New Zealand to offer his son asylum
Bob McCoskrie: Views on marriage & gender identity aren’t ‘hate speech’ – poll
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Fishing industry tried to limit Government access to footage of undersized tarakihi – documents
Damien Rogers (Herald): In wake of mosque terror attacks is new uber spy agency the answer? (paywalled)
Richard Prebble (Herald): And you thought 2020 was bad (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Judith Collins’ focus on future and high-value industries (paywalled)
Kirsty Lawrence (Stuff): Year of Covid-19 put brakes on New Zealand’s meth market
RNZ: Canterbury police to stay armed until weapons linked to gang incident found
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Why Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield wasn’t given a New Year honour
Charlie O’Mannin (Stuff): Defence Force pays $1 for 78 hectare paper road to stop public access to training site
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Injury rates climb as e-bike popularity grows and lockdown prompts cycling boom