Peter Newport

Contributing writer

Peter Newport is a former reporter for Radio NZ, and a former producer with TV3. He started his career at the ODT and TVNZ before working for Australia’s Channel 9 as their London Correspondent, as a senior News Director with BBC TV News and as a Discovery Channel documentary producer. He lives in Queenstown.

Politics

Aug 17, 2017

A showdown in Winton

Last night the Clutha Southland National Party selected Hamish Walker, a 32 year old business advisor from Balclutha, as the replacement for disgraced MP Todd Barclay. But if National think that will put to rest the questions swirling around their electorate operations in the Deep South they're dreaming, writes Peter Newport.

Society

Aug 7, 2017

Power to the Regions!

If the government won't do something about housing, then Queenstown mayor Jim Boult will – or at least, that's the plan. Peter Newport finds out how he proposes to fix the town's affordable housing crisis – now officially worse than Auckland's – and why he's calling on Wellington to loosen its iron grip on local government.

Politics

Aug 4, 2017

After Martin Matthews: Who audits the auditors?

Martin Matthews has resigned as Auditor General on the back of a report into his actions – and inaction – during the three years that Joanne Harrison was committing fraud at the MOT. But if the report was so damning, why can't the public read it, asks Peter Newport.

Politics

Jul 21, 2017

The Ministry of Transport fraud case: Why the rot goes deeper than Joanne Harrison

The ever-deepening storm centred on the Harrison fraud case just became a mid-category hurricane. Yesterday's State Services Commission investigation report is likely to trigger a new chain of events that could extend well beyond embattled Auditor General Martin Matthews, writes Peter Newport

Society

Jul 3, 2017

The other housing crisis

Each winter, cold houses in New Zealand cause the death of almost 1600 people, and hundreds of thousands more have their health and wellbeing severely curtailed. It's a national emergency, but the government agency tasked with addressing it has had its budget slashed to the bone. Cold comfort for freezing New Zealanders, writes Peter Newport.

Society

Jun 24, 2017

Life after Cadbury: how can Dunedin forge a new future?

Dunedin can sometimes seem like the neglected afterthought of New Zealand's main centres, unappreciated by all except those who choose to live there. Peter Newport reports on what's coming next for Dunedin after Cadbury shuts its doors.

Politics

Jun 20, 2017

Who the hell is Todd Barclay?

Newsroom today provided fresh details of the payments and coverup in the Todd Barclay scandal. But the MP for Clutha-Southland remains something of a mystery on the national stage.

Society

Jun 20, 2017

Queenstown is now home to New Zealand’s fastest mobile data speeds

The battle for New Zealand mobile network supremacy got a whole lot more interesting today, as Spark launched some cutting edge technology – in Queenstown. Peter Newport reports.

Politics

Jun 7, 2017

A Clash of Titans, southern style

The fast-growing Southern Lakes district – Queenstown, Wanaka and surrounds – currently faces enormous challenges. But the bigger problem? The body in charge is three hours' drive away and seems reluctant to spend the money needed to fix them. Peter Newport explains how an upcoming by-election could become a referendum on the future of Otago.

Politics

May 24, 2017

Pressure builds in Auditor General case

Auditor General Martin Matthews has come under extra pressure to resign today as the State Services Commission launches a full, independent investigation into the treatment of whistle-blowers who tried to warn Matthews about fraudster Joanne Harrison. Peter Newport reports.

Society

May 22, 2017

Is fraudster Joanne Harrison’s old boss really fit to lead NZ’s top public watchdog?

The story of government fraudster Joanne Harrison is one of almost unbelievable greed. But in many ways as shocking, writes Peter Newport, is how her boss, Martin Matthews, ignored the whistle-blowers – and allowed Harrison to exact her revenge.

Society

May 11, 2017

The tourism boom is destroying our best destinations. Can anything be done to fix it?

It's survival of the fittest in the NZ tourism industry, where some regions struggle for visitors while our biggest hotspots can hardly cope – all while our GST-besotted government resolutely rejects a tourist tax to help fix the places worst affected by the visitor onslaught. Little wonder New Zealanders increasingly feel that tourism is getting away from them, writes Peter Newport.

Society

Apr 20, 2017

A Very, Very Important Person’s guide to Queenstown

Queenstown has some special systems and facilities to cope with billionaires, movie stars and VIP’s. But here’s our guide to Queenstown for the VVIPs – like the CIA director James Comey, FBI director Mike Pompeo, and other Five Eyes bigwigs expected in Queenstown this weekend.

Society

Apr 3, 2017

Queenstown’s billionaire whisperers

So you're a one-percenter looking to escape the oncoming global apocalypse by hiding out in a luxury NZ bolthole. Who you gonna call? Peter Newport meets the fixers behind the super-rich influx and looks at how the newcomers are settling in.

Society

Mar 24, 2017

40 people to a property, eight people to a room: inside the nightmare that is renting in Queenstown

Behind the affluent image of luxurious resorts and multi-million dollar homes, there is a another, far darker side to life in Queenstown. Peter Newport investigates the shocking state of the town's rental market, and what it means for those caught up in it.

Society

Mar 9, 2017

How government is killing New Zealand’s small towns – and Hollywood is helping

Residents of rural towns are facing astronomical bills to support basic infrastructure. In Glenorchy, a mecca for film and tourism, they're mad as hell and not going to take it any more, writes Peter Newport.

Society

Feb 23, 2017

Frightened tourists are bringing a plague of accidents and deaths to Queenstown roads

Driving in Queenstown has become a kind of Russian roulette. Platitudes about 'education' won't cut it: we need a tourist licence requirement, and urgently, argues Peter Newport.

Politics

Feb 10, 2017

The strange story of the 5 million dollar sewer pipe that no one wants to own

A small storm in Queenstown over some sewerage pipes on a new bridge points to how little we know about the vastly expensive infrastructure we pay for, writes Peter Newport.

Society

Jan 24, 2017

Auckland’s housing crisis is a gift to the regions, but the regions still need convincing

This year thousands of people priced out of Auckland – or just looking to escape the big city rat race – will pack up and move to regions like the Queenstown Lakes District, where Peter Newport calls home. But if they're hoping to be welcomed with open arms, he says, they may just be in for a nasty shock.

Society

Dec 12, 2016

You think Auckland’s housing crisis is bad? The Queenstown car crash will be worse

It's a place with low wages, stratospheric property prices and housing stock that's often near-uninhabitable. Sound familiar? But this isn't Auckland - it's Queenstown, where the worst aspects of our growing economic inequality are writ large, as Peter Newport explains.

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