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Taking on Auckland's Infrastructure Monopolies

by Matthew Gilligan 29 Jan 26

In 2024, GRA formed a not-for-profit property advocacy group, Subdivision Advocacy NZ (SANZ), with Kirsty Merriman (developer) and Simon Oconner (town planner). We formed this in reaction to some astonishingly concerning behaviours from Auckland Council, Vector, Veolia and Watercare. The most well-known include the surprise..

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Labour's recently announced capital gains tax (CGT) policy has been positioned as a fairer way to tax wealth in New Zealand. After internal debate between a wealth tax and CGT, the caucus voted almost unanimously for the latter. Under this proposed policy, from July 2027 investment..

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We got a good result this month, pushing back on Auckland Council's egregious development contributions charges which were proposed last year.I, along with Kirsty Merriman (developer), Simon O'Connor from Sentinel Planning, and the team at SANZ (www.sanz.nz, which Kirsty and I lead as a non-profit..

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The property market is constantly moving, so it can be hard to keep up with what’s happening and which property investment strategies to use. To that end, on 10 June I held a Property Market Update webinar with Tony Alexander, which you can watch below...

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Development Contributions Increases

by Matthew Gilligan 12 Mar 25

Development contributions are proposed to increase in Auckland to frankly non-viable levels from a development perspective, especially for affordable or middle-end houses. The following graphic shows before and after the proposed costs.Auckland Council asserts that development fees have no impact on house prices, claiming that..

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  The Auckland Infrastructure Problem

by Matthew Gilligan 22 Nov 24

•Exorbitant development contributions proposed•Disconnect between Council and developers in Auckland•Red zones emerging for sewer and fresh water making sites non-developable•Abuse of monopolies by local government and utility providers•Concern this will spread across New Zealand to other councilsI have noticed many of our property developer clients..

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With interest rates showing signs of decline, investor interest in the property market may be on the rise. As lending rates fall, the cost of owning a home often becomes more competitive with renting, a trend that could drive a shift in New Zealand’s housing..

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Interest rates are still relatively high, so why are experienced investors getting themselves ready to buy property and arranging their finance now? It’s because savvy investors realise that the market is starting to turn, and those who are prepared will benefit. I recently filmed a..

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  Property, Tax and Finance Update

by Matthew Gilligan 20 Jun 24

Keeping abreast of market changes is an important part of making good business and property investment decisions. The rules and legislation around tax and finance change constantly, as does the property market as it moves through its various cycles of boom and bust. It can..

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Testimonials
Hi Salesh, I just wanted to send you an email on behalf of GRA to say how fantastic we have found your company to date. As you know, Ben and I joined GRA a couple of months ago and have just found you so amazingly helpful in getting our new property set up correctly and sorted out. We have what I would consider a rather complicated structure as a result and it’s a fantastic feeling to know that we are getting everything done in the best way possible. We have just had approval to put a minor dwelling on the property which will make a massive difference in terms of cash flow and obviously value, something we would never have even thought of without GRA and which we are very excited about. During the buying process we attended a seminar with Matthew and from the outset thought he was fab. We therein signed up for property school and found this nothing short of fantastic. The content was relevant, up to date and comprehensive, but more importantly it was taught in a way that we could actually understand and really get value out of. I wanted to mention also, that everybody GRA have recommended to us has been just so efficient and absolute masters at what they do. A wonderful network of people that we feel very lucky to now be able to call on. From Kris Pederson and Bryan Rist who put our mortgage together to the insurance guys they then referred us to, I’m super impressed. Within GRA, Ellery has probably turned things around for us faster than I’ve ever known before, something which we appreciated so very much when it came to crunch time. She’s always a pleasure to deal with and again, we’re stoked. We’ve just settled on the property today and are about to go and get the keys. I’m pretty pumped and hence this email is probably rather excitable. So, a massive thank you to you Salesh, the partners for such a fabulous 6 weeks at property school and everyone at GRA for their help. May this be the start of our property empire. Thanks again, - A & B - July 2015
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Investing in residential property?

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If you're investing in residential property, seeking to maximise your ability to succeed and minimise risk, then this is a 'must read'.

Matthew Gilligan provides a fresh look at residential property investment from an experienced investor’s viewpoint. Written in easy to understand language and including many case studies, Matthew explains the ins and outs of successful property investment.

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