Travel, DIY Kiwis’ spend exceptions
A mini boom in domestic travel and house renovations could be on the way, surveys of New Zealanders’ spending plans reveal.
A survey by Westpac McDermott Miller on leisure activities shows household spending has bounced back as Covid-19 restrictions eased, particularly in bars and home-related spending.
However, Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod cautioned that the recovery was patchy and may not be sustained.
‘‘New Zealanders are in the mood to hit the town again, and we’re also spending more on inhome entertainment. However, households remain cautious about making major purchases.
‘‘We’re also yet to see signs that households are planning to significantly increase their spending on holidays onshore.
But a survey by independent economist Tony Alexander disagreed. Alexander, who surveyed more than 3000 people last week on their spending intentions, found strong spending plans for domestic tourism in the next three to six months, beyond the school holidays.
The difference might be partly timing – Westpac’s survey of consumer confidence covered more than 1500 people in early June.
Alexander, a former BNZ chief economist, said a net 41 per cent of his respondents were planning to spend more in local travel, which was ‘‘very good news’’ for tourism operators.
‘‘But I still think for the tourism operators it’s going to be exceedingly tough when you don’t have international tourists coming through . . .
‘‘I fully expect a number of operators are still going to be closing down over the next few months, despite the resurgence in
Satish Ranchhod Westpac senior economist
people
People were also prepared to make an exception in their budgets for home renovations and alterations. A net 21 per cent in Alexander’s survey planned to splash out in that area.
This was a bit of a puzzle, Alexander said. ‘‘When you have a downturn and consumers are pessimistic you expect they’ll cut back spending on durable goods – furniture, appliances, vehicles – and discretionary items – clothing and footwear.’’
‘‘But I would also expect in a normal recession that they would be pulling back on home renovations. That is what is vastly different here and I think it’s been [people] staring at their walls [over lockdown].
‘‘And this is consistent with what we’re hearing from overseas as well, a lot of activity for tradies ... It is a bit of a standout area and it presents an opportunity for people to get some employment.’’
Selected types of investment were also in favour. Plans to buy a new property were largely static and fewer people were planning to splash out on vehicles (a net 14 per cent).
But a net 7 per cent of people planned to spend more on investment property, and a net 9 per cent were putting money into shares, more so among younger respondents.
Both Westpac and Alexander urged caution on the figures, saying they felt there was an element of catch-up involved in the spending resurgence.
discovering
New
Zealand.’’
‘‘New Zealanders are in the mood to hit the town again.’’
A Christchurch jeweller has lost his pigeons – and just wants them to come home.
Julian Harding woke up early on Sunday to discover the four birds he bought from a breeder more than a week ago had vanished outside his work premises in Lyttelton.
He had been keeping the pigeons in a cage hanging from the eaves while he had a dovecote, a permanent shelter, made for them. The cage was also taken. While one bird had come back on its own accord, the three remaining birds, which Harding had named after his grandchildren, were still missing.
On Sunday, he said he was told who had them – a woman Stuff is choosing not to name. She has posted pictures on Facebook with the birds, and allegedly told Harding she would be reporting him to the SPCA over their care. ‘‘She has been very open with the fact that she has got the birds,’’ he said. ‘‘I have yet to find out why she took them. But she obviously feels as though birds shouldn’t be kept in a cage.’’
Julian Harding
Harding said he contacted the woman on Sunday through Facebook to ask for his birds back. After failing to make any progress, he reported the matter to police.
‘‘If people think, ‘right, we can get away with stealing pigeons’, then we can get away with stealing your car, and we can get away with stealing whatever,’’ he said.
A police spokesman said a theft report had been received.
Harding had never kept homing pigeons before, but said his grandfather used to in England.
He was going through a separation with his wife, he said, and missed having pets, which is partly why he got the homing pigeons. ‘‘I thought ‘well, I can talk to the birds’.’’
While they were kept outside in the cage, Harding maintains they were well-cared for. Not having the dovecote available immediately was not ideal, he conceded, but there had been delays and the birds were sheltered under the eaves.
‘‘They have been fed. They have been watered. They have had their cage cleaned. I was looking after them to the best of my ability until the dovecote arrived.’’
A recent arrival to Lyttelton, Harding said 99 per cent of people had been welcoming, but he was upset at the comments directed his way about the bird issue on a local Facebook page, Lyttelton – Ain’t No Place I’d Rather Be.
‘‘People have been criticising me, and to be honest they’ve been pretty nasty about it. Somebody wanted to take a pitchfork to me, somebody wanted to run me out of town.’’
The woman who allegedly had the birds had not approached him with her concerns prior to their disappearance, Harding said.
When the pigeons were returned, he said, they would have to stay inside for about four weeks, then they would be able to come and go as they pleased.
Somebody wanted to take a pitchfork to me, somebody wanted to run me out of town.’’