South Canterbury's population has done an about-turn and appears to be increasing for the first time since the mid-1990s.

Emotions ran high last night at the first public meeting to discuss the dirty dirt scare with people asking how Auckland City Council could tag their properties as potentially contaminated in the absence of any hard evidence.

Some investors could be hundreds of millions of dollars better off if a report due out today sees the eventual end of capital gains tax on actively managed funds.

The battle for home-lending customers, which has seen the two-year fixed interest rate fall to 6.9 per cent, is unsustainable and risked reigniting the housing boom, bank economists say.

By senior associate GREG ALLEN and associate BRENDON GILES.

Press Release: Waitakere City

ASB Bank is firing both barrels at other big banks in the fixed mortgage price war, offering 6.95 per cent for two years, but the Bank of New Zealand is firing back with a new 6.9 per cent rate.

Gareth Morgan has made a range of unsupported claims against the financial services industry that are misleading, irresponsible and provide little advice or commentary that might improve investors' knowledge.

Wellington-based Capital Properties has been reaping the benefits of a seller's market for good quality office space, reporting a 25.7 per cent rise in after-tax profit in the six months to September 30.

Case of landlord convicted of allowing too many people into four properties not usual say property investors

BNZ will "happily" offer fixed home loans on wafer thin margins because it wants to win new customers and knows its competitors' margins are even thinner, the chief executive says.

A poor student might not appear to be the ideal candidate for a bank's largesse, especially considering the size of some student loans.

Trans Tasman Properties (TTP) said today it was shifting to Singapore.

Resource management consent has been received by Metlifecare so it can build one of New Zealand's largest retirement villages on a prime North Shore site at Takapuna.

The West Coast will be put under severe strain next year as it tries to find staff and accommodation for up to 200 new mining jobs.