New Zealand Scholarship Economics case studies
New Zealand Scholarship Economics · Put your knowledge to work in context.
New Zealand Scholarship Economics (Te Hiranga Economics) is an award assessment run through NZQA for top secondary school students, and Economics is one of the Scholarship subjects listed with its own assessment specifications, performance standard, past papers and exemplars. It is not a routine NCEA paper: assessments are designed to be challenging for the most able students in each subject, and to earn the award you are expected to show deep understanding of economics, demonstrate high-level critical thinking, and apply your understanding to complex situations. The New Zealand Scholarship Economics case studies are 5 cases and about 4,392 words.
1Housing Affordability and Short-Term Letting in a Tourism-Dependent District
The Queenstown Lakes district has a resident population of about 48,000 but around 30,000 visitor beds. Median house prices have risen to roughly $1.6 million, and the ratio of price to local median income exceeds 12.
996 words, about 5 min2Nitrogen Trading versus a Nitrogen Tax in a Sensitive Catchment
Environment Canterbury administers a catchment cap on nitrogen leaching into Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere. About 420 dairy farms in the catchment leach an estimated 4,800 tonnes of nitrogen annually; the catchment load reduction target is 30% by 2035.
900 words, about 5 min3A Dairy Terms-of-Trade Boom in a Small Open Economy
Fonterra has lifted its farmgate milk price forecast from 6.50 to 9.20 per kg of milk solids, adding roughly $4 billion to forecast dairy export receipts. Dairy accounts for about 35% of New Zealand's goods exports.
864 words, about 4 min4Grocery Duopoly, Entry Barriers, and Regulatory Remedies
New Zealand's grocery market has two main supermarket chains with a combined share of about 80% of retail grocery sales. The Commerce Commission's 2022 market study found return on capital employed of 12-13% for the two majors, above the cost of capital, and identified barriers to entry including land banking, restrictive covenants on sites, and wholesale supply arrangements.
808 words, about 4 min5Minimum Wage in a Tight Labour Market with Public Funding Constraints
The adult minimum wage rises from 22.70 to 23.15 per hour, a 2.0% increase, at a time when unemployment is 3.6%, job ads have fallen 18% year-on-year, and annual CPI inflation is 4.0%. Roughly 80,000-100,000 workers are paid at or just above the minimum, concentrated in hospitality, retail, and aged care.
824 words, about 4 min