Carter Holt Harvey is putting 29 dairy farms on the market, asking $224.5 million in the biggest single offering of farm land seen in NZ.

Finance Minister Bill English says he will be "carefully considering" advice to raise GST and cut personal income tax rates as he puts together his Budget.

The Government has been advised to consider "significant changes" to make New Zealand's tax system fairer and more effective.

House prices have hit an all-time high but economists remain sceptical, saying higher mortgage interest rates are dampening the market.

House prices rose a modest 1.4 per cent in December, but ended the year nearly 10 per cent up from the year before.