12 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1479 views
The New Zealand Government has passed the Climate Change Response Amendment Bill, setting a new biogenic methane reduction target of 14-24% below 2017 levels by 2050, while maintaining the net zero target for long-lived gases. The legislation supports farmers by emphasizing practical, technology-driven emissions reductions without compromising productivity or trade competitiveness, backed by over $400 million in investments for methane-cutting tools. Additionally, the Bill mandates a 2040 target review, protects food production in emissions budgeting, and clarifies the Emissions Trading Scheme’s role, aiming to provide certainty and move from debate to action in the agriculture sector.
12 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1505 views
The Government has settled a 2012 Human Rights Review Tribunal claim by IHC regarding education policies that disadvantaged disabled students, committing to a Framework for Action to improve support for disabled and neurodiverse learners. This framework includes better data collection, improved specialist services, coordinated education agencies, inclusive curriculum, accessible infrastructure, and investigations into funding and ableism impacts. Significant investments, including $750 million in Budget 25, have been made to increase teacher aide hours, expand early intervention, overhaul funding models, and enhance curriculum and school infrastructure to ensure timely and adequate support for students with additional needs.
11 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1155 views
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee welcomes the Justice Select Committee’s extension of the submission period for the Arms Bill, encouraging New Zealanders to provide feedback to improve the legislation. She emphasizes the importance of input from licensed firearm owners and the public to create practical, responsible firearms laws through a thorough six-month consultation process. Early engagement has been significant, with over 8,500 submissions offering extensive feedback, and the new deadline for submissions is 16 February 2026.
10 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1293 views
Parliament has passed the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill, extending existing or expired resource consents until 31 December 2027 to provide certainty for farmers, businesses, and councils during New Zealand’s transition to a new planning system. This temporary extension prevents costly and unnecessary replacement consent processes under the old Resource Management Act, aligning with ongoing reforms including the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill expected to extend consents to around 2031. The new legislation aims to support growth, housing, and environmental improvements by streamlining consent processes and introducing national standards during the transition.
09 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1139 views
The New Zealand Government is implementing urgent legislation to extend existing consents and ensure a smooth transition from the outdated Resource Management Act (RMA) to a new planning and environmental management system. These transitional arrangements will extend consent expiry dates to around 2031, allow new consent applications under a streamlined process, and prevent unnecessary costs and uncertainty for consent holders during the transition. The reforms aim to reduce red tape, support growth, improve environmental outcomes, and provide certainty while the new system, established by the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill, is fully implemented.
09 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1465 views
New Zealand’s Government is replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 with two new bills to streamline the planning system, aiming to accelerate renewable energy projects by cutting red tape and reducing costs. Energy Minister Simon Watts highlights that the reforms will provide clearer national policy direction, faster consents, and investor certainty, supporting a renewable electricity boom with 95% of future electricity from clean sources. The bills will be introduced to Parliament soon, with the goal of becoming law by 2026, and public input will be sought through the Select Committee process.
09 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1347 views
The New Zealand Government is overhauling its planning system to address the housing crisis by simplifying rules, increasing land supply, and enabling more competitive urban land markets, thereby making it easier and faster to build homes. The reforms include standardizing zoning nationwide, reducing consent complexities, allowing more development without council approval, and providing clear national direction with ambitious housing growth targets. These changes aim to lower costs, increase housing choice, strengthen property rights, and support sustainable urban expansion, with legislation expected to pass by 2026.
09 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1121 views
New Zealand is replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 with two new bills—a Planning Bill and a Natural Environment Bill—to simplify land use regulation and better support farmers by reducing red tape, standardizing rules, and adopting a risk-based approach. The new system emphasizes property rights, fewer consents through flexible freshwater farm plans, and practical environmental management, aiming to lower costs and increase certainty for farmers while promoting sustainable practices. The bills will be introduced to Parliament soon, with public consultation planned and laws expected by 2026 to foster economic recovery and environmental stewardship.
09 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1065 views
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced a major overhaul of New Zealand’s planning rules aimed at boosting economic growth, job creation, and income levels by replacing the Resource Management Act with a more efficient, pro-growth system. The reforms, introduced through two new bills—the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill—are projected to save $13.3 billion in costs over 30 years and increase GDP by at least 0.56% annually by 2050, while strengthening property rights and reducing regulatory burdens. The Government plans to pass the legislation by 2026, inviting public input through the Select Committee process.
09 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1298 views
The Government has introduced the Arms Bill to Parliament to modernize New Zealand’s firearms laws, enhancing public safety while easing regulatory burdens on licensed owners. Key reforms include updating offences, disqualifying gang members from holding licences, creating an independent Firearms Regulatory Agency, and addressing emerging technologies like 3D printing. The Bill fulfills the ACT-National coalition’s commitment to rewrite the Arms Act 1983 and will undergo a six-month select committee process for public input.
08 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1103 views
The Government welcomes the Select Committee report on the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, which supports key reforms to enhance labour market flexibility and reduce compliance costs while maintaining core objectives. The Committee recommends clarifications to the gateway test for contractors, including platform-based arrangements, and supports Cabinet decisions to expand income definitions for unjustified dismissal claims and raise the income threshold from $180,000 to $200,000. Minister Brooke van Velden looks forward to progressing the Bill in early 2026, emphasizing the Government’s commitment to helping businesses grow and innovate confidently.
04 Dec 2025
10 months ago
916 views
Minister Brooke van Velden welcomed the Governance and Administration Committee's report on the Online Casino Gambling Bill, highlighting its alignment with government decisions to regulate online gambling and protect New Zealanders from harm. The Committee received over 5,000 submissions, with significant concern about ensuring community returns from gambling revenue continue to support grassroots groups, leading to the recommendation that the Lottery Grants Board manage these funds. The Bill introduces safeguards to reduce gambling harm, addresses concerns about normalization and advertising, and includes a two-year review to monitor the impact on community funding.
03 Dec 2025
10 months ago
1038 views
The Government’s Crimes Amendment Bill introduces stronger penalties for assaults on first responders, coward punches, human trafficking, and retail crime to ensure criminals face real consequences and protect victims. It establishes new specific offences, enhances citizen’s arrest powers, and implements a new shoplifting infringement regime to address ongoing challenges in law and order. The legislation aims to be passed before the next election, fulfilling commitments made in the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement.
26 Nov 2025
11 months ago
1180 views
The Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill aims to ease development by enabling upfront financing of growth infrastructure, allowing properties benefiting from development capacity to be levied, thus overcoming council funding constraints. The amendments will broaden project eligibility to include agencies like NZ Transport Agency and KiwiRail, remove bureaucratic barriers, and ensure faster decisions with fewer vetoes to accelerate infrastructure delivery. These changes support the Government’s Going for Housing Growth Programme by providing flexible funding tools that help both planned and unplanned infrastructure meet housing demand.
24 Nov 2025
11 months ago
1091 views
The Government is reforming the building consent system by replacing joint and several liability with proportionate liability, ensuring each party is only responsible for their own work to speed up consents and protect ratepayers. New safeguards include mandatory professional indemnity insurance for designers, compulsory home warranties for most new residential builds and significant renovations, and strengthened disciplinary penalties for Licensed Building Practitioners. These measures aim to enhance accountability, protect building owners, and make the building process faster, easier, and more affordable, with legislative changes expected by 2026.