Articles tagged with Ct

Showing 15 of 996 articles

Government Funds $50M for West Coast Critical Minerals Processing Projects

05 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 516 views

The New Zealand Government is funding two critical minerals processing projects on the West Coast through the Regional Infrastructure Fund, allocating up to $50 million to Tāiko Critical Minerals and Westland Mineral Sands. These projects aim to add value to exported minerals like titanium, zirconium, and rare earths by establishing domestic processing facilities, creating skilled jobs, and strengthening regional and national economies. The investments support long-term economic activity and contribute to a secure, diversified critical minerals supply chain essential for modern technologies and clean energy systems.

Tags: Shane Jones Tāiko Critical Minerals Westland Mineral Sands Regional Infrastructure Fund critical minerals New Zealand mineral processing titanium zirconium monazite

New Zealand Passes Landmark Mental Health Law Reform Ending Youth Seclusion

04 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 475 views

New Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care, strengthening rights, and ending seclusion for young people. The reforms introduce new protections to keep mothers and babies together during compulsory care, limit the use of seclusion for adults, enhance supported decision-making, increase family involvement, and restrict electroconvulsive therapy use. These changes, influenced by feedback from those with lived experience and recommendations from the Royal Commission, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, and will take effect in two years.

Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand Mental Health Minister Parliament Mental Health Laws Royal Commission of Inquiry Electroconvulsive Therapy Seclusion Mental Health Care Mental Health Reform

New Zealand Passes Landmark Mental Health Law Reform Ending Youth Seclusion

04 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 563 views

New Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care and strengthening patients' rights. Key reforms include ending seclusion for young people, introducing protections to keep mothers and babies together, enhancing supported decision-making, and tightening safeguards around electroconvulsive therapy. These changes, influenced by recommendations from the Royal Commission and input from those with lived experience, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, with implementation set for two years from now.

Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand mental health Parliament Mental Health Minister seclusion compulsory mental health care Royal Commission of Inquiry electroconvulsive therapy family involvement

WorkSafe NZ Enhances Machine Safety Training for Inspectors to Boost Workplace Safety

03 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 518 views

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced that all WorkSafe New Zealand inspectors have completed updated machine safety training to improve risk assessment and management. This training was developed in response to feedback from manufacturing businesses about unclear and impractical safety assessments, aiming to provide clearer, more practical guidance focused on real risks. The enhanced training, including workshops like the one at Burnham Military Camp, strengthens inspectors' technical expertise, enabling them to issue specific, effective safety actions that better protect workers and increase confidence in the system.

Tags: Brooke van Velden WorkSafe New Zealand Workplace Relations machine safety manufacturing sector safety training inspectors Burnham Military Camp risk assessment safety guidance

New Zealand Passes Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill to Improve Data and Transparency

03 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 458 views

The Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament on June 16, aims to enhance New Zealand’s environmental reporting by improving data quality, accessibility, and relevance. It proposes changes to reporting content, timeframes, and roles to provide clearer, more meaningful insights into environmental changes and government progress. The Bill seeks to support better transparency, informed policy decisions, and flexible reporting on complex environmental issues, and will now be reviewed by the Environment Select Committee.

Tags: New Zealand environmental reporting Nicola Grigg Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill Environmental Reporting Act 2015 Parliament Environment Select Committee environmental data climate adaptation resource management

Judge La-Verne King Appointed as New Principal Family Court Judge in Whangarei

02 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 554 views

Judge La-Verne King has been appointed as the new Principal Family Court Judge, starting in November after Judge Jackie Moran's retirement. With a legal career beginning in 1989, she co-founded the first Māori and Pasifika women law firm and has held various roles including Youth Advocate and District Inspector for Mental Health. Since her appointment to the District Court Bench in 2019, she has primarily served in Family and Youth Courts in Northland and became the Family Court Liaison Judge for the region in 2021.

Tags: Chris Bishop Ida Malosi Ali’imuamua Sandra Alofivae Jackie Moran KAM Legal Family Court Youth Court District Court Northland

New Zealand's Building System Reforms: Faster, Fairer, and More Affordable Construction

02 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 618 views

The Building Amendment Bill introduces the most significant building system reforms in 20 years to make construction easier, faster, and more affordable while enhancing homeowner protections through a fairer liability system and mandatory safeguards like professional indemnity insurance and home warranties. It aims to modernize the sector by improving consistency among Building Consent Authorities, reducing processing times, enabling fast-track consents for sustainable buildings, and expanding exemptions for offsite-constructed dwellings. These reforms, developed with extensive sector engagement, seek to unlock innovation, increase accountability, and support New Zealand’s housing and construction needs sustainably and efficiently.

Tags: Chris Penk Building Amendment Bill New Zealand building system reforms construction sector homeowner protections liability system Building Consent Authorities building consent MBIE

NZ Government Accounts Show Stronger Economy with Higher Revenue and Lower Deficit

01 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 605 views

The latest government accounts reveal stronger-than-expected core Crown revenue and lower expenses, indicating an improving economy. Corporate tax revenue rose by $700 million, reflecting increased business profitability, and the deficit was $3 billion lower than forecast. Despite recent challenges like the Middle East conflict, economic indicators such as falling oil prices, rising business confidence, and increased exports suggest the economy is regaining momentum.

Tags: Nicola Willis Finance Minister New Zealand government accounts economy Crown revenue corporate tax OBEGALx Middle East conflict inflation expectations

New Zealand Passes Law to Put Patients First with Better Healthcare Access

01 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 516 views

New Zealand’s new Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Act prioritizes patients by strengthening accountability, reducing bureaucracy, and ensuring timely access to quality healthcare with measurable outcomes. The legislation replaces vague principles with clear health targets to improve system performance, transparency, and delivery after years of poor results under the previous government. Early improvements include reduced emergency wait times, faster treatment, higher immunization rates, and increased investment in hospitals and primary care.

Tags: Simeon Brown Health Minister New Zealand Healthy Futures Amendment Act Health New Zealand Government Patients Health system Health targets Healthcare

New Zealand Passes Health and Safety Amendment Bill to Focus on Critical Risks

01 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 589 views

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill, passed in New Zealand, focuses on preventing serious workplace harm by prioritizing critical risks and reducing regulatory burdens, especially for small businesses. It strengthens Approved Codes of Practice and clarifies duties for directors, aiming to simplify compliance and improve safety outcomes. The reforms, effective from April 2027, balance strong worker protections with practical guidance to support businesses and enhance economic growth.

Tags: Brooke van Velden Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill New Zealand Workplace Relations and Safety WorkSafe Approved Codes of Practice small businesses workplace injuries regulatory compliance

New Zealand Adopts Risk-Based Traffic Management to Cut Cone Overuse and Costs

30 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 517 views

The New Zealand Government is requiring councils to adopt a risk-based, common-sense approach to temporary traffic management, moving away from an outdated, overly-prescriptive Code of Practice to reduce unnecessary road cone usage and improve efficiency. This new approach, already successful on state highways with significant cost savings and maintained safety, will be mandatory for councils seeking National Land Transport Funding from today. The transition to the New Zealand guide to temporary traffic management (NZGTTM) is underway, with full implementation required by mid-2027, aiming to ensure safer worksites and proportionate traffic management across the country.

Tags: Chris Bishop NZTA New Zealand National Land Transport Fund Whangarei District Council Auckland Transport Hamilton City Council Tauranga City Council New Plymouth District Council Porirua City Council

New Zealand Councils Achieve Major Milestone with Approved Water Services Plans

30 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 597 views

All mainland New Zealand councils now have approved water services delivery plans under Local Water Done Well, marking significant progress toward more reliable and financially sustainable water services. Regional water organisations, such as Southern Water and others, are being established to improve efficiency, expertise, and access to finance, with five already operating and thirteen more expected soon, covering three-quarters of New Zealanders. The Government has repealed the previous Three Waters policy, returned water assets to local communities, and implemented regulatory reforms to reduce costs and enhance service delivery, with continued oversight by the new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport.

Tags: Simon Watts Amy Adams Waitaki District Council Local Water Done Well Southern Water Waikato Waters Tiaki Wai Selwyn Water Department of Internal Affairs Ministry of Cities Environment Regions and Transport

New Regulatory Standards Act Empowers Kiwis to Challenge Bad Regulations

30 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 513 views

The Regulatory Standards Act (2025) establishes the Regulatory Standards Board to protect New Zealanders by increasing transparency around the costs and impacts of regulations on property rights and personal liberties. The Board reviews Consistency Accountability Statements, handles public complaints about bad regulations, and can assess existing laws to ensure accountability and inform voters. With over 260 regulators in New Zealand, this Act aims to provide clearer information on regulatory costs and empower citizens to hold policymakers responsible.

Tags: Regulatory Standards Act Regulatory Standards Board David Seymour New Zealand Public Finance Act Reserve Bank Act Bill of Rights Act Consistency Accountability Statements Ministry for Regulation Kiwis

New Rules Introduce Time-of-Use Power Plans to Lower Your Electricity Bills

30 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 579 views

New rules require large power companies in New Zealand to offer time-of-use pricing plans that reflect varying electricity costs throughout the day, allowing customers to save by shifting usage to cheaper periods. These plans include peak, off-peak, and night pricing, and also reward customers who export solar power back to the grid, encouraging renewable energy adoption. This initiative is part of the Government’s broader strategy to provide affordable, reliable energy and give consumers more control over their power bills.

Tags: Simeon Brown Electricity Authority Energy Minister New Zealand Government power companies solar batteries power bills electricity export

New Zealand Cracks Down on Boy Racers and Antisocial Road Users with Tough New Laws

30 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 530 views

The New Zealand Government has passed the Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill to strengthen penalties against boy racers, fleeing drivers, and other antisocial road users, including vehicle forfeiture and increased fines for excessive noise. The law empowers Police to manage antisocial vehicle gatherings more effectively and aims to protect communities from dangerous and disruptive behaviours without targeting lawful car enthusiasts. Most changes will take effect in six months, allowing time for proper implementation by authorities and the judiciary.

Tags: Chris Bishop Mark Mitchell Antisocial Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill New Zealand Police street racing fleeing drivers vehicle destruction excessive noise Justice Committee