04 Jun 2026
4 months ago
883 views
The Commerce Commission has proposed reducing the fees businesses pay to accept company cards, potentially saving retailers around $40 million annually and contributing to a total expected saving of up to $290 million per year for businesses. Commerce Minister Cameron Brewer highlighted that current interchange fees in New Zealand are nearly double those in Australia and unfairly burden businesses, which often pass these costs onto consumers through higher prices. The draft decision is open for consultation, with a final ruling expected later this year, aiming to ensure fairer payment processing costs and benefits for both businesses and consumers.
26 Nov 2025
11 months ago
1203 views
The Christchurch City Council has been appointed as a one-stop consenting authority to streamline approvals for large-scale supermarket developments, reducing the need to navigate multiple councils and processes. This initiative aims to increase competition in a market dominated by Foodstuffs and Woolworths, encouraging new grocery businesses to enter and lower prices for consumers. The service focuses on standalone supermarket buildings over 500m² for non-regulated grocery retailers and complements faster consent processes like MultiProof to enable quicker supermarket construction.
03 Jul 2025
1 year ago
2900 views
One year on, more Police on the beat across New Zealand’s major cities is being celebrated by Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Today I am excited to be part of welcoming the new Beat Team in Rotorua and getting some time to be out on the beat with them,” Mark Mitchell says. “Our beat officers have an important role in ensuring our retailers and members of the public feel and are safe.