Employer Bulletin

The Government has extended an agreement for a 550,000-barrel strategic diesel reserve until August 2027 to maintain New Zealand’s fuel resilience, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones say.

The Government has completed the biggest overhaul of national direction in the history of the Resource Management Act – with the final changes making it faster, easier and more affordable to build and upgrade New Zealand’s electricity and telecommunications networks, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.

The Planning Act and Natural Environment Act have received Royal assent and are now law, marking the beginning of New Zealand’s transition to a new and fundamentally different planning system, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say.

The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand decreased by $138 million (0.5%) in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand decreased by $138 million (0.5%) in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand decreased by $138 million (0.5%) in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand decreased by $138 million (0.5%) in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

The total volume of retail sales in New Zealand decreased by $138 million (0.5%) in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

Electricity network costs are driving most of the increases in New Zealanders’ power bills and the sector needs to help make power more affordable, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer say.

Kiwi businesses can now find their share of the $400 million a year the government puts into business grants, funds, and equity schemes in minutes rather than hours, with the launch of the upgraded Funding Explorer, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Cameron Brewer says.

New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in the June 2026 quarter, in figures released by Stats NZ. “This compared with 5.4 percent in the March 2026 quarter,” labour market spokesperson Abby Johnston says.

The Employment Leave Bill has passed its third and final reading, ushering in a long-awaited overhaul of the law that provides employees with employment leave entitlements, like annual and sick leave, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced today.

The Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) has now supported more than $10 billion invested by businesses in research and development (R&D) activity, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Penny Simmonds says.

Amendments to the primary work health and safety law, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, have now received Royal Assent. The amendments aim to focus the health and safety system on critical risk so that businesses are clear about the most important things to focus on. It’s part of the government’s wider health and safety reforms.

Kiwi businesses are on track for up to $800 million a year in productivity gains once eInvoicing is fully adopted, with uptake already more than doubling in the past year as businesses get paid faster and spend less time on paperwork, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Cameron Brewer says.

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill has passed its third reading, marking a major milestone in the Government’s overhaul of New Zealand’s health and safety system, and delivering on the ACT-National coalition agreement, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says.

Legislation to implement the historic New Zealand – India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has passed its first reading, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says. “India is one of the world’s largest economies and is the fastest-growing economy in the G20. With a GDP equivalent to seven trillion New Zealand dollars and an average growth of 8.25 percent since 2021, it represents a major opportunity for New Zealand businesses.

This week’s GDP figures confirm the economy had real momentum at the beginning of this year, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ figures put GDP growth for the March 2026 quarter at 0.8 percent.

New Zealand's small businesses are getting a boost of AI-powered support to unlock new growth opportunities with new Government funding announced today, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Cameron Brewer says.

The first of two shipments of New Zealand’s diesel reserve is now on its way to New Zealand, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones say.