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A reminder that the Wellington City Council LTP submissions close this Friday, so please take the opportunity to read the consultation document and have your say on the direction of the city over the next 10 years. In response to requests from members about our thoughts, we wanted to highlight a few areas of concern that we have and share our views on proposals that you may also be interested in commenting on. If you have any questions or want to discuss further contact Jaso

The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were supported by other parties in the House, including the National Party. At that time, the government established on a time-limited funding basis a pay equ

The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has outlined the first RMA Amendment Bill which will make urgent changes to the resource management system. "RM Bill 1 focuses on targeted changes that can take effect quickly and give certainty to

Benefit figures released last week underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support. “The 187,986 people receiving a Jobseeker benefit is roughly the equivalent of Hamilton’s population… T

Trade and Agriculture Minister Hon Todd McClay will visit China, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and services exports in 2023,” Mr McClay said. "Growing our trade relationships and exports will boost New Zealand’s

A short introduction to the WCC LTP and how it relates to the businesses that make up the city What is the Chamber doing to respond to the Council’s long term plan and our special ask of you – a short survey Council and business are inexorably linked. If business is prosperous, the city is prosperous. The business sector is critical to the prosperity of the city. Businesses employ people and a vibrant business sector helps attract people to Wellington. Business activity t

Changes to ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme (AEP) aim to deliver a better experience for businesses and workers whose work injury claims are handled by the organisation directly, rather than through ACC. Accredited employers will be given better insights into their performance, more support and guidance to help them improve their worker’s experience as well as injured workers being better supported by their employers. These changes will modernise health and safety assessm

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced a new credit aimed at assisting hardworking families with the rising costs of early childcare education (ECE). Starting from 1st July, parents and caregivers can receive a partial reimbursement of their ECE fees, with up to 25% of weekly fees refunded, capped at $75 per week. The initiative, called FamilyBoost, aims to alleviate the financial burden of childcare expenses, which can hinder families' ability to enter the workforce. W

The New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (NZ-EU FTA) is expected to come into force months earlier than expected. Both parties are committed to completing the legislative process by the end of March, meaning the FTA is expected to begin on 1 May instead of July or August. Bringing the start date forward will have immediate savings for exporters sending products from 1 May onwards, including an expected $43 million in tariff savings for kiwifruit exporters, and a fu

Hon. Brooke van Velden, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, addressed the Auckland Business Chamber, setting out for the first time her priorities as Minister. Acknowledging that businesses have had it rough recently, she highlighted that reforming the Holiday’s Act is one of her top priorities: “The first action I am going to take is to make sure that any changes to the Act are workable and are a material improvement on the status quo”. She highlighted that complex

New Zealanders have shifted their household spending patterns as living costs rise, according to Stats NZ. Between June 2019 and 2023, spending increased notably on food, housing, health, transport, miscellaneous goods and services, and other expenses, reflecting 82.2 percent of total household expenditure in 2023. Furthermore, households spent less on communication and recreation. Please see the article for the data released by Stats NZ. In today’s Bulletin Auckland Regiona

We wanted to alert members to a few things that happened this week as part of our work to keep you up to date with important information. Firstly, some good news from Parliament with the welcome introduction of the Fast Track Approvals Bill and its referral to the Environment Select Committee for public submissions. This Bill would fast-track the consenting of projects of national significance, potentially reducing years of problematic red tape. The need for infrastructure

In August 2022, a woman waiting to collect whiteware at Trade Depot in Onehunga had her lower leg amputated below the knee after being struck by a forklift. WorkSafe New Zealand charged Trade Depot for lacking an effective traffic management plan to separate moving vehicles and pedestrians. Investigators also found that the forklift involved had malfunctioning lights at the time of the incident. WorkSafe emphasised the lack of adequate systems to manage the risk of interactio

Last Friday, the Government announced that they will repeal the Business Payment Practices Act 2023. Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly highlighted the challenge posed by major market players who impose long payment terms and routinely pay invoices late. He stated the Business Payment Practices Act, is not an effective solution and would burden over 3000 businesses with unnecessary compliance costs associated with upgrading their ICT systems. In today’s B

The Three Waters legislation, a subject of intense debate, has been decisively repealed by the Coalition Government under the leadership of Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. This move marks a step towards implementing the government's Local Water Done Well policy, a key part of the Government’s 100-day plan. The repeal is aimed at returning ownership and control of water assets to local councils, a move supported by the majority of councils across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston has announced a refocus in the coalition government's approach to employment efforts and the welfare system. This new approach prioritises supporting people into work. Minister Upston expressed particular concern about the increasing number of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), which rose by 3,000 people over the December quarter. Furthermore, Minister Upston emphasised the troubling fact that 40,00

New Zealand plans to raise its adult minimum wage by 2% to $23.15 per hour from April 1, 2024, as stated by Minister Brooke van Velden. The increase is intended to support low-income workers, but the minister advises caution due to economic challenges, including high net migration and slow economic growth. While acknowledging New Zealand's relatively generous minimum wage within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), the minister also recognizes po

In the 12 months leading to the December 2023 quarter, New Zealand's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 4.7%. Nicola Growden, Senior Manager of Consumer Prices, remarked that while this marks the smallest annual increase in the CPI in over two years, it continues to exceed the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's target range of 1 to 3%. The primary driver behind the annual inflation rate for the December 2023 quarter was housing and household utilities, with rent, construction, and

The coalition Government is confirming that the exemption from road user charges (RUC) for owners of light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids will end from 1 April. Transport Minister, Hon Simeon Brown, announced the transition of EVs and plug-in hybrids to Road User Charges (RUC) is to ensure fairness and equity in contributing to road maintenance costs. This move aligns with the National-ACT coalition commitment to integrate all vehicles into the RUC system. From A