First, a word on the budget. Budget 2026 was a realistic and sensible response to the economic and fiscal pressures facing New Zealand. There were a number of positive measures for business, including greater funding for trades training, infrastructure projects, education, health, defence and further signalled regulatory reform in areas from FBT to tax.

Diane Petterd

BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ — Given the political, economic, and fiscal constraints facing the New Zealand economy, Budget 2026 is fiscally responsible, BusinessNZ says. Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the Government has approached this year’s Budget with a restrained, real-world lens. “BusinessNZ wanted to see a Budget which delivered a credible, long-term economic plan to return New Zealand’s […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ — BusinessNZ welcomes the Government’s Budget 2026 investment of $131.1 million into compulsory education, saying the package reinforces the importance of strong foundational learning for New Zealand’s long-term economic future. BusinessNZ Director of Education, Skills and Immigration Rachel Simpson says meaningful education reform requires resourcing and ensuring teachers have the tools, training, and support […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ — Changes to the Active Investor Plus visa settings mean charitable contributions of up to $1 million will qualify as part of an applicant’s minimum $5 million investment in New Zealand. BusinessNZ says the move will strengthen public confidence in foreign investment by broadening the benefits beyond economic outcomes alone. Director of Education, Skills […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

With this work the EA is proposing updates to the Distributed Generation Pricing Principles (DGPPs) to promote and unlock efficient investment and network usage, and to help reduce the cost of supply to consumers. In principle BEC is supportive of this ambition and agrees that network pricing should evolve alongside the changing structure and operation […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

Submission by ExportNZ and BusinessNZ on the International Treaty Examination of the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of India.

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

According to the BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index (PSI) the services sector in New Zealand contracted in April, albeit more slowly than in March. The PSI for April was 48.9 (where a reading above 50.0 indicates the sector is generally expanding, and a reading below 50.0 indicates the sector is in contraction). The […]

Mark Cox

BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ — BusinessNZ says changes to plant variety rights (PVR) should ensure more of the value created by New Zealand science and ingenuity stays here, to drive innovation, lift export returns and support long-term economic growth. Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says at a time when our country must find new ways to grow export revenue, lift productivity, […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

According to the latest BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI), New Zealand’s manufacturing sector was expanding in April, but the expansion was only marginal. The seasonally adjusted PMI for April was 50.5 (where a reading above 50.0 indicates that the manufacturing sector as a whole is expanding, and a reading below 50.0 indicates […]

Mark Cox

BusinessNZ

Source: BusinessNZ — Proposed changes to agricultural, horticultural and veterinary product regulation will slash red tape, improve productivity and innovation across the primary sector, and be a comfort for pet owners across the country, BusinessNZ says. Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says streamlining approval pathways and reducing unnecessary duplication should help businesses access new tools and […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ supports the Bill. It is a sensible package of reforms that cuts red tape and makes it easier for businesses to operate, from local salons through to restaurants, breweries and major events. Businesses will now get more certainty around licence renewals; venues will be able to open for major televised sporting events without needing […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ supports proposed amendments to the ACC Funding Policy Statement that align the FPS with PBE IFRS definitions. The submission also calls on MBIE to address three systemic issues: reducing the premium-smoothing period from 10 years to 2–5 years, raising aggregate levy change caps above the current 5%, and requiring transparency around cross-subsidisation within ACC […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

I have just returned from Delhi, where ExportNZ’s Josh Tan and I were proud to be part of a 40-strong BusinessNZ-coordinated delegation supporting the NZ government, as Trade Minister Hon. Todd McClay signed the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement.  This is a landmark deal for our exporters, opening up significant opportunities in one of the […]

Diane Petterd

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ supports the objective of open banking as a way to improve competition, innovation and productivity in the financial services sector by lowering the barriers for new products and providers, while also maintaining strong protections for security, privacy and overall consumer control. In practice, open banking can enable services such as more efficient account-to-account payments, […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ welcomes the Labour Party’s public support for the NZ-India Free Trade Deal, saying it represents our best chance to secure meaningful access to one of the world’s most important growth markets. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says trade has long been a strength of New Zealand’s economic policy, and bipartisan support has underpinned our […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ supports the deliberately focused scope of the proposal, which is limited to only critical infrastructure sectors of national significance. Cyber security regulation must be precisely targeted to avoid creating any disproportionate compliance burdens across the wider economy. New Zealand’s threat landscape is serious. The Discussion document identifies the growing sophistication of state-sponsored actors and […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

Will you back the deal? Since the last issue of the AdvocacyUpdate, BusinessNZ has been flat out supporting members through the fuel disruption, sharing timely information and practical guidance as the situation has evolved. CEOs from our Major Companies Group tell me they valued the recent briefing with the Prime Minister, Hon. Nicola Willis and […]

Diane Petterd

BusinessNZ

The services sector in New Zealand contracted in March, according to the BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index (PSI). The PSI for March was 46.0 (A PSI reading above 50.0 indicates that the service sector is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). This was 1.6 points lower than in February and 6.6 […]

Mark Cox

BusinessNZ

The BusinessNZ Network and leaders across New Zealand’s export sector are calling on all political parties to back the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement, warning the country cannot afford to miss a major economic opportunity. An open letter published today and signed by 28 exporters and industry associations outlines the significance of getting the deal across the line as global uncertainty, rising protectionism and supply chain disruption continues to […]

Cal Roberts

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ supports a well-functioning and appropriately resourced AML/CFT system. New Zealand’s obligations under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as well as the reputational and economic consequences of failing to meet them are real and significant. We do not oppose cost recovery in principle and acknowledge the Government’s decision to move to a co-funded model […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ welcomes New Zealand’s first City Deal as a long-overdue step toward unlocking economic growth, through better coordinated infrastructure planning and delivery. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the agreement for Auckland signals a shift toward more constructive collaboration between central and local government. “Developing world-class cities requires long-term thinking, coordinated investment, and a clear […]

BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ

According to the latest BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI), New Zealand’s manufacturing sector was expanding in March, albeit at a slower rate than previously. The seasonally adjusted PMI for March was 53.2 (a reading above 50.0 indicates that manufacturing as a whole is expanding, below 50.0 that it is contracting). This was […]

Mark Cox

BusinessNZ

Keeping you across the Issues All members will be aware of the Government’s release of a fuel plan on fuel security, reflecting growing global uncertainty. The BusinessNZ Network has taken a measured and methodical approach to making sure we do all we can to support members as this issue develops. In the first instance, we […]

Diane Petterd

BusinessNZ