AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 28, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealanders will be able to see the full details of the India free trade agreement for the first time on Tuesday, after a formal signing ceremony in New Delhi overnight.

Trade Minister Todd McClay signed the deal alongside India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Monday night, which means the deal can go through Parliament – setting up a race against the EU for Favoured Nation access.

Just ahead of the ceremony, he told RNZ the deal was very important to New Zealand’s economic future.

“It’s a great day and very exciting for New Zealand. We are taking the next step to have unprecedented access to 1.4 billion consumers,” he said.

“The very first negotiation ever between India and New Zealand was 16 years ago this month, there’s been many stops and starts … this is quite significant.

“We’re seeing India doing trade deals with Australia … the EU; the UK. This not only levels the playing field so New Zealand exporters can be treated fairly in this market, in some areas it gives us advantage.”

That would be particularly true if New Zealand’s FTA came into force faster than the EU’s, because that would mean securing access to a Most Favoured Nation clause for wine and services exports.

McClay said that would be worth tens of millions of dollars in additional exports, and last week said he had not had formal advice on when the EU agreement was set to take effect.

“Generally it takes them quite a long time on their side although they have a new procedure where they can implement it early … but we do still have time between now and when Parliament rises to get it in place.

“This is a very straightforward agreement.”

McClay also signalled to RNZ that businesses were expecting to make announcements imminently.

“You’re likely to hear in the next couple of days about some businesses up here that will be announcing their own investment in India, setting up offices here – because they can see real opportunity on the ground as a result of the FTA.”

With the signing complete, the deal would be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday – giving the public a chance to read the full detail of the agreement – alongside an analysis of whether it met a national interest test.

That provided for public submissions before the text returned to Parliament, after which enacting legislation would also be passed – with the usual process for submissions – to lower tariff rates and set up quota systems.

McClay acknowledged, however, there would be little opportunity for change to the agreement itself.

“If there are views about the way that the quotas should be administered that actually make more sense, the committee has the opportunity to report to Parliament of any changes there,” he said.

“The process we go through is the same for every other trade agreement New Zealand has entered into force … it’s very high quality agreement, it upholds the reputation that New Zealand has. I think people are going to be quite surprised by just how detailed and how much opportunity there is.”

Labour and New Zealand First had raised concerns the deal was signing New Zealand up to a clause committing to $US20 billion in private investment within 15 years, but McClay said he and the business sector were unconcerned.

He said the text only required the government to promote that investment.

“It is to promote only. The text is very clear, as are legal advice and I think the Labour Party has had a chance to go through all of that and you will have heard them last week also confirm or recognise it is a commitment to promote.

“New Zealand takes its obligations under trade agreements very, very seriously – probably one of the best in the world for the way that we honor those commitments. I and the business community have told me they have no concerns about what’s in the agreement.”

He said that if at the end of the 15 years India believed New Zealand had not honoured the commitment, it could begin “a very long process over the number of years … where we enter into dialog and discussion, including at ministerial level”.

“Should they still believe that, then they have the ability … to put in place some temporary and proportionate measures around access.

“I think that actually, you know, the relationship is going to start growing significantly.”

Documents from India’s government said it was one of the fastest deals the country had secured.

It was New Zealand’s second-fastest, behind the UAE deal McClay secured in just three months.

Despite that, McClay was confident it had not been rushed.

“We have taken what would normally be a three or four year negotiation and compressed it into nine months. This is my eighth visit to India. My negotiators were here 21 times.

“We have worked around the clock to deliver for New Zealand exporters. It hasn’t been rushed. We’ve just rolled our sleeves up and worked as hard and fast as we can.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) says keeping unions and the public in the dark on the India-New Zealand Free Trade agreement means the deal risks enshrining exploitative labour conditions.

The deal will be formally signed on Monday night in New Delhi, with the full text expected to be made public on Tuesday.

CTU president Sandra Gray said there had been a complete lack of consultation with unions and the public.

A deal of this size warranted a tripartite approach from unions, business and government, she said.

“In this case, we have seen absolutely nothing. It’s being signed without unions even seeing the text, let alone contributing to the conversation.”

The Labour Party – whose support the government required to get the agreement through parliament – agreed to back the deal just days ago.

Asked if that was premature, given the CTU’s concerns about the deal’s contents, Gray reiterated the importance of including international labour standards in the agreement.

“I think we get very wound up in this idea that larger governments are going to walk away from free trade agreements with us if we don’t just get in and sign on the dotted line. I think we need to hold on to our sovereignty and say New Zealand needs to make sure it is acting ethically and rightly when it comes to workers’ rights.

“We’ve been really, really strong defenders of international law for decades and decades. We should not give up on that, and we should make sure that we use proper scrutiny of anything we sign and that includes unions being at the table.”

The organisation accepted the need for free trade agreements, but wanted confirmation international labour agreements were being adhered to, Gray said.

“My fear around this trade agreement because unions have not been involved is that we’re going to end up buying products and exchanging goods and doing free trade with really, really hostile work environments in India that really exploit workers.

“We don’t know, because we haven’t seen the agreement, but why are they hiding it from the public? Why are they hiding it from unions if it’s a good, fair trade agreement?”

The Maritime Services Union (MSU) last week called on the government to hold off signing the deal until it publicly released the text.

National Secretary Carl Findlay said the government’s secretive approach was an insult to workers.

He also raised concerns about 5000 temporary skilled work visas included in the deal, given high unemployment and infrastructure and housing deficits.

Sandra Gray said the CTU was less concerned about the temporary work visas than secrecy surrounding the deal, which made it impossible to know what labour standards had been agreed to.

Findlay’s comments came as New Zealand First minister Shane Jones made racist remarks on the deal’s immigration implications.

Gray would not be drawn on whether the MSU should be focused on the visa issue amid heightened xenophobic rhetoric.

“The Maritime Union has a stronger idea of what’s right for their members and for their union.”

Political parties should be cautious with their comments, Gray said, noting New Zealand First’s opposition was “built on a moment in time we have to be very careful not to get drawn into”.

“Government parties in particular need to pay real attention to the tone they’re setting for our country around migrants, immigrants and anyone who is coming to work here.”

Temporary migrant numbers ‘relatively small’

Immigration consultant Paul Janssen said New Zealand had agreements, that included visa programmes, with a number of countries and the figures in the India-New Zealand deal were comparatively low.

“In terms of the number of temporary migrants we bring in, it’s a relatively small number, given it’s 1667 per year, capped at 5000 for three years.

“That represents a small number of people and given the skill level they’re aiming for, I think it’s a drop in the bucket, really.”

The vast majority of the visas in the deal were for occupations on the Immigration New Zealand green list of in-demand, hard-to-fill roles, Janssen said.

An Indian government press release said the visas would be in “sectors of interest to India which include Indian iconic occupations (AYUSH practitioners, yoga instructors, Indian chefs and music teachers) and other sectors of interest – IT, Engineering, Healthcare, Education and Construction.”

AYUSH stands for traditional medical systems Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.

The 1000 working holiday visas paled in comparison to other countries, such as the United Kingdom, which New Zealand offers 15,000 working holiday visas, or the 3000 places offered to young Koreans a year, Janssen said.

“This isn’t new – this is something we’ve done and do quite often, so it’s interesting we get different levels of commentary depending on which country we’re dealing with.”

He said Immigration NZ had rigourous processes.

“We go through quite a lot of work to make sure the people coming into the country are well vetted, so it isn’t simply submitting an application and away you go.

“There’s a lot that goes into the background, particularly when you’re looking at temporary visas where Immigration assesses the applicant’s genuine intent to come for a temporary purpose, whether they have the right skills – there’s a lot of hoops to jump through… and it isn’t a cheap exercise, there’s a lot of investment on the applicant’s part.”

New Zealand needed to recognise the added value and improved productivity provided by skilled migrants, he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Advocates are concerned the government is taking New Zealand down a path to US-style crackdowns on overstayers and asylum seekers.

Submissions on the immigration enhanced risk management amendment bill close on Wednesday.

Government documents show the justice ministry raised concerns that children without residence would have no recourse to the immigration and protection tribunal, leaving them with inadequate ways of challenging deportation.

It noted the potential conflict with convention on the rights of the child, while the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) pointed to the ability to other avenues, such as apply for a visa for those unlawfully in New Zealand.

Currently overstayers or people with convictions could appeal deportation to the immigration and protection tribunal where their success depended on having ‘exceptional’ humanitarian circumstances, which were weighed against any public interest factors.

Under the proposed changes, overstayers whose last visa was as a visitor, or any temporary migrant who commits a crime, would lose that right.

Recent successful appeals against deportation that would miss out on a tribunal hearing under the new regime included a 17-year-old boy adopted as a baby and a 75-year-old man married to a New Zealander. Rejected appeals included a man who indecently assaulted his employee and a man with Fragile X syndrome, deemed to likely impose high demand and costs on health services.

Immigration lawyer Stewart Dalley pointed to the number of successful appeals as a sign of how important the tribunal was in checking deportation decisions.

“[The bill] says, we don’t trust the immigration and protection tribunal to make these decisions. I want to make the decision, but I want to make the decision behind closed doors without anybody being able to effectively challenge me.

“And so you’re going to clog up the minister and you’re also going to clog up the high court with people challenging the decisions of the minister. So I don’t see where there’s any gain in this.”

Expanded powers

The concern about workloads was also raised in the Cabinet paper, but downplayed, with a suggestion the other avenues were either prohibitive or could also be curtailed. “This risk is mitigated to an extent through the scope and cost of judicial review. Risks associated with Ministerial intervention can be minimised through operational changes in how they are considered. MBIE will work with the Ombudsman to understand their scope in this area, as this is ultimately at their discretion.”

It also noted expanded powers for immigration officers to request identity documents could disproportionately affect Pacific nationals, and that sharing of highly sensitive personal information with unnamed government and private agencies could undermine trust.

Another move would mean asylum claimants who withdrew a claim could not later apply for a visa.

“It invokes images of ICE and invokes images of, you know, blaming asylum seekers for the other problems in society,” said Dalley. “You know, the government plans to be laser focused on the economy, but when they can’t fix that, then it’s, well, let’s blame the migrants, let’s blame the asylum seekers. It’s the lowest form of politics that there is.

“The refugee process can take 18 months, two years. People’s lives move on, things happen, you know, they fall in love, they find a good job. There are asylum seekers in New Zealand who are PhD qualified so it’s not unreasonable to think that this person might find a really good job in New Zealand and they say ‘well rather than put myself through the traumatic process of the refugee process I’ve now been offered a really highly skilled position in New Zealand which I’m qualified for so I’m going to apply for that visa and and withdraw my refugee claim’. Well, what’s wrong with that?”

Asylum Seekers Support Trust’s general manager Dawit Arshak agreed and rejected Stanford’s characterisation of New Zealand being a “soft touch”.

“I totally oppose the minister’s way of presenting these matters. In the RSU [Refugee Status Unit], her own team are working hard and they are processing these things seriously and the result would reflect that it’s not a soft touch country.”

The trust said refugees and people seeking asylum had long been used to “sow division and fear to win a few votes”.

“Overwhelmingly the people and families seeking asylum are ordinary people like you or me – teachers, engineers, shopkeepers, students – who never imagined when they packed their bags, fled their homes and crossed a border to seek safety that their lives would unfold this way.

“There are always legitimate policy debates on asylum management and systems, but the answer is not for governments to turn their back on basic human rights or grow a narrative designed to place constraints on our compassion. It is greater help with support to restore mental health, wellbeing and integration for people seeking safety who are living a life of extreme uncertainty.”

Stanford pointed out 14 asylum seekers had committed offences while in New Zealand, and wanted to see them only granted protected status – not residence, which would include access to benefits – if they were deemed to be in danger in their home country.

Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Louise Parsons welcomed changes extending the scope of deporting resident-visa holders who commit crimes, but wanted the government to go further on asylum seekers.

“If they haven’t had refugee status gifted, then they commit a crime, and we’re talking serious crime, they would be given protected person status instead of refugee status, which basically means that it’s too hard to send them back to their country because they’ll be in danger. That kind of makes no sense to me because it’s like, so we’re okay to put our residents in danger, but not them.”

In a written statement, Stanford rejected the idea she was vilifying asylum seekers, and said the law changes would mean that Immigration New Zealand could take convictions for crimes committed in New Zealand into account when making a decision on a refugee claim.

“The changes aim to help address serious criminal offending by a small number of asylum seekers so that they cannot get refugee status. This will help make New Zealand safer for everyone and the vast majority asylum seekers are very clearly not the focus of these changes.

“Currently, there are 14 known refugee claims of people who have been convicted of serious offences in New Zealand – this includes murder, serious sexual and drug offences, and arson. We want to respond to this issue to ensure New Zealand is safe and our immigration system works effectively for the future.”

On whether New Zealand was a soft touch, she said analysis showed that the system was aligned in many ways with other comparable countries. “However there are currently areas where our policy can be improved to make New Zealand safer and improve our processes. The proposals are targeted changes to address clear, specific issues – they are not a wholesale reset of New Zealand’s approach.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and India have today signed a once-in-a-generation Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which will lead to more jobs and higher incomes for Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay say.
 
Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Mr McClay signed the Agreement in New Delhi today in front of a large crowd of New Zealand and Indian businesspeople. 
 
“The benefits of this FTA are widespread, and our business community is excited to see the doors of opportunity open to 1.4 billion people whose economy is set to become the third largest in the world,” Mr Luxon says.

“One in four jobs are tied to trade. In signing this FTA we are setting businesses up to succeed, boosting Kiwi jobs and enabling economic growth – and that means more money in Kiwis’ pockets.” 
 
Mr McClay says the FTA supports New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports in 10 years. 
 
“This deal will deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in additional exports,” he says. 
 
“Creating opportunities for our businesses to diversify and create strong trading relationships provides economic security for New Zealanders – and that is crucial in these times of global unrest.”
 
Today’s signing ensures New Zealand is on track to benefit from a Most Favoured Nation clause for wine and services exports, whereby the better access the European Union has secured for its wine and services will be extended to our exporters if our agreement comes into force first. 
 
“That clause will be worth tens of millions of dollars in extra exports for the New Zealand economy,” Mr Luxon says. 
 
“Two-way trade is currently NZ$3.95 billion. The deal we have struck and the relationship we have built will grow this exponentially and deliver deep and lasting benefits for generations to come.”

Notes to editor:

The historic agreement was concluded in December and eliminates or reduces tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports – among the highest of any Indian FTA. Almost 57 per cent of our exports will be duty-free from day one including lamb, wool, coal, leather, most forestry and industrial products. This will increase to 82 per cent when fully implemented including infant formula, a kiwifruit quota almost four times our current exports and seafood. The remaining 13 per cent including kiwifruit, apples, mānuka honey, wine and some dairy is subject to sharp tariff cuts.

Signing activates the standard parliamentary process, allowing Parliament and the public to scrutinise the agreement through the Select Committee. The FTA text and National lnterest Analysis will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow and referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee (FADTC). 

Once FADTC has completed its examination, enabling legislation will be introduced and will follow the usual legislative process. This approach is consistent with that taken for the TPP, CPTPP, and agreements with the United Kingdom, European Union, and United Arab Emirates.

Key outcomes for New Zealand include:   

• Tariff elimination or reduction on 95 per cent of our exports.
• Duty-free access on almost 57 per cent of New Zealand’s exports from day one, increasing to 82 per cent when fully implemented, with the remaining 13 per cent being subject to sharp tariff cuts.
• Immediate tariff elimination on sheep meat, wool, coal and over 95 per cent of forestry and wood exports.
• Duty-free access on most seafood exports, including mussels and salmon, over seven years. 
• Duty-free access on most iron, steel and scrap aluminium, over 10 years or less. 
• Duty-free access for most industrial products, over five to 10 years. 
• 50 per cent tariff cut for large quota of apples – nearly double recent average exports.
• Duty-free access for kiwifruit within a quota almost four times our recent average exports, and tariff halved for exports outside of quota. 
• Duty-free access for cherries, avocados, persimmons and blueberries, over 10 years. 
• Tariffs on wine reduced from 150 per cent to either 25 or 50 per cent (depending on the value of the wine) over 10 years plus a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) commitment. 
• Tariffs on mānuka honey cut from 66 per cent to 16.5 per cent over five years. 
• MFN status and liberalisation across services exports. 
• Duty-free access for dairy and other food ingredients for re-export from day one. 
• Duty-free access for bulk infant formula and other high-value dairy preparations over seven years.
• 50 per cent tariff cut for high value milk albumins within a NZ-specific quota equal to current export volumes.       

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand says the government needs to loosen restrictions for heavy vehicles without delay.

Four changes are being worked on in case of a move up to Phase 2 of the national fuel plan.

This included allowing more weight on some trucks to facilitate fewer trips, allowing normal licences for heavy electric utes, relaxing time and access restrictions for over-dimension vehicles and removing some restrictions on the routes that over-dimension vehicles could travel.

Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih said loosening the weight restrictions would unlock extra productivity in the applicable and save several million litres of diesel.

“You could actually avoid around 10 million kilometres of heavy travel.”

He also welcomed proposed changes to rules around over dimension vehicles but said heavy haulage was a speciality area and would affect fewer vehicles.

He urged government ministers not to wait until Phase 2 to take action.

“It can be picked up straight away. The vehicles we’re looking at, they’ve got spare capacity.

“We shouldn’t be waiting for things to get bad before we actually do things that make sense.”

On Monday Regulation Minister David Seymour and Transport Minister Chris Bishop said submissions were being developed so they could be quickly implemented if the government moved to Phase 2 of its response.

“We are still in Phase 1 of the National Fuel Response Plan, but we don’t want a repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Doing the work to boost fuel efficiency now helps ensure we can stay in Phase 1 for as long as possible, causing the least disruption to Kiwis,” said Seymour.

Bishop said concerns over weight restrictions were widespread in the freight sector.

“In the short term, even small increases in permitted loads could reduce the number of trips needed, saving time, lowering costs, and reducing fuel use,” Bishop said.

“We need to balance that with safety and network impacts, but there are sensible changes we can make that will lift productivity without compromising standards.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand says the government needs to loosen restrictions for heavy vehicles without delay.

Four changes are being worked on in case of a move up to Phase 2 of the national fuel plan.

This included allowing more weight on some trucks to facilitate fewer trips, allowing normal licences for heavy electric utes, relaxing time and access restrictions for over-dimension vehicles and removing some restrictions on the routes that over-dimension vehicles could travel.

Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih said loosening the weight restrictions would unlock extra productivity in the applicable and save several million litres of diesel.

“You could actually avoid around 10 million kilometres of heavy travel.”

He also welcomed proposed changes to rules around over dimension vehicles but said heavy haulage was a speciality area and would affect fewer vehicles.

He urged government ministers not to wait until Phase 2 to take action.

“It can be picked up straight away. The vehicles we’re looking at, they’ve got spare capacity.

“We shouldn’t be waiting for things to get bad before we actually do things that make sense.”

On Monday Regulation Minister David Seymour and Transport Minister Chris Bishop said submissions were being developed so they could be quickly implemented if the government moved to Phase 2 of its response.

“We are still in Phase 1 of the National Fuel Response Plan, but we don’t want a repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Doing the work to boost fuel efficiency now helps ensure we can stay in Phase 1 for as long as possible, causing the least disruption to Kiwis,” said Seymour.

Bishop said concerns over weight restrictions were widespread in the freight sector.

“In the short term, even small increases in permitted loads could reduce the number of trips needed, saving time, lowering costs, and reducing fuel use,” Bishop said.

“We need to balance that with safety and network impacts, but there are sensible changes we can make that will lift productivity without compromising standards.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Finance Minister says she shut down an event in her office last year after “offensive language” was used during a function she hosted for press gallery journalists.

Nicola Willis held pre-Budget drinks in her office in May last year where an incident between two journalists is alleged to have happened.

Political commentator Ani O’Brien wrote on her Substack page on Tuesday morning that TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman allegedly used a homophobic slur against Stuff journalist Lloyd Burr, which led to the drinks in Willis’ office being shut down.

Nicola Willis told RNZ in a statement on Tuesday that she was “out of the room for a few minutes and returned to hear offensive language being used”.

“I ended the event at that point,” she said.

“The following day I checked in on the welfare of the reporter at whom the language was directed. He advised me he did not want to take the matter any further. I respected his decision.”

In response to the allegations a spokesperson for TVNZ says, “we do not comment on employment matters”.

Stuff has also responded to the allegations in a statement saying, “Stuff Group stands by, and has complete faith in, Lloyd Burr’s account of the events and his conduct in Minister Willis’ office last May”.

“We will continue to respect his wishes not to comment further on what occurred that night,” a spokesperson told RNZ.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation to strengthen the management of prisoners who pose an extreme risk to prison or public safety while in prison has passed its first reading today, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. 

“The Corrections (Management of Prisoners, and Prisoners’ Property) Amendment Bill underscores this Government’s commitment to restoring law and order. 

“It will see real and practical steps taken to enhance prison and public safety, and a strengthened legislative framework to manage the small number of prisoners who pose an extreme risk to prison and public safety, while balancing natural justice,” says Mr Mitchell. 

“Extreme risk prisoners include those connected to transnational organised crime, or who pose a risk to prison or public safety from their radical ideology, or those with a history of serious violence towards others.” 

The Bill introduces a robust statutory process to determine whether a prisoner poses an extreme risk and needs a higher level of custodial oversight. 

“These prisoners will likely be subject to more stringent measures than other prisoners, such as receiving fewer hours of unlock and fewer contact visits. However, they will also have a cell with a self-contained yard, which provides them with more personal space than other prisoners. 

“The Bill strikes a careful balance between managing the risks posed by these prisoners and protecting their rights to natural justice.  When making a determination on which prisoners pose an extreme threat, the chief executive is informed by an expert advisory panel’s recommendation, and any other information the chief executive considers relevant. 

“To ensure fair consideration is taken, prisoners will be able to provide written information to the panel for consideration before they make a recommendation to the chief executive. The chief executive is also obligated to review a designation if new and relevant information comes to light, or there has been a change in circumstances that may make the determination inappropriate or unnecessary.” 

The Bill will also explicitly prohibit prolonged solitary confinement for all prisoners.  

“Making this explicit in legislation ensures it aligns more closely with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, particularly rules 43 and 44. Under the Bill, all prisoners must receive 10 hours of meaningful human contact over each 14-day period, with a desire for Corrections to aim to provide prisoners with 14 hours of meaningful human contact each week,” Mr Mitchell says. 

The other substantive changes in the Bill include: 

• the introduction of a new segregation ground that recognises the complex risks that some prisoners pose to public safety
• amendments that will enable prison managers to more easily move segregated prisoners between restricted and denied association to align with the risks they pose
• a new provision allowing Corrections to apply to the High Court to destroy the property of a prisoner who, on their death, was a designated terrorist entity
• the introduction of new provisions to reduce the risk of illicit use of prisoner trust accounts.  

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has secured an additional nine days’ of diesel supply to boost New Zealand’s fuel reserves and help shield the country from the global oil shock, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones say. 

“Following a contestable procurement process, the Government has signed a letter of intent with Z Energy today to procure 90 million litres of NZ specification diesel. 

“Under the terms of the deal: 

• the fuel will be delivered to Marsden Point either as a single cargo or as two cargoes
• the Crown’s exposure to any long-term fall in fuel prices will be limited; and
• the fuel will be held at the direction of the Crown.

“This is a practical, forward-looking step that will help ensure New Zealand has more resilience at a time of global fuel market uncertainty. It strengthens both our fuel and economic buffers and reduces the potential impacts of international supply disruptions from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Shane Jones says the diesel supply, which will be in addition to the minimum stock holdings of fuel companies in New Zealand, will be stored at Marsden Point in Northland.

“Channel Infrastructure is working at pace to deliver a refurbished tank that can hold more than 90 million litres by early June. The Government earlier this month signed off an investment of up to $21.6 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to acquire this extra capacity.”

In March, Cabinet agreed a strategy to strengthen fuel supply resilience, including seeking commercial proposals from fuel importers. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ran a competitive procurement process, inviting fuel importers to submit their proposals to supply additional fuel.

“Z Energy’s proposal delivered the strongest overall advantages, providing value for money alongside practical flexibility around how and when the additional fuel could be used,” Shane Jones says.

“Z Energy will procure, own and manage the volume of diesel under the agreement but the Crown will control its release into the New Zealand market.” 

The additional supply will not count towards the fuel companies’ minimum stockholding obligations.

Nicola Willis says while the current fuel system continues to serve the country well, additional fuel provides strategic insurance for keeping the economy moving.  

“Reliable fuel supply is essential for households and businesses. We have prioritised securing additional diesel because it is the fuel that drives the economy.

“We are taking a measured, responsible approach and believe this agreement, alongside the other work the Government is doing, will help strengthen our fuel security and give reassurance to Kiwis.”

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Coalition Government is expanding its granny flat building consent exemption to support faster construction, more choice for homeowners, and a wider range of off-site building methods. 

“Our granny flat changes are real-life examples of the Government’s drive to cut red tape, reduce costs, and give families more options to make better use of their land,” RMA and Housing Minister Chris Bishop Bishop says. 

“We’ve already made it much easier for Kiwis to build a simple granny flat by removing the need for both building and resource consents in most cases for units up to 70 square metres, provided they meet clear national standards. 

“The new rules went live in January this year, and early data suggests strong interest from homeowners, builders, and councils with more than 52,000 downloads of the policy guidance document and supporting resources from the MBIE website.  

“Now we’re building on those changes to give homeowners even more choice, while maintaining strong safety and quality standards,” Mr Bishop says.  

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says two new changes will make it easier and faster to deliver granny flats, particularly through off-site construction.

“We’re making a practical change to allow consent-exempt granny flats to be built off-site before a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) is issued, provided all conditions are met. 

“That means homes can be built in advance, giving buyers the ability to inspect them before purchase and reducing overall construction time. 

“A PIM will still be required before any on-site work begins, providing an opportunity to confirm the home is suitable for the land it will be placed on. 

“Homeowners will continue to have flexibility in how they build. People can still choose to build entirely on-site using the exemption or go through the standard building consent process if that better suits their project. 

“We’re also expanding the exemption to include Structural Insulated Panels with a CodeMark certificate, recognising a wider range of proven building materials while maintaining confidence they meet Building Code requirements. 

“Alongside this, we’re making minor technical improvements to ensure the rules are clear and workable in practice. All the changes are expected to be made by Order in Council in Q3 of 2026,” Mr Penk says. 

Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says the changes are practical and will provide a range of options for families. 

“For whanau that need housing immediately, allowing granny flats to be readily available is a commonsense decision. 

“I am pleased the New Zealand First-National Coalition agreement is delivering more commonsense housing solutions. 

“These changes allow homeowners to have a range of options available to them and I look forward to seeing a boost in productivity in the construction sector this will bring,” Mr Jones says.

Note to editors:
 

• Under the National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES-DRMU), under the Resource Management Act 1991, homeowners can add a detached minor residential unit of up to 70 square metres without needing a resource consent, provided certain requirements are met such as floor area, building coverage, and setback distances. 
• The NES-DMRU complements the building consent exemption under the Building Act 2004, which remove the need for a building consent for these units if they meet specified criteria.
• Changes to PIM requirements for off-site construction will be included in the upcoming Building Amendment Bill, which is expected to be introduced in the middle of 2026. 
• A PIM will continue to apply to granny flats before any onsite building work takes place. Homeowners can also choose to receive a PIM before any offsite building work takes place. 
• PIMs are required to convey site‑specific information relevant to design and construction. This includes information on natural hazards and existing public utilities. 

MIL OSI