PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for June 1, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay is heading to the United Kingdom to jointly Chair the NZ-UK FTA Trade Committee meeting and to Paris to Vice-Chair the annual OECD Ministerial Council Meeting.

The visit coincides with the third anniversary of entry into force of the New Zealand-United Kingdom FTA, with two-way trade reaching a record $7.4 billion in 2025.

“Strong UK consumer demand for our premium products has driven a 75 per cent increase in total New Zealand exports to this market in the three years of our Agreement,” Mr McClay says.  

“Last year alone, Kiwi goods exports to the UK rose over 22 per cent compared to 2024, with meat a key contributor to the growth. There was also a 28 per cent increase in business services exports.”

While in the UK, Mr McClay will meet with Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle and Minister of State for Trade Chris Bryant.

Together with Secretary Kyle, Mr McClay will review the progress achieved in implementation of the NZ UK Free Trade Agreement at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the FTA Joint Committee.

In Paris, Mr McClay will Vice-Chair the annual OECD Economic and Trade Ministerial Council Meeting where he will lead discussions on the international trade environment and ways to support cross-border investment.

“The OECD is an important forum for New Zealand and like-minded partners to share our experience on common challenges, and benefit from world-class policy expertise and analysis.”

Mr McClay will also hold meetings with international counterparts while in Paris including from the EU, Canada, China and Germany.

“One in four New Zealand jobs depends on trade, and strengthening these relationships creates opportunities for Kiwi businesses, meaning higher incomes and more jobs.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/31/mcclay-to-chair-formal-uk-and-oecd-trade-meetings/

Source: New Zealand Government

Budget 2026 funds more frontline teams to respond to migrant exploitation and immigration non-compliance  

As part of Budget 2026, the Government is investing $18 million over four years to strengthen our response to migrant exploitation and immigration non-compliance, with three new frontline teams to respond to serious offending, protect people from harm and exploitation, and increase the number of cases investigated. 

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says the funding responds to sustained growth in demand for labour inspectorate and immigration compliance activity since the border fully reopened in July 2022.  

“In an increasingly uncertain world, we’re seeing more complex cases that require investigation or enforcement, and an increase in asylum‑related cases,” Ms Stanford says.

“We are also, for the first time, holding the line on a maximum continuous stay (MCS) that requires people on temporary work visas to depart New Zealand if they are not eligible for another visa.  

“Frontline staff are making prioritisation decisions every day to identify and respond to serious offending and protect vulnerable people. However, without additional resources, that inevitably means longer delays for some cases and a reduced ability to intervene early.  

“Delays in responding to migrant exploitation, bad behaviour by employers, finding people who are subject to deportation liability, or identifying people who are in breach of visa conditions have real consequences. They can prolong harm to victims, weaken deterrence, allow offending to continue, reduce the effectiveness of prosecutions, and undermine public trust and confidence in the immigration system. Without additional resources, New Zealand’s ability to enforce immigration and labour standards and hold people to account for migrant exploitation in a timely and effective way would remain significantly constrained.”  

The Government has already moved to strengthen deportation settings and immigration compliance to help build trust in New Zealand’s immigration system. Under legislation that came into effect in November last year a new offence was created for knowingly seeking or receiving premiums for employment with penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment or a $100,000 fine. The Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill currently going through Parliament will strengthen the tools available to respond to serious immigration breaches even further and increases the maximum penalty for migrant exploitation from seven to 10 years’ imprisonment.   

Budget 2026 complements work already completed and underway by establishing three additional frontline teams within Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Immigration Compliance and Investigations branch, and the Labour Inspectorate, operating under a graduated compliance model that ranges from voluntary compliance and warnings through to investigation, prosecution, and deportation, where necessary.  

“This investment recognises the strong work already underway, and provides the additional teams needed to make that work more effective and sustainable over time,” Ms Stanford says.   

“It will strengthen the system’s ability to respond proportionately, dealing with lower‑level non‑compliance early, while ensuring serious and high‑risk cases remain prioritised.”  

The funding will result in an additional 22 FTE to create:  

another Immigration Investigations team, targeted at reducing complex case backlogs and responding to serious immigration offending  
an additional Labour Inspectorate team, expanding capacity to detect and respond to migrant exploitation and serious breaches of employment standards.  
A new Immigration Compliance team, focused on addressing lower‑level employer non‑compliance and people in New Zealand unlawfully or in breach of their visa conditions. 

The new compliance team will enable approximately 70 additional infringement notices each year.  The new investigations team will have capacity to close an additional 50–60 serious cases annually and undertake 10–14 additional prosecutions. The new labour inspectorate team will increase enforcement capacity by around 30 per cent.    

“By increasing the number of frontline teams across compliance, investigations and the labour inspectorate, we can reduce backlogs, increase enforcement action and ensure the highest‑risk cases receive the attention they require, particularly where harm or exploitation is occurring,” Ms Stanford says. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/28/more-resources-to-combat-migrant-exploitation/

Source: Media Outreach

MACAO – EQS Newswire – 28 May 2026 – Running from May 27 to 30, 2026, BEYOND Expo opened its doors at The Venetian Macao Cotai Expo. A premier global platform for technological innovation and real-world deployment, the Expo brought together top tech companies, investors and business leaders to explore breakthroughs across artificial intelligence, embodied AI and next-generation technologies.

Matrix Robotics, as a trailblazer in China’s general-purpose humanoid robot industry, put its flagship all-round model MATRIX-3 on full display. The robot embodies the Company’s latest progress in embodied AI, motion control, precision manipulation and industrial mass production, and stands as a testament to the competitiveness of China’s humanoid robotics sector.

Live Demos Showcase Hard-core Capabilities

The booth created an immersive tech experience. MATRIX-3 finished smooth bipedal walking and nimble turns with human-like movements. Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 3.9 km/h, it closely mimics human walking, proving the high stability and reliability of its self-developed biomimetic linear joints and motion control algorithms.

The robot also completed delicate tasks including grasping, holding and rolling fruit replicas. Equipped with a 27-degree-of-freedom dexterous hand that delivers micron-level precision, MATRIX-3 is well-suited for a wide range of scenarios including high-end manufacturing, commercial services, logistics sorting, medical assistance and household use.

MATRIX-3 features sleek tech styling and 3D woven biomimetic skin. Its ergonomic design and human-centric interaction drew crowds of visitors and industry professionals.

Engaging Activities Wow the Crowds, Bringing Embodied AI to the Public

To engage the public, Matrix Robotics hosted two one-hour interactive sessions every day. Visitors could scan a QR code to sign up and play rock-paper-scissors against MATRIX-3, with winners receiving limited-edition keychains. This creative interaction drew long queues and livened up the venue, making it one of the most popular photo spots at BEYOND Expo.

Distinguished Guests Visit the Booth, Praising Chinese Technology

During the event, the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, representatives from renowned consortia came to the booth. They watched MATRIX-3’s demonstrations, experienced human-robot interaction, and exchanged in-depth views with Matrix Robotics on technical roadmaps, mass production plans and real-world applications.

The guests spoke highly of MATRIX-3’s design, motion performance, operational accuracy and interaction safety. They acknowledged Matrix Robotics’ leading edge in the engineering, commercialization and large-scale deployment of general humanoid robots, as well as its technological strength and industrial value in the global embodied AI sector as a Chinese tech player.

Dual Drive of Technology & Mass Production Puts Embodied AI into Reality

Matrix Robotics is led by Haixing Zhang (Allen Zhang), founding head of Tesla China Design and Research Center. Its team boasts world-class expertise in humanoid robot R&D and engineering. The Company officially launched its flagship MATRIX-3 and commissioned the MFH Factory in Zhangjiang, Shanghai, realizing end-to-end independent production to accelerate industrial rollout.

Standing 1.7 meters tall and weighing 65 kilograms, MATRIX-3 integrates 4 core technologies: the WAVE physical foundation large model, high-performance biomimetic linear joints, a 27-degree-of-freedom dexterous hand and 3D-woven biomimetic safety skin. It can work continuously for 4 hours, carry up to 15 kilograms with dual arms and achieve zero-shot generalization, enabling rapid deployment across diverse scenarios.

Currently, the Company is capable of delivering 5,000 units within this year and targets an output of 100,000 units by 2027. Scaled production will reduce costs steadily and turn humanoid robots from tech exhibits into general-purpose workforce.

BEYOND Expo Macao marks a key international showcase for MATRIX-3. It further reinforces Matrix Robotics’ leading position in global humanoid robotics and drives technological cooperation, scenario expansion and ecosystem development.

Going forward, Matrix Robotics will continue to pursue technological innovation and deployment based on first principles. Leveraging China’s industrial value chain, the Company will launch industry partnership programs and the RAAS ecosystem, striving to make China’s embodied AI technologies universal intelligent solutions for the world.

Hashtag: #MatrixRobotics

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that financial relief for early childhood education (ECE) services will come in July 2026, instead of January 2027. 

“There are few things as important to Kiwi parents as affordable and quality ECE for their children,” Mr Seymour says. 

Most ECE services will receive a 1.5 percent increase to their subsidy rates. The increase applies from July 2026 but typically isn’t received by services till the following January. This year, however, services will receive the increase from July. The increased rates would provide the ECE sector with an additional $40 million each year. 

“ECE in New Zealand should be affordable, high quality, and accessible. New Zealand’s future relies on it,” Mr Seymour says. 

“The sector has told me that rising costs are getting in the way of those goals. 

“When ECE services face cost pressures they have two options; pass costs on to parents, or give up features of their service that are no longer financially viable. Neither of those options are good enough for Kiwi families. 

“ECE services shouldn’t have to make either of those decisions. That’s why we brought forward support. Usually it would come in January 2027, but we recognise the urgency. Services will get it in July 2026. 

“We have also reformed ECE sector regulations to raise the quality of ECE and make it more affordable. 

“Last year we completed the ECE Sector Review to reduce compliance costs but keep children’s safety at the forefront. The Review instigated 15 changes to make it easier to open and run high-quality centres. This leads to more choice and better access for parents.

“The Ministry for Regulation went straight to the source and asked the sector what’s increasing costs and limiting competition. These changes are based on feedback from providers around the country who say they’ve been frustrated by unclear rules, conflicting advice from different agencies, and unnecessary red tape.”

The changes include: 

Reducing the number of licensing criteria by almost 20 per cent, and simplifying 58 of them to reduce unnecessary compliance for services and give them greater flexibility. 
Establishing a new Director of Regulation and moving regulatory functions from the Ministry of Education to ERO to improve oversight. 
Introducing graduated enforcement tools to respond more appropriately to breaches of the new licensing criteria. The only enforcement tools previously available couldn’t manage minor breaches and didn’t facilitate early intervention. There will no longer be high-stakes open-or-shut rules that create anxiety, and strain relationships between regulators and centre operators.

“These reforms make it easier to open and run high-quality centres, which means more choice and better access for parents. This is part of the Government’s wider commitment to smarter, more effective regulation that encourages growth,” Mr Seymour says. 

To help ease the pressures placed on families by rising costs this Government has also introduced FamilyBoost which has so far provided more than 92,000 families with up to $120 a week towards ECE costs. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/28/ece-funding-to-provide-sector-instant-relief/

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 May 2026 – Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Eternal Group; Stock Code: 6883.HK), for over four decades the preeminent strategic gateway for fragrance and beauty brands into China, including Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, today announced its official partnership with Esxence and the launch of a dedicated campaign titled “The Eternal Path to China.” Running from 3 to 6 June 2026 at Esxence 2026 in Milan, the campaign presents a comprehensive navigable roadmap for international fragrance brands —from niche artisan perfumers to established luxury heritage brands—seeking to enter or expand within one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing fragrance markets.

For details: https://www.eternal.hk/the-eternal-path-to-china/

Downloadable Photo: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1awiWHa161_BbmFiJVdW_dE8gIm7imaJV?usp=sharing

A Flagship Seminar with Industry Leaders

The flagship session, “Paving the Way to China Fragrance Market,” will take place on 5 June 2026 from 15:00 to 15:45 (CEST) at the Conference Hall on the Main Stage of Esxence 2026. A distinguished panel of industry experts will examine China’s economic landscape and fragrance market, offering practical and insight-driven perspectives on successful market entry strategies. The confirmed speakers are Mr. Stefano De Paoli, Italy Chief Representative of InvestHK; Mr. Haocong Weng, Director of the Xuelei Fragrance Museum; Ms. Wincy Tang, General Manager of Marketing and Partnership at Experience 11 Limited, and Ms. Cindy Chung, Director of General Affairs of Eternal Group.

Beyond the Seminar: A Full Suite of Brand Resources

Beyond the seminar, Eternal Group has curated a comprehensive suite of resources to equip brands with actionable intelligence and operational guidance. Six industry talks will be held at Business Lounge No. 8 with speakers from Hong Kong Productivity Council, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Loops Hong Kong, as well as expertise from Eternal Group. Topics will cover regulatory compliance, emerging marketing trends, and brand storytelling tailored for Chinese consumers. One-on-one consultations will offer bespoke advisory sessions with Eternal Group’s senior experts. In addition, attendees will have access to The China Market Entry Blueprint, a proprietary guide featuring market insights and consumer trend analysis, NMPA compliance pathways and formula testing requirements, localization best practices, as well as marketing, PR, and retail channel strategies across shopping malls, pop‑ups, and museums.

“For more than 40 years, Eternal Group has served as a trusted bridge for international fragrance brands navigating the complexities of the China market,” said Ms Wendy Lau, Executive Director of Eternal Group.”With ‘The Eternal Path to China’ at Esxence 2026, we are transforming complexity into clarity—providing strategic insights, trusted partnership and a clear pathway to market success. Whether a brand is taking its first step or strengthening its existing presence, we are here to guide its journey into the China market.”

Registration & Inquiries

You are invited to attend the seminar, industry talks, and exclusive briefings. To register or schedule interviews with speakers or Eternal Group representatives, please contact the PR & Corporate Communication Department at ccd@eternal.hk. To register for the seminar, please visit: https://bit.ly/3PRfOrM.

Remarks:

To access both the Conference Hall and Business Lounge, please purchase a standard Esxence ticket on VivaTicket.com. The ticket includes exhibition access (first 3 days are open to industry professionals only; the final day is open to the public). Consumers may register by contacting: events@equipemilano.com.

Hashtag: #EternalGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Media Outreach

BANGKOK/SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire– 29 May 2026 – Vinpearl Joint Stock Company announced a series of strategic partnerships and agreements with Agoda, AirAsia MOVE, BeMyGuest, and GlobalTix, leading regional players in online travel, aviation, and experience distribution. These collaborations are aimed at expanding access to international travelers, strengthening the global presence of the Vinpearl, VinWonders, Vinpearl Golf, and VinPalace ecosystem, and bringing Vinpearl’s hospitality, leisure, and entertainment offerings to a broader audience across international markets.

The agreements were signed at the Vietnam-Thailand Business Forum and the Vietnam-Singapore Technology Connectivity Forum, held as part of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s official visits to the Kingdom of Thailand, the Republic of Singapore, and the Republic of the Philippines from May 28 to June 1, 2026.

In Thailand, Vinpearl announced the expansion of its strategic partnerships with Agoda and AirAsia MOVE to strengthen the international presence of its integrated tourism, hospitality, and entertainment ecosystem.

Through Agoda, one of the world’s largest online travel platforms, Vinpearl aims to optimize business performance across its tourism, hospitality, and entertainment portfolio while expanding its reach in key markets including Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Australia, and long-haul international traveler segments. The partnership also marks a new milestone for VinWonders, with its integrated leisure and hospitality products now being offered directly through Agoda’s global platform.

The partnership with AirAsia MOVE is designed to broaden international access to Vinpearl and VinWonders hospitality, leisure, and entertainment offerings in Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Da Nang-Hoi An through one of the region’s leading digital travel platforms. Via AirAsia MOVE, travelers can conveniently book flights, accommodations, and attractions within a single itinerary, making it easier to choose integrated Vinpearl and VinWonders experiences when visiting Vietnam.

With access to a network of more than 700 airlines and over one million hotels worldwide, AirAsia MOVE is expected to further strengthen the visibility of the Vinpearl and VinWonders ecosystem among international travelers, while also enhancing Vietnam’s appeal as a destination for visitors from ASEAN and other key global markets.

In Singapore, Vinpearl also signed partnership agreements with BeMyGuest and GlobalTix, two of the Asia-Pacific region’s leading technology and distribution platforms for travel experiences.

Supported by extensive partner networks and some of the region’s most diverse travel product portfolios, these collaborations are expected to strengthen the presence of the VinWonders brand across Southeast Asia, China, and India, while expanding international access to unique experience offerings in Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang.

Through these agreements, the partners will leverage their respective strengths in technology, distribution, and customer ecosystems to progressively expand the international footprint of Vinpearl and VinWonders while enhancing the global appeal of Vietnamese tourism.

Ms. Ngo Thi Huong, Chief Executive Officer, Vinpearl, said: “These partnerships not only expand Vinpearl’s network of strategic partners but also create a strong foundation for the Vinpearl and VinWonders ecosystem to connect more deeply with global traveler segments through some of the region’s leading travel, aviation, and distribution platforms. This represents an important step in our strategy to strengthen international competitiveness and position Vinpearl destinations among the top choices for travelers across Asia.”

Mr. Krishna Rathi, Associate Vice President, Supply, Agoda, said: “With its extensive scale of operations, diverse portfolio, and ability to develop integrated destinations, Vinpearl is one of the most outstanding partners in Vietnam’s tourism industry today. We believe this partnership will help the Vinpearl and VinWonders ecosystem engage more deeply with rapidly growing international traveler segments across Asia and global markets.”

Ms. Nadia Omer, Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia MOVE, said: “We highly value the opportunity to partner with Vinpearl in unlocking strategic collaboration potential within one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic and fast-growing tourism markets. As an OTA platform with a comprehensive travel ecosystem and extensive regional connectivity, AirAsia MOVE is committed to further enhancing travel connectivity and intra-regional tourism flows. Vietnam is emerging as one of the region’s brightest tourism destinations, and we believe the combination of Vinpearl’s leading hospitality and entertainment ecosystem with AirAsia MOVE’s distribution and connectivity capabilities will create significant growth opportunities for the tourism sector in the years ahead.”

The partnerships with Agoda, AirAsia MOVE, BeMyGuest, and GlobalTix mark another milestone in Vinpearl’s strategy to internationalize its tourism, hospitality, and entertainment ecosystem while expanding the presence of Vinpearl and VinWonders accommodation, leisure, and experience offerings across global travel platforms.

https://vinpearl.com/en

Hashtag: #Vinpearl

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: New Zealand Government

Budget 2026 introduces tax changes to strengthen New Zealand’s tax system, encourage investment and make it easier to comply with, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says.

“The Government is committed to driving the economic growth needed to create jobs, lift incomes and fund public services New Zealanders rely on,” Simon Watts says.

Research and Development

Changes to the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) will ensure it remains well-targeted, supports innovation and operates as intended.

“Instead of making businesses wait until the end of the tax year, the RDTI is being changed to introduce in-year payments so businesses can get the tax credit sooner. This will support ongoing research activities by removing a key cash flow barrier.” 

The rules for claiming internal software expenditure are also being changed to ensure the tax credit is rewarding software development that generates wider benefits.

“We are reducing the cap on non-administrative internal software for R&D from $25 million to $3 million. This balances the trade-offs between encouraging R&D activities and ensuring the tax credit is well targeted.”

Other changes include increasing flexibility of RDTI return deadlines by giving the Commissioner of Inland Revenue the discretion to accept and amend late RDTI filings.  

The Government is also expanding the range of R&D expenditure mining businesses can claim under the RDTI.

Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules 

“The Government is building on progress made last year to encourage investment and make New Zealand a place where skilled people want to live and work.

“Budget 2025 introduced a new method to calculate a recent migrant’s Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) tax on unlisted shares. Budget 2026 extends this method to all New Zealand taxpayers, ensuring tax is paid only on realised gains and actual dividends.

“Budget 2026 also raises the FIF de minimis threshold for overseas investments from $50,000 to $100,000, reducing the number of small investors who are required to apply the FIF rules. 

“These changes will make it simpler and fairer for Kiwis to invest offshore, reduce surprise tax bills and decrease compliance costs.”

Fringe benefit tax

Budget 2026 simplifies fringe benefit tax (FBT) rules for private motor vehicle use by removing the requirement for detailed logbooks.

“Changes in this area will simplify the rules by taking a ‘close enough is good enough’ approach. This will significantly reduce compliance costs for businesses.

Integrity of the tax system

Budget 2026 makes several changes to maintain the integrity of the tax system.

“Six months after a company has been liquidated, or otherwise removed from the Companies Register, any outstanding loans it previously made to its shareholders will be taxed as income.

“It is unlikely such a loan will ever be repaid, so is effectively income to the former shareholder. Not taxing it is unfair to all the other New Zealanders who pay income tax and contribute to the costs of public services.

“The Government is also updating thin capitalisation settings for foreign-owned New Zealand banking groups to align with prudential requirements,” Simon Watts says.

“These changes help ensure the tax system works as intended. They protect the tax base and support a stable and predictable tax system.”

Compliance

Budget 2026 also invests a further $15 million per annum for Inland Revenue debt compliance activities. 

“The Government’s initial investment in compliance has contributed to approximately $3 billion in overdue tax being collected in the year to date. We are committed to building on that momentum because every dollar left uncollected is a dollar that cannot support our schools, hospitals, and keeping our communities safe,” Simon Watts says. 

Notes for editors:

The fiscal impacts of these initiatives are totalled below over the period 2025/26 to 2029/30. Some are funded through the Tax Policy Scorecard which is a memorandum account that allows the fiscal impacts of minor tax policy changes to be offset against one another, rather than being managed through Budget allowances.

RDTI changes (net savings of $84.6 million).
FIF rule changes (new spending of $72.5 million).
Taxing outstanding loans to shareholders (revenue of $146 million). 
Investment in Inland Revenue’s compliance activities (net revenue of $120 million).
Changes to motor vehicle fringe benefit tax rules (a cost of $0.6 million) and thin capitalisation rules for foreign-owned New Zealand banking groups (revenue of $45.2 million) are charged against the Tax Policy Scorecard.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/28/tax-system-being-strengthened/

Source: New Zealand Government

Budget 2026 invests around $2.1 billion to continue building the foundations of a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“Budget 2024 and 2025 focused on teaching the basics brilliantly through significant investment into primary and intermediate education. Budget 2026 moves the focus to secondary achievement and assessment as we begin the reform of our secondary qualification system. 

“This budget provides substantive investment into the development of our national secondary curriculum, providing resources for students and essential professional development for teachers.

$61 million to develop resources for the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and to enhance the curriculum website, Tāhūrangi.
$20 million to provide professional learning and development for 32,000 secondary school teachers to implement the new curriculum and national qualifications. 

“This Government is backing more young people to participate in industry-led, vocational pathways through investing in a high-quality curriculum and the expansion of trades training places. Budget 2026 makes two contributions to this:

$15 million to enable Industry Skills Boards to develop at least eight new industry-led secondary subjects each focused on a specific industry (e.g. construction or primary industries).  This will support more students getting high-quality vocational education and training while at secondary school.
$69 million to nearly double the number of places in Trades Academies to 20,000 by 2030 offering industry-led learning.

“These investments will enable New Zealand students to develop practical, job-ready skills, relevant to business and industry whilst at secondary school. This is good for innovation, entrepreneurship, reducing unemployment and ultimately economic growth. It improves productivity and enables Kiwis to obtain high-skilled employment and live the lives they choose.

“Industry Skills Boards are leading curriculum development to ensure the new vocational education pathways in school align closely with real-world labour market demands, reducing skills mismatches and building the workforce of the future. 

“To deliver reform of our national qualifications we are providing $90 million in funding for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). This will ensure that NZQA are supported by modern, fit-for-purpose, digital systems as they develop and deliver our new, national qualifications.  

“Budget 2026 continues our investment into the education workforce including funding for the Government’s increased KiwiSaver contributions, a cost adjustment for places in the School Onsite Training Programme and substantial payroll technology improvements to ensure paying teachers is more accurate, timely, and smoother than before. 

“As recently announced, the Government is investing $131 million in the next phase of Teaching the Basics Brilliantly. These initiatives build on the major literacy and maths reforms funded through Budgets 2024 and 2025 as we continue to build the foundations of a world-leading education system. 

“Budget 2026 also provides additional cost pressure funding for learning support to better meet the needs of students. This includes $22 million for students with High Health needs, $3 million for Deaf Education services and $10 million to meet the increased demand for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). 

“Additionally, Budget 2026 includes substantial investments in other priority education areas including:

$160 million representing a 2 per cent increase in operating grants for schools.
$559 million into growing and maintaining school property, delivering:

more than 4,700 student places through new schools, expansions, and classrooms, including $21 million Kaupapa Māori Education roll growth.
Accelerating up to 10 major redevelopments and up to 150 learning support modifications.
1 new special school and 20 learning support satellite classrooms

A contingency amount to support schools with fuel related costs.

“To deliver this investment, we have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they’re delivering intended outcomes. Around $65 million within the vote has been identified for reinvestment into priority education initiatives.

“Budget 2026 embeds and builds on the strong foundations of the Teaching the Basics Brilliantly reforms. We will continue to invest to raise achievement and close the equity gap, so that all Kiwi kids gain the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to reach their full potential,” Ms Stanford says.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/28/investing-in-secondary-achievement/

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is fixing the basics and building the future of New Zealand’s healthcare system, focused on delivering for patients and supported by record investment in health, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“We are focused on improving access to healthcare, reducing wait times, strengthening frontline health services, and delivering against our health targets, so New Zealanders can get the care they need, when they need it,” Mr Brown says.”

Budget 2026 provides more than $5.8 billion in new Vote Health operating funding across the forecast period, including a $1.37 billion annual uplift to help meet frontline cost pressures and support growing demand across the health system. 

“This investment will bring total health spending to $34.2 billion in the 2026/27 financial year and will help Health New Zealand deliver more care for patients, build capacity across frontline services, and continue improving performance against the Government’s health targets.

“Our record health investment is already delivering results, with more elective surgeries being completed, higher childhood immunisation rates, and shorter waits in emergency departments. Budget 2026 builds on that progress to ensure even more New Zealanders can access timely, quality healthcare.”

Funding provided through Budget 2026 will support increased care delivery in 2026/27, including for:

24,000 additional planned care treatments 
24,000 additional cancer treatments
42,000 additional people receiving inpatient care 
26,000 additional events in emergency departments 
53,000 additional general practice enrolments 
272,000 additional bed nights in the residential aged care sector 

“This funding uplift will also continue to support access to mental health and addiction services, including increased funding for specialist maternal mental health services to better support women and families.”

Budget 2026 also includes a range of targeted initiatives to improve access to essential health services and strengthen care for communities across New Zealand, including:

Establishing a nationally coordinated specialist paediatric palliative care service, improving access to care for children and their whānau across the country
Lowering the eligibility age for the National Bowel Screening Programme to 56, supporting earlier detection of bowel cancer
Funding to give mothers the option of staying up to three days at a hospital or primary maternity unit after birth
Strengthening digital health services to improve the security of patient information and protect the system from cyber threats, alongside Health New Zealand investments through the Health Digital Investment Plan
Investing in high-priority road ambulance initiatives to improve capacity and response times in areas of high demand
Support for Pharmac to respond to pressures and increase access to medicines
An increase in mileage rates for home and community support workers, providing critical fuel relief in response to impacts from the Middle East conflict.

“Budget 2026 reflects the Government’s continued focus on fixing the basics and building the future of our healthcare system with patients at the centre.

“This funding will help ensure more New Zealanders can access timely, quality care closer to home, while supporting a stronger and more sustainable health system for the future. By investing in frontline services, hospital infrastructure, digital systems, and workforce support, we are continuing to build a healthcare system New Zealanders can rely on,” Mr Brown says.

Note to editors:

From 1 July 2026, Health New Zealand will no longer be required to pay a capital charge to the Crown, and therefore no funding has been provided for this purpose in 2026/27. This technical change will have no impact on overall funding for service delivery, infrastructure, or patient care. This means:

No impact from this change on patients or the care they get from Health New Zealand or other health services
Net neutral impact on Health New Zealand from this technical change
Minor Health New Zealand efficiency gains by removing capital charge-related admin.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/28/record-health-funding-with-patients-at-the-centre/

Source: New Zealand Government

Cyber security across New Zealand’s health system will be significantly strengthened to better protect sensitive patient information and ensure services remain safe and reliable, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“Cyber-attacks are a serious and growing threat to health systems around the world, and New Zealand is not immune. That’s why we are taking decisive action to strengthen cyber security, safeguard patient data, and ensure frontline services can continue operating without disruption.”

Budget 2026 will deliver $153.6 million in funding for Health New Zealand to expand national cyber security monitoring, strengthen data security processes, and deliver critical IT safety upgrades across the health system.

The investment includes:

Strengthening 24/7 cyber security monitoring and response capability
Expanding specialist cyber security expertise
Delivering critical security upgrades across health systems
Strengthening cyber security oversight in primary care

Health New Zealand is also investing an additional $300 million to help deliver the first three years of the Health Digital Investment Plan, supporting work such as replacing ageing devices, modernising radiology systems, and upgrading core IT platforms.

Mr Brown says this digital investment package will strengthen protections across the health system while improving the resilience of services New Zealanders rely on every day.

“This is about protecting patients and maintaining trust in our health system. New Zealanders should feel confident their health information is secure and that frontline services are resilient against cyber threats that could otherwise disrupt care.

“With dedicated cyber defence teams monitoring threats around the clock, the risk of disruptions – including cancelled appointments, delayed treatments, or IT outages caused by cyber-attacks – will be reduced.”

Recent incidents have highlighted the need to lift cyber security standards across the health sector, including in primary care.

“Events like the Manage My Health incident were deeply concerning and showed the need for stronger safeguards and tighter oversight of third-party systems.

“This investment responds directly by strengthening resilience and improving accountability for managing cyber security risks, so that patients can be assured their health information is being safeguarded across the health system.”

Over the next year, Health New Zealand will implement a programme to identify and manage cyber risks posed by third‑party vendors and systems, strengthen accountability for fixing security risks, introduce annual audits of critical systems, and use scalable tools, including AI-enabled assessments, to improve cyber security maturity across primary care.

“We are focused on fixing the basics and building the future by investing in the systems, tools, and specialist workforce needed to prevent incidents, minimise disruption, and maintain continuity of care.

“This investment strengthens the digital backbone of our health system to better protect patient information, support frontline services, and keep care safe and secure for Kiwis.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/28/investing-in-cyber-security-to-protect-patient-data/