AM Edition: Here are the top 10 politics articles on LiveNews.co.nz for July 29, 2026 – Full Text
1. Better tools to fund and finance new infrastructure
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
The Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill passed by Parliament today will give developers and councils more innovative tools to fund and finance the infrastructure New Zealand needs to grow, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say.
“Fixing the basics and building the future for New Zealand requires us to tackle the barriers which have prevented the delivery of the new homes and projects that will grow the economy, improve living standards and create jobs,” Mr Bishop says.
“The Government’s Going for Housing Growth programme delivers solutions through three pillars: Pillar One frees up land for development through Resource Management Act reforms and changes to national direction; Pillar Two improves infrastructure funding and financing; and Pillar Three gives councils stronger financial incentives to support housing development.
“Pillar Two addresses a key obstacle to housing growth: developers are often ready to build new homes, but councils lack the borrowing capacity to deliver the roads, water and other essential infrastructure needed to support them.
“Instead of relying on council borrowing, the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act allows infrastructure to be financed by private investors and repaid over time through levies on the properties that directly benefit from the infrastructure.
“The Act was inspired by the successful Milldale development north of Auckland, where this model unlocked the infrastructure needed to support thousands of new homes for Kiwi families.
“However, the Act has fallen short of its potential and proven too difficult to use in practice. Unnecessary complexity, cost and bureaucratic hurdles have limited uptake, with only three levies authorised under the Act to date.
“The changes passed today will make the Act faster, simpler and more practical to use by removing unnecessary barriers, streamlining the levy approval process and broadening the range of infrastructure projects that can be funded using this model.
“This includes transport projects delivered by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and KiwiRail, as well as water services infrastructure delivered through the new water organisations.”
Mr Court says the Bill also allows ongoing operational and maintenance costs to be funded through levy revenue.
“Allowing ongoing operational and maintenance costs to be recovered through levy revenue incentivises a whole-of-life design focus that will maximise value-for-money and make the model more attractive for future projects,” Mr Court says.
“The Bill also means councils and other infrastructure authorities will no longer be able to unnecessarily hold up proposals that meet the requirements of the Act. That will give developers greater certainty, reduce delays and help get more infrastructure projects underway.”
“With these improvements, the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act is now a much more practical option for councils, developers and infrastructure providers looking to get infrastructure projects off the ground. We encourage the sector to make full use of it.” Mr Bishop says.
“By making it easier to deliver the roads, water infrastructure and transport links our growing communities need, these changes will enable more homes to be built, support the economy and ensure growth pays for growth.”
Notes to editors:
- National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (NIFF) can be contacted by potential proponents to assess whether the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act may be suitable for their project in the first instance.
- The Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill, which deliver Pillar One of the Going for Housing Growth programme, have been reported back to Parliament by the Environment Committee.
- Further information on Pillar Three of the Going for Housing Growth programme can be found on the Beehive Website.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/better-tools-to-fund-and-finance-new-infrastructure/
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2. Judicial Conduct Commissioner appointed
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Auckland based barrister Paul Collins has been confirmed by parliament as the new Judicial Conduct Commissioner, Attorney-General Chris Bishop announced today.
Mr Collins has almost 40 years of experience in legal practice and for most of the past 30 years has specialised in law and practice relating to the regulation of the legal profession.
This work has included professional disciplinary matters at all levels from Standards Committees to Supreme Court appearances.
His early career was with Glaister Ennor in Auckland and he was the senior litigation partner at that firm from 1999 till 2011 before moving to the independent bar. He has been based at Shortland Chambers in Auckland since that time.
Mr Collins will take up his appointment in the next few weeks following the issue of a warrant by the Governor-General.
He replaces retiring Commissioner Alan Ritchie. Mr Ritchie is a former Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the New Zealand Law Society and a Parole Board Panel Convenor who has been the Judicial Conduct Commissioner since 2015.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/judicial-conduct-commissioner-appointed/
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3. The Virtual Island Summit returns for its 8th edition with a new three-day format and first speakers confirmed
July 28, 2026
Source: Island Innovation
27 July, 2026: The Virtual Island Summit (VIS), the premier free online conference for island communities worldwide, will return on 15-17 September 2026.
Now in its eighth year, VIS marks a significant shift from previous editions. The three-day event will follow a narrative arc, with each day building on the last and programming spanning time zones from the Pacific to the Caribbean so audiences everywhere can join live at times that work for them.
- Day 1, Adapt to Change, looks at how island communities are responding to conditions that have already shifted, from decarbonising marine transport and adapting to coastal erosion, to the generational knowledge and ocean governance practices that have sustained island communities for decades.
- Day 2, Transform Systems, examines the models and mechanisms already reshaping island futures: rethinking tourism before pressures become irreversible, turning waste into a circular local economy, reviving indigenous languages, and building food sovereignty in the face of import dependence.
- Day 3, Mobilise Action, turns to what moves people, capital and political will: the funding structures, coalitions and leadership approaches that turn plans into results.
The event is free to attend and open to the public, continuing the Summit’s commitment to accessible, Zero-Carbon knowledge sharing between islanders and global partners alike.
“The Virtual Island Summit is our flagship online event and we are proud to deliver a high-level knowledge-sharing platform that puts islands at the heart of global discussions,” said James Ellsmoor, Chief Executive Officer of Island Innovation. “The Summit highlights islands not simply as places facing shared challenges, but as places developing practical solutions with relevance far beyond their own shores. This year we are evolving the format to reflect how island communities actually work through challenges: understanding the problem, finding what works, and mobilising the resources to scale it. We want attendees to leave VIS 2026 with a clearer sense of where islands stand and what comes next.”
The first confirmed speakers for VIS 2026 include heads of government and senior policy leaders such as:
- Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam;
- Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister, Government of Tuvalu;
- Cora Richardson-Hodge, Premier of the Government of Anguilla;
- Albert Bryan, Governor of the US Virgin Islands
- Jache Adams, Minister of Public Works and the Environment, Government of Bermuda;
- Hannah Mary Goodlad, MSP for Shetland Islands & Minister for Public Finance, Scottish Government;
- Chris Lee, Senator, Hawaii State
- Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Chief Executive Officer, Hawai’i Green Growth
- Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate;
- Chris Elmore, MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Multilateral, Human Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
- Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Corsican Assembly & President of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR)
They are joined by researchers, educators and sector experts including:
- Dr Dai-Yeun Jeong, Director of the Asia Climate Change Education Center;
- Maria Ackrén, Director of the Stefansson Arctic Institute;
- Laurie Brinklow, Chair, Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Prince Edward Island;
- Peter Van Aert, Researcher and Teacher at the Institute of Culture, Society and State, National University of Tierra del Fuego;
- Chalapan Kaluwin, Director of Momis Ocean and Climate Research institute & Dean of School of Sustainable Resources Management & Business Studies, PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment;
- Olly Newton, Executive Director of The Edge Foundation.
Additional speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Previous editions have brought together heads of state, ministers, and senior practitioners from over 500 island communities across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and beyond, drawing more than 10,000 attendees.
All sessions will be available free of charge. Registration is now open at islandinnovation.co/events/virtual-island-summit-2026.
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4. Big Oil set to double profits as their emissions fuel deadly heatwaves – Oxfam
July 28, 2026
Source: Oxfam Aotearoa
- Top six fossil fuel corporations expect Q2 profits to nearly double Q1 levels. Annual profits for 2026 are set to exceed the previous 21 months combined.
- Emissions from five fossil fuel corporations were enough to cause about 1 in 4 heatwaves between 2000 and 2023, which would have been virtually impossible without climate change.
- A tax on the richest oil and gas corporations could raise up to $400 billion in its first year, enough to cover annual climate adaptation costs in low- and middle-income countries.
The world’s six biggest fossil fuel corporations are expected to nearly double their combined net income in the second quarter of 2026, jumping from $23 billion in the previous quarter to $45 billion, reveals new Oxfam analysis ahead of their earnings announcements. New data also finds that the emissions of these corporations have significantly magnified the frequency and severity of heatwaves this century.
The projected full-year profits of BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies amount to $147 billion, more than their combined profits over the previous 21 months (Q2 2024 to Q4 2025). Among the biggest winners, Chevron is expected to report that it has quadrupled its profits to $1,200 a second in the last three months, while ExxonMobil’s profits are expected to have tripled to $1,800 a second.
Oil and gas corporations share an outsized responsibility for the climate crisis. New Oxfam analysis of academic data published in Nature finds that the emissions from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies were sufficient to cause around 1 in 4 heatwaves reported globally between 2000 and 2023 – heatwaves that would have been virtually impossible without human-made climate change. Using S&P Capital Trucost data, Oxfam estimates that Big Oil was responsible for $60 billion in environmental damage last year.
The findings come as record-breaking heatwaves scorch South Asia, Europe and North America, killing tens of thousands of people. Meanwhile, West African countries are struggling with devastating monsoons and floods that have upended thousands of lives and destroyed vital infrastructure across the region.
Yet rather than scaling back fossil fuel production and accelerating the transition to renewable energy, the six largest fossil fuel corporations plan to increase oil and gas production by 14 percent by 2030 compared to 2024 levels, equivalent to pumping an additional 2.5 million barrels of oil a day.
“Fossil fuel corporations are making a killing, literally and figuratively. As extreme heat, floods and storms devastate communities across the world, the industry is preparing another bonanza of profits. Families are paying the price three times over: through destroyed homes and harvests, through soaring energy prices, and through a cost-of-living crisis worsened by dependence on fossil fuels. Big Oil’s greed is incompatible with a livable planet and unless governments rein it in, they will make a mockery of international climate targets,” said Oxfam’s Climate Policy Lead Mariana Paoli.
Oxfam estimates that a tax on the profits of the largest fossil fuel corporations could raise up to $400 billion globally in its first year, enough to cover annual climate adaptation costs in the Global South. An additional excess profits tax on all corporations could generate up to $681 billion globally.
“While Big Oil fuels extreme weather events, rich countries are refusing to increase the public climate finance that poorer countries urgently need to cope with the climate crisis,” said Paoli. “Until governments make the richest polluters pay, fossil fuel corporations will keep driving us deeper into climate chaos. Taxing the richest polluters could help close the gap in funding for climate adaptation and speed the transition towards renewable energy. Fossil fuel corporations must feel the heat, not us.”
Political momentum for taxing the richest polluters is growing. Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Austria have called for a new windfall tax on energy profits. In Australia, where Oxfam research found that one in three coal, oil and gas corporations are paying no corporate income tax, many members of Parliament are speaking out in support of a 25 percent export tax on gas, with strong public support.
Research in 60 countries found that 28 percent of them have implemented a temporary windfall tax on excess profits from fossil fuel companies in recent years, with a further 13 percent supportive. Just 12 percent are explicitly against the measure.
Oxfam Aotearoa’s Advocacy and Policy Lead, Nick Henry, said, “Fossil fuel companies have a global responsibility for climate change. The New Zealand Government should be holding these rich polluters to account and making them pay the cost of their climate damage.”
Oxfam’s research is based on S&P Capital IQ’s consensus estimates compiled from financial analysts’ forecasts. The six largest fossil fuel corporations are due to publish their second-quarter earnings over the coming week. The projected surge in profits reflects the sharp rise in oil prices following the unlawful US and Israel war against Iran.
Heatwave deaths and West African flooding
UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025
Oxfam’s rich polluter profit tax model
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5. Christopher Luxon wants to take a holiday: yours – PSA
July 28, 2026
Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA)
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is today supporting a bill that will cut annual leave entitlements for tens of thousands of working New Zealanders as it moves through the Committee of the Whole House in Parliament.
“Christopher Luxon wants to take a holiday: yours,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. “It is disgraceful that he is advancing a law that will steal people’s time – their well-deserved holidays and the time they need to recover from sickness.
“It casts his parental leave announcement over the weekend in a very hypocritical light.”
Luxon, along with his National colleagues and ACT and NZ First coalition partners, is progressing the Employment Leave Bill, which will reduce annual and sick leave for anyone whose hours vary from week to week, who is off work because of an injury, or who works shorter shifts on public holidays.
The bill, which would replace the Holidays Act, would introduce a system where workers accrue annual and sick leave for “standard” hours they’re required to work under their employment agreement.
Overtime and extra hours would not accrue leave, so anyone regularly working those extra hours would get less leave than they do under the current law, which guarantees at least four weeks annual leave and ten days sick leave a year.
“Workers will be getting less leave for the same amount of work – passing this bill would be deeply unfair, especially in in a cost-of-living crisis,” said Fitzsimons.
Workers would also not accrue leave while getting compensation from ACC, and people working shorter shifts on public holidays will no longer receive a full day in lieu to compensate.
“This heartless law does not recognise the disruption caused to family life and personal time by working on public holidays,” said Fitzsimons.
The PSA represents many of the people who would be worse off, including those working in hospitals, those caring for mental health patients, corrections officers, and care and support workers looking after our most vulnerable.
Last week the PSA also revealed analysis that the bill would cut the pay of over 200,000 New Zealanders. The PSA also gave all MPs the opportunity to pledge to oppose any changes that will leave workers worse off – only Labour, Green, and Te Pāti Māori MPs signed.
“Working people deserve holidays, and they deserve to be paid properly for them. We will be fighting for the repeal of this bill and for a government that respects working people,” said Fitzsimons.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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6. Simpler, clearer, more effective RSE scheme
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is modernising the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, making it simpler and clearer to use while maintaining protections for workers and opportunities for New Zealanders.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says the changes recognise the important role the RSE scheme plays, while responding to clear feedback that it has become too complex.
“The RSE scheme has been a standout success for nearly 20 years, helping meet seasonal labour needs in our horticulture and viticulture industries while providing opportunities for work and training for Pacific workers and supporting their communities,” Ms Stanford says.
“This win-win approach with our Pacific partners has been critical in meeting peak demand from New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture sectors, which have seen annual export growth from $2.5 billion in 2007 to nearly $9 billion today.
Each year around 17,000 RSE workers come to New Zealand working for 207 number recognised employers.
“But over time the scheme has become more complicated and, in some areas, unnecessarily burdensome. We are making practical changes to simplify requirements, improve clarity and transparency, and strengthen protections for workers.”
Key changes include a graduated accreditation system that recognises employers with a strong track record and more flexibility for workers to move between RSE employers in appropriate circumstances with additional safeguard for workers.
The changes will also introduce clearer rules on the genuine costs employers can recover from workers (such as transport, insurance and accommodation), giving workers and employers greater certainly about what costs can be recovered and how.
“These changes will help employers focus on their core operations, provide greater certainty for workers and employers, and maintain safeguards that ensure New Zealanders are prioritised for available jobs.”
Ms Stanford said work was also underway with industry and Pacific partners to update accommodation standards and strengthen pastoral care settings for RSE workers.
“We are supporting industry-led initiatives that promote best-practice pastoral care. Providing access to the internet will also be added to the prescribed standards, ensuring workers can stay connected with their families back home.
“Accommodation standards remain a priority for both industry and Pacific partners. Consultation on options for change is currently underway with Pacific partners and employers, and I expect to take decisions by the end of September.
The changes will be introduced in stages beginning in early 2027 through to 2029.
“These reforms will help ensure the RSE scheme remains fit for purpose, supporting Pacific workers, New Zealand employers and the horticulture and viticulture sectors for years to come.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/simpler-clearer-more-effective-rse-scheme/
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7. Poultry sector gets stronger biosecurity backing to fight bird flu
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is introducing new biosecurity regulations to help poultry farmers manage H5 bird flu, protect livelihoods, and secure domestic food supply, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says.
“Now that H5 bird flu is here, it will almost certainly establish in wild birds.
“Cabinet has approved regulations to ensure the sector has the practices, infrastructure, reporting, and compliance tools needed to manage that risk.”
Poultry operators with more than 100 birds will be required to develop, register, and implement a farm biosecurity plan for avian disease, setting out how they will prevent and manage H5 bird flu.
“Biosecurity measures are currently voluntary in the poultry sector. While there is strong industry co-operation, farmers doing the right thing can still be put at risk by those who are not.”
“Biosecurity New Zealand and industry have been working together on a long-term approach to managing H5 bird flu. There is a good understanding of what good on-farm biosecurity looks like and plenty of information available to poultry farmers through the industry’s bird flu website”
“MPI is available, especially for smaller operators, through it’s On Farm Support team to help with the development of biosecurity plans and enhanced preparedness, including response plans.”
The regulations will focus on outcomes and the risks operators must manage, while giving them flexibility in how they do it.
Operators will need to keep records, undergo audits, and show clear plans for humane culling, disposal, cleaning, and disinfection if their operation is affected.
“When H5 bird flu becomes widespread in wild birds, poultry operators will face a constant infection risk. These regulations will lift on-farm readiness and give farmers the best possible chance to protect their businesses.”
Mr Hoggard says regulating the sector under the Biosecurity Act 1993 will also help protect food supply, trade, wild and captive birds, other animals, and people.
MPI consulted on the proposed regulations late last year and received 36 submissions, with feedback broadly supportive.
The regulations will now be drafted and shared with the industry bodies before coming into force by the end of 2026.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/poultry-sector-gets-stronger-biosecurity-backing-to-fight-bird-flu/
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8. Waitangi Tribunal appointments confirmed
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed two new appointments to the Waitangi Tribunal, Nick Wells and Rick Witana.
“I would like to welcome Mr Wells and Mr Witana to their new roles and, at the same time, thank Dr Paul Hamer and Basil Morrison for their service as they step down as members,” Mr Potaka says.
“Dr Hamer and Mr Morrison will continue serving on their existing panels until those inquiries conclude.
“Mr Wells and Mr Witana bring a breadth of experience across governance, law, Iwi leadership, public policy and Crown–Māori relationships that will further support the Tribunal’s work.”
Mr Wells joins as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term, replacing Dr Hamer, who has served for six years.
Mr Witana joins as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term, replacing Mr Morrison, who has completed 18 years of service.
Notes to editors
Nick Wells
Nick Wells is an experienced governance and legal practitioner with extensive expertise in corporate law, investment, and Iwi governance. He currently holds senior governance roles including Chair of Ngāpuhi Asset Holding Company and Kaikohe Berries, and Co-Chair of UNICEF Aotearoa.
Rick Witana
Rick Witana is an experienced Māori governance leader with a strong background in Iwi representation, public policy, and Crown–Māori engagement. He previously served as Chair of Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri and has held senior Māori relations and public sector roles.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/waitangi-tribunal-appointments-confirmed/
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9. Leadership reappointments confirmed for Māori whenua, economic development, and broadcasting
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed three key reappointments across Māori whenua, economic development, and Māori broadcasting governance.
The appointments are Dr Charlotte Severne ONZM as Māori Trustee, Hinerangi Edwards ONZM as a trustee of the Poutama Trust Board, and Brian Morris as a member of the Te Māngai Pāho Board.
“The reappointments provide continuity for organisations that help unlock the potential of Māori land, support Māori enterprise, and strengthen te reo Māori through broadcasting,” Mr Potaka says.
“Dr Charlotte Severne, Hinerangi Edwards and Brian Morris each bring strong governance experience and a deep commitment to delivering positive outcomes for Māori.
“Their continued leadership will help ensure these organisations continue supporting Māori landowners, growing Māori enterprise, and promoting te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.
“I thank Charlotte, Hinerangi and Brian for their ongoing service and their continued commitment to Māori development.”
Notes to editors
Dr Charlotte Severne ONZM
Dr Severne has served as Māori Trustee since 2018, leading Te Tumu Paeroa through a period of significant operational change. Her reappointment for a further two-year term will support the continued delivery of statutory trustee services, sound financial management and organisational stability.
Hinerangi Edwards ONZM
Ms Edwards has served on the Poutama Trust Board since 2021. She brings extensive governance, commercial, investment and Māori economic development experience and has been reappointed for a further five-year term.
Brian Morris
Mr Morris has more than 30 years’ experience in education, publishing, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. His reappointment for a further three-year term will support Te Māngai Pāho’s work to promote Māori language and culture through broadcasting and content.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/leadership-reappointments-confirmed-for-maori-whenua-economic-development-and-broadcasting/
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10. Protection for hoiho made permanent
July 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Long-term measures to reduce risk from fishing to hoiho will come into force on 16 September 2026, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.
“Last year I established a temporary emergency ban of set-net fishing in a high-risk area around the Otago Peninsula to protect hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins).This allowed for a review of scientific evidence and public consultation before deciding next steps.
“I have decided this closure will be made permanent. I am also establishing a new escalating response framework called a Fishing Related Mortality Limit (FRML) so I can act quickly and decisively to increase protections if needed.”
Hoiho is a taonga species, and the northern population that lives on the lower South Island and Rakiura/Stewart Island is classified as nationally endangered.
“Last year’s risk assessment projected that to stabilise the northern hoiho population we must cut deaths from all causes by half, and I consider the new protections will achieve this goal for fisheries bycatch,” Mr Jones says.
“However, I want to be very clear that fisheries bycatch is not the main reason the northern hoiho population is in a precarious state.
“The major risks to hoiho are disease, predation, and starvation, but implementing these long-term measures to reduce the risk of fisheries bycatch will help.”
The FRML sets limits for accidental capture of hoiho, with accompanying actions, including potential further closures if necessary. The annual FRML for the northern hoiho population has been set at four a year.
“This is not a target, it is a bottom line. It will further incentivise fishers to do everything possible to prevent hoiho bycatch, as I will put further restrictions on fishing in the area in place to ensure this limit is not exceeded,” Mr Jones says.
“I thank the many people who made their views known during public consultation.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/28/protection-for-hoiho-made-permanent/
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