AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for August 26, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

Good morning, everyone.

It’s absolutely fantastic to be here today at Building Nations 2026. 

I’d like to thank Nick Leggett, Fraser Wyllie and their team at Infrastructure New Zealand for hosting this event. 

Building Nations is always one of the highlights of my year, because it brings together nearly a thousand of our smartest people to talk infrastructure policy. 

Being Infrastructure Minister is an interesting one because my interests span different sectors like health, education, energy, corrections, justice, and transport – but there are already Ministers for those (including myself, of course). 

But my point is that when it comes to the infrastructure portfolio the job is about systems thinking and going back to the fundamentals. My job is to progress policy that lifts the bar for all sectors like proper asset management, high-quality assurance, and better infrastructure funding and financing tools.

I’m really proud of the massive progress we’ve made over the past three years, and I want to reflect on that with you all today.

Then, I’d like to talk a bit about the Auckland Strategic Motorway Plan, which I have apparently announced four or so times already – but I’ll properly announce it today!

To finish, I’ll talk to you about what’s next and what you can expect from a second term with a National-led government. 

Achievements and highlights

So, let’s take it back to the start. 

Three years ago, I had the enormous privilege of being appointed Minister for Infrastructure. 

From my time in Opposition, where I’d deliberately consulted widely and worked hard, I knew there was an enormous amount to do. 

From 2019 to 2023, research from the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission showed that our system wasn’t in good shape. 

Despite being in the top 10 per cent of OECD countries for infrastructure spending, we are in the bottom 10 per cent for what we get for our spend. 

We rank fourth to last in the OECD for asset management. 

Half of all capital-intensive central government agencies reported that they did not have robust asset registers or adequate asset management plans – and even fewer had long-term investment plans. 

And around half of all proposals for investments in recent Budgets did not have complete detailed business cases. 

On top of this, the time between funding and delivery has been too long, with some projects starting years and years after a project had been announced, which has been incredibly frustrating for the construction sector.

Every New Zealander experiences the flow on effects of our underperforming infrastructure system. 

I can rattle off too many failures like communities waiting years for basic investments in schools, whilst a lucky few get architectural masterpieces; frequent transport disruptions due to weather events; and leaky, mouldy, asbestos-ridden hospitals that haven’t been looked after properly.

We had no long-term plan to fix these underlying issues.

This is not what Kiwis deserve from government, and it is my strong view that we need to do better.

I had six priorities coming to office:

Developing a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan
Strengthening asset management
Establishing a national infrastructure agency
Improving infrastructure funding and financing
Improving the consenting framework
Improving education and health infrastructure

I’m proud we’ve made significant progress on all of these priorities. 

An enormous amount of work has been done in just three years.

But before I get into those six, I just want to touch on some highlights. 

By the end of 2026, we will have started construction on over $20 billion worth of central government infrastructure projects. 

We have signed two major Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts: Stage 1 of the Northern Expressway, and Christchurch Men’s Prison. 

These two projects alone represent thousands of jobs, and I’m told workers are already onsite. 

By early 2027, we will have started construction on six Roads of National Significance, which – within the space of just three years, is a significant achievement. 

And, behind it all sits a pipeline of funded projects across transport, health, education, corrections, and justice. 

This includes Cambridge to Piarere, a $400m road resilience package, the Nelson Hospital Redevelopment, a new ward tower at Whangārei Hospital, several new police stations and courthouses, and over $2 billion for schools and classrooms.

So, let’s talk about the six infrastructure priorities I started with in 2023. 

Six infrastructure priorities delivered

On the National Infrastructure Plan (NIP), we asked the independent Infrastructure Commission to produce a 30-year NIP, and in June this year the Government provided a formal response – supporting all 16 recommendations either in full or in part. 

I won’t go into all the details, but there are a few main actions that are critical. 

For example, the Government has agreed to introduce legislative requirements for asset registers, asset management plans, and long-term capital plans in the Public Finance Act. 

Regulated utilities and local government are required to have these artefacts by law, but we currently don’t hold central government to the same standard. 

That is going to change. 

We are also shifting independent assurance for central-government-funded infrastructure from Treasury to the Infrastructure Commission and creating a new assurance function for asset management plans and long-term capital plans. 

Ministers want better quality information, and we want clear, actionable advice from the experts – 

Is this a good or bad project? Is it needed now? Is it consistent with the asset management plan or long-term plan? Can we strip some cost out? 

We want those answers because, ultimately, Ministers are accountable to the public for investment decisions.

When it comes to strengthening asset management, the NIP was instrumental. 

Actions like legislating for asset registers and asset management plans and reporting on asset performance will be a game changer, as will having independent assurance over asset management plans. 

Fixing the fundamentals of our system is the single best thing we can do to build a pipeline that endures political cycles. 

Right now, there is about $290 billion worth of infrastructure projects in the pipeline – around $190 billion with a confirmed funding source. I reckon all parties probably agree on 90 to 99 per cent of those projects. 

But I think we should move away from the rhetoric of needing a fully bipartisan pipeline – we are never going to agree on every single project, and that’s okay. That’s the nature of politics and of people having different views.

Instead, we should commit to building bipartisan consensus on the idea that governments of all flavours should use best practice to plan, select, fund and finance, deliver, and look after infrastructure. 

A robust system will make it politically untenable for Ministers to just go out and announce unfunded, inadequately planned projects. 

Where farcical projects have been stopped, like in the case of Auckland Light Rail, there are legitimate reasons for that. 

Equally, a robust system should make it punishing for a new government to stop or pause genuinely good, funded projects that make it through the rigours of the system.

In my view, this is the missing piece – a credible and clear evidence-base for the public, the sector, and others to properly hold governments to account for their investment choices. 

We are fixing that.

On establishing a national infrastructure agency, we established National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited (NIFFCo) on 1 December 2024 to be New Zealand’s shopfront for private capital in public infrastructure and the Government’s centre of expertise on funding and financing.

To date, NIFFCo has delivered key transactions including arranging the Te Awa Lakes Infrastructure Funding and Financing (IFF) Act Levy, which will support 1,500 new homes in Hamilton. 

They also led the early monetisation of the Crown’s loans to Chorus, which we provided back in the day to accelerate the UFB rollout.

This deal delivered $702 million in net proceeds to the Crown and allowed the Government to reinvest the funds into more of the infrastructure New Zealand needs – including Cambridge to Piarere, upgrades to hospitals, and hundreds of new classrooms.

When we established NIFFCo, we also took the opportunity to clarify who does what in the infrastructure system. 

The Infrastructure Commission focuses on long-term strategy, the pipeline, and – now – assurance. Crown Infrastructure Delivery help deliver infrastructure projects for central government agencies that don’t do delivery as BAU.  And Treasury continues to be the steward of the Investment Management System and provides fiscal and economic advice.

On improving infrastructure funding and financing, public infrastructure in New Zealand has historically been primarily funded by taxpayers or ratepayers. 

But our heavy reliance on this blunt approach has not served us well and has led to perverse outcomes including congestion, run-down assets, and the unresponsive provision of enabling infrastructure – contributing to unaffordable housing. 

At the end of 2024, the Government released a suite of frameworks and guidance – like Treasury’s Funding and Financing Framework and the refreshed PPP blueprint – to help government be a smarter owner and purchaser of infrastructure services. 

In the transport space alone, we have made significant progress on utilising a broader range of funding tools. 

We are making tolling rules more flexible so they can better support funding for new roads and are exploring the use of toll concessions. 

In addition, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) can now use IFF Act Levies to fund projects; light electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are now required to pay their fair share through road user charges (RUC); we are transitioning New Zealand’s entire vehicle fleet to RUC; and we are believed to be the first country in the world to pass law enabling time of use charging with completely unanimous cross-party support.

This is fantastic progress in transport and there is more to come, which I will touch on later. 

When it comes to infrastructure to support housing growth, we have also pulled multiple levers. 

In Budget 2026, we set up the Incentives for Growth Fund so that all councils are rewarded for every single home consented. Just last month the IFF Amendment Bill passed into law, making it easier for developers, councils, and other infrastructure providers to use levies to help fund infrastructure. 

We are also progressing the replacement of the failed Development Contributions regime with a more flexible Development Levies system that will match our new flexible planning system. 

Arguably, the biggest improvement to the infrastructure system is fixing the Resource Management Act (RMA). Consenting takes too long, costs too much, and makes delivering the infrastructure we need too difficult.

We are not just improving but are fundamentally transforming the consenting framework by replacing the RMA with two new pieces of legislation: The Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. 

In fact, the main Amendment Papers to wrap it all up are being tabled today!

Our new system will be effects-based, embrace standardised zoning, and be far more permissive and enabling while also protecting the environment. 

We knew that the new planning system would take time to bed in. So, in 2024, we established the Fast-track consents process, which has been incredibly successful. 

As of 14 August, 32 projects have been approved – representing tens of thousands of jobs and billions in investment, with more in the pipeline. 

There are eight new renewable energy projects approved through Fast-track which will add more than 990 megawatts of new generation capacity. That’s more than five per cent of New Zealand’s current generation capacity and enough to power approximately 322,000 households annually.

The Port of Auckland Expansion, Green Steel project, and the two quarry expansions are fantastic examples of approved projects that will boost growth and productivity.   

The Port of Tauranga’s extension has received provisional approval, with a final decision due next month. 

Lastly, we have improved education and health infrastructure. 

When we came into government, the average cost of a classroom was about $1.2m, an astonishing amount of money for a classroom. We have gotten that down to around $620k. 

At the same time, we delivered more classrooms in 2024 than Labour did in 2023 – and even more again in 2025. 

To continue this good work, we have established the New Zealand School Property Agency, which will be focused on ensuring all Kiwi kids can learn in safe, warm, and dry buildings.

The power of value for money is that we can deliver more infrastructure to more kiwis with what we have. 

We are also getting health infrastructure back on track including through our Building Hospitals Better approach. 

This means taking a staged approach to building and redeveloping hospitals; applying standardised designs; considering alternative financing and funding arrangements; and aligning the design of hospitals with wider digital, clinical, and service planning for health. 

Smaller build packages rather than one large mega project is enabling us to deliver healthcare faster to communities – which is what they want.

All this work across the infrastructure system is not necessarily sexy, but it’s what’s needed to fix the basics and to set New Zealand up for years of prosperity into the 2030s and beyond. 

If that’s my legacy as Minister for Infrastructure, I’ll be happy. 

However, I am hungry to do more for New Zealand. 

So, what’s next? 

Auckland Strategic Motorway Plan 

Well, right now I’d like to announce the release of Auckland’s Strategic Motorway Plan. 

Auckland’s motorway network carries around 1.5 million trips every day and is critical to keeping people and freight moving. 

It isn’t just critical to Auckland’s success – it’s critical to New Zealand’s. Freight and people must be able to travel efficiently, safely, and quickly, getting to where they need to go. 

This motorway plan being released today by NZTA sets out how we will approach the next 30 years as Auckland’s population grows beyond two million. 

The plan sets out how smarter traffic management, targeted investment, and wider transport improvements will help keep the city moving. 

On optimising the existing network, we must make better use of the network we’ve already got. We can do this through smarter traffic management, quicker responses to crashes and breakdowns, small-scale improvements, and delivering time of use charging.

On targeted investment, we need to be strategic in the way we increase capacity. This includes only adding extra capacity where bottlenecks are impacting efficiency, progressively delivering rapid transit to underserved areas like Manukau, closing critical gaps in active mode networks where they interact with motorways, and prioritising projects to increase capacity and address resilience risks.

And finally, there are a range of wider system improvements that need to be made. Improving the wider transport system, including public transport capacity, rail network improvements, and local roads/active modes, so fewer trips need to use the motorway network.

These are all very practical measures, most of which are already underway. 

This plan follows the Infrastructure Commission’s consistent advice that we need to focus more on what we have, rather than looking for the next shiny project. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are new projects the Auckland motorway network does need, like the Second Harbour Crossing. 

The Government is taking the advice of the Infrastructure Commission and other experts by committing to complete a Detailed Business Case (DBC) before making an announcement.  

Part of the reason why the wheel has been spinning on this project for decades is precisely because successive governments of all flavours have just gone out and announced just the built solution – without doing sufficient work to credibly lay out a plan for how it will be paid for or delivered. 

A DBC does not mean we are starting from scratch – it actually means the opposite. 

We will take all the good work done to date by NZTA like the options analysis, detailed due diligence, ground condition works, early funding and financing work, and more and put it into the DBC. 

We are taking the time to get it right and bring Auckland and the Opposition along with us. It is the right thing to do. 

Back to the Auckland Motorway plan. What this plan shows is the need for smart, cheap, targeted interventions on a network desperate for modernisation. 

We are releasing this plan alongside my friend Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown. It is important that the Council and the Government are working in lockstep on the future of Auckland. 

It’s a good plan, and I hope you all read it.

What’s next

To finish, I’ll talk to you about what you can expect from a second term with a National-led government. 

First things first – what is in train is significant. We need to keep doing what we are doing:

Implementing the National Infrastructure Plan including legislating for asset registers, asset management plans, and long-term capital plans – as well as land transport funding and oversight reform
Getting on with the major transport project cost driver review led the Infrastructure Commission
Landing a good Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2027
Transitioning to fleet-wide RUC
Finishing the Second Harbour Crossing DBC and making a decision
Working on the Utilities Access Act, the code, and a National Underground Asset Register 
Getting a time of use pricing scheme up and running
Setting the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions, and Transport (MCERT) up for success
Finishing off the job we started on fixing our planning system including national standards. If you want the enabling standards that you’ve been asking for then we need three more years to bed it in. 

There’s also so much more.

If I can impress anything on you all here today, it’s that these work programmes are critical to achieving genuine prosperity in New Zealand. National will keep the momentum going. 

[Party political content removed.]

Conclusion 

To finish, I’d like to thank all of you in this room for coming along the journey with me for the past three years as Infrastructure Minister. 

I’ve learned a lot and I think it’s safe to say, I threw the kitchen sink at the system. 

In my view, achieving genuine economic prosperity – the great challenge facing this country – depends on infrastructure that meets our needs, is good value for money, and is deliverable. 

It’s the foundation everything else is built on.

I want kiwis to be free, ambitious, and have access to abundant opportunities – knowing they are backed by an equally enterprising nation. 

I want all of us to enjoy better lives. 

I truly believe that our country, at the bottom of the world, can choose to be wealthy, and modern, and prosperous. 

That’s why I’m in politics.

Thank you. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/speech-to-building-nations/

Source: New Zealand Government

Council rates increases will be capped at 4 per cent as the Government moves to help keep rates affordable for households and businesses, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says.

“For too long, ratepayers have been hit with steep and unexpected rates increases, adding pressure to household budgets at a time many New Zealanders are already feeling the squeeze,” Mr Watts says.

“Our Government is focused on easing cost-of-living pressures and getting councils back to basics. 

“Under this legislation, councils will be required to keep annual rates increases within an initial target range of 2-4 per cent, putting a brake on excessive increases and giving ratepayers greater certainty.

“It will also sharpen the focus on delivering the services communities expect councils to get right, like fixing the potholes, collecting rubbish and running our pools and parks. 

“We recognise there will be limited circumstances where councils need greater flexibility, such as recovering from a natural disaster or responding to events outside their control. Exemptions will not be granted lightly and will only be available in exceptional circumstances where there is strong justification.

“Ratepayers nationwide have been hit with median increases of 14.2 per cent and 9.2 per cent over the past two years respectively.

“This rates cap is about driving greater fiscal discipline, keeping rates affordable, and ensuring councils are focused on delivering the services ratepayers rely on.”

Councils will need to consider the target range from 1 July 2027 when preparing their long-term plans, and the caps will take full effect from 1 July 2029.

Editors’ notes:

Under the proposed rates capping system:

• Annual rates increases will remain within an initial target range of 2 to 4 per cent.
• The target range will be reviewed every six years and updated where necessary to reflect costs outside councils’ control.
• The target range includes a minimum level of rates increase to support councils to continue delivering essential services and investing in infrastructure.
• Two types of time-bound exemptions will be available:
  • Exceptional circumstances: where additional rates revenue is needed to recover from events such as natural disasters that go beyond what a council can reasonably be expected to plan for.
  • Prudent financial management exemption: where a council can demonstrate prudent financial management and a justified need to operate above or below the target range. Councils will be required to consult their communities before setting rates.
• Water services are excluded from the rates capping system and will continue to be regulated separately.

The legislation also establishes an independent regulator responsible for:

• Monitoring compliance with the rates capping system.
• Assessing exemption applications.
• Advising on future target ranges.
• Supporting councils through implementation and transition.
• Providing guidance to councils and reporting on how the system is operating.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/government-to-cap-rates/

Source: Family First

MEDIA RELEASE – 25 August 2026
App Store Accountability Bill Proposed To Strengthen Online Safety For Children

Family First is calling on all political parties to adopt its App Store Accountability Bill, designed to target an obvious ‘choke point’ for accessing digital content, to improve online safety for children and young people by placing new responsibilities on app store providers and app developers operating in New Zealand.

The draft Bill proposes that age verification or estimation is adopted by app store providers and developers, and for those underage, clear consent given by parents or caregivers. The proposed Bill responds to growing concerns about those under 16 accessing inappropriate digital content, making in‑app purchases without proper oversight, and being exposed to privacy risks. It establishes a clear and enforceable framework that ensures young New Zealanders can use mobile apps more safely while giving parents greater visibility and control.

“We believe the Bill is an achievable and realistic first solution, while also watching how Australia and other jurisdictions are attempting to implement their social media bans.  Importantly, this Bill empowers parents to make decisions affecting their own children and places an appropriate level of accountability and responsibility on Big Tech,” says Simon O’Connor, Director of External Engagement with Family First NZ.

While Family First welcomes the National Party having finally released its Bill and policy around social media and young people, particularly its intention to help parents support their children against Big Tech, there remain a number of issues that need addressing. From the far-reaching regulatory powers to concerns around privacy, the Bill is welcomed but still needs debate and work.

While clear that National is following the Australian approach, Family First continues to encourage political parties to look at the likes of the United States and targeting the App stores.

So-called App Store Accountability Bills are now law in Louisiana, and Utah, and Texas (with Texas’ law being challenged).  Multiple other US state are considering similar laws including  Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas and New Hampshire. Federal legislation has also been introduced to Congress

In the New Zealand-based Bill, key protections for children and parents include requirements for app store providers to:

• Verify the age category of all account holders, using accurate and commercially viable methods (note, this is age verification or estimation, and not digital ID)
• Obtain verifiable parental consent before minors can download apps, make purchases, or access certain features.
• Share limited age‑category data and consent status with developers so they can apply age‑appropriate restrictions.
• Reconfirm parental consent when an app undergoes a “significant change,” such as introducing new data collection, monetisation features, or content.
• Protect sensitive age‑related data through strict data minimisation and security requirements aligned with the Privacy Act 2020.

Similarly, developers will be required to:

• Use the age‑category information provided by app stores to enforce age‑appropriate settings and comply with New Zealand law.
• Request and use age‑category data only when necessary and in accordance with privacy standards.
• Notify app stores of any significant changes that may impact on the safety or privacy of young users.

The Bill also prevents both app store providers and developers from enforcing financial contracts (such as in‑app purchases) against minors unless proper parental consent has been verified.

The draft Bill reinforces New Zealand’s commitment to protecting children’s privacy by ensuring that only the minimum necessary information is collected, that data is secured to industry standards, and that it cannot be repurposed beyond what the Act permits.

Emergency-only apps, such as 111 or crisis support applications, are explicitly exempt from parental consent requirements to preserve immediate access in urgent situations.

Family First calls on the government or individual MPs to take up this sensible and world-leading draft legislation.  Drawing off developments overseas, New Zealand is well placed to be one of the first countries to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework requiring age verification / estimation, parental consent, and responsible data sharing across mobile app ecosystems.

Family First calls on the current parliament to make this App Store Accountability Bill a priority before the 2026 election.

READ THE BILL HERE

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/app-store-accountability-bill-proposed-to-strengthen-online-safety-for-children-2/

Source: New Zealand Government

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court have launched an illustrative National Policy Direction (NPD) for the new planning system for feedback.

“NPD is what translates the goals of the Planning and Natural Environment Bills into clear directives on national priorities and identifies how key system conflicts should be resolved,” Mr Bishop says.

“Today’s illustrative NPD release responds to the strong interest through Select Committee submissions in how national system instruments would guide how the new planning legislation plays out in communities.

“The illustrative NPD presents draft Government directives across five themes – housing and development, infrastructure, primary production, resources (including quarrying, mining and waste) and public values (including environmental and human health, and indigenous biodiversity) – as well as broader cross-cutting, system-wide directives.

“NPD will influence where homes and businesses can be built, how roads, water infrastructure and renewable energy projects are enabled, how farming, quarrying and other resource uses are managed, and how environmental and public values are protected.

“This consultation is an important step in giving councils, infrastructure providers, developers, farmers and growers, iwi and communities an early look at how national direction could guide decisions under New Zealand’s new planning system.

“It will help us test the structure and content with those who engage with the planning system every day to identify any improvements needed or gaps needing filling to ensure it’s clear and workable before a formal statutory consultation process.

“NPD directives will be supported by national standards which will provide further detail on how to achieve the  directives set out in the NPD. While initial standards are expected in 2027, the illustrative NPD provides some visibility over how key national standards will help implement these directives.”

NPD and national standards are critical layers in the new planning system’s ‘funnel’ architecture which is designed to give councils and users much greater certainty about what has already been decided at the national level and narrow what is up for discussion through planning.

“This will help deliver certainty and consistency for system users across the country, leaving councils to focus on how best to apply these priorities and standards in their regions, without over-reliance on consents,” Mr Court says.

“National direction instruments are not new, but the RMA’s plethora of overlapping and inconsistent National Policy Statements and Environmental Standards – across everything from infrastructure to contaminated land – caused confusion and only served lawyers’ billables.

“Bringing economy-wide priorities and directives together and front-footing key conflicts in one place is designed to provide clearer, more consistent direction to councils and system participants that leaves less up to the courts.”

The engagement is a key milestone in the Government’s wider reform of the planning system.

“The success of the new planning system won’t just depend on what’s in the legislation. It will depend on whether the national priorities and directives are clear, workable and capable of delivering results on the ground.”

“That is why this engagement matters,” Mr Bishop says. 

“This is a chance for New Zealanders to help shape the settings that will influence planning decisions for years to come.

“The feedback we receive will help ensure the new planning system is practical, effective and able to deliver on New Zealand’s priorities for property rights, growth, infrastructure and the environment.”

Media contacts: 

Tegan Harris +64 21 823 151 

Nick Wilson +64 21 864 095

Notes to editor:

• National Policy Direction is the mechanism through which the Government will set national priorities and provide direction to those preparing regional spatial plans and other planning instruments.
• The illustrative NPD is an example for engagement and is not statutory or legally binding.
• National standards that provide further detail on how to implement the NPD will be consulted on next year. 
• Feedback can be submitted until 11.59pm on Friday 16th October. Details on how to provide feedback are available at https://consult.environment.govt.nz/new-planning-system/testing-the-approach-illustrative-npd/.  

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/consultation-launched-on-illustrative-national-policy-direction/

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed the appointment of the eight inaugural members of the Firearms Licensing Review Committee (the Review Committee), established under the Arms Act 2026.

“The new Arms Act is about restoring trust and confidence in firearms regulation for both licensed firearms owners and the wider public,” says Mrs McKee.

“A critical part of that is ensuring licensing decisions made by the regulator can be independently scrutinised. Under the previous law, decisions could only be reviewed internally by the same organisation that made the original decision. 

“I am very pleased with the calibre of the eight inaugural members, chaired by Hamilton-based District Court Judge Robert Spear. Every member brings firearms experience, alongside a strong range of legal, regulatory, public safety, clinical, and community expertise.

“Licenced firearms owners should be able to expect fair, consistent, and well-reasoned decisions from the regulatory system. Where they believe a licensing decision is wrong, they should also have access to meaningful independent review without being forced immediately into costly and time-consuming court proceedings.

“The Review Committee provides that important check on regulatory power. It will be able to independently examine decisions to refuse a licence, impose conditions, or revoke a licence, while preserving the right of further appeal to the District Court.

“This is particularly important where a licensing decision involves judgments about a person’s conduct, behaviour, or whether they may present a safety risk. Those judgments need to be based on relevant evidence, applied fairly and consistently, and capable of standing up to independent scrutiny.

“The Review Committee has been deliberately appointed with a breadth of experience that means it understands both the responsibilities that come with firearms ownership and the practical realities of New Zealand’s firearms community.”

The eight inaugural members have been appointed by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith for initial terms of 18 months from 31 August 2026. They are Judge Robert Spear (Chair), Louise Christensen, Gordon Davis, Joe Green, Mike Keefe QSM, Melissa Jackson, Digby Livingston, and Tracey Wakeford.

Note to editors:

Biographies for the inaugural Review Committee members can be found below.

• Judge Robert Spear (Chair) is a Hamilton-based District Court Judge, appointed in 1995, and currently the Chair of both the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority and the Victims’ Special Claims Tribunal. Judge Spear will retire his judicial warrant in October 2026. Judge Spear has previously held a firearms licence and participated in recreational hunting.
• Louise Christensen lives in Ashburton and is an active hunter and sporting clay shooter. She has previously worked for Maritime New Zealand in a licensing role, and the Accident Compensation Corporation as a branch and quality manager. 
• Gordon Davis is a Wellington-based lawyer with extensive legal experience through private practice (civil and criminal work) and in government as chief legal counsel for the (then) State Services Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority. Mr Davis is a former firearms licence holder having held, until recently, a licence for more than 50 years.
• Joe Green lives on the Kapiti Coast. From 2016 till 2026 he represented the Firearms Safety Council on the Firearms Community Advisory Forum. He also has significant Police experience and has been closely involved in Police vetting, and various roles with search and rescue and emergency management. He has had long-time involvement in the firearms community though his Police work, and with the Firearms Safety Council. He was involved in the United Nations development of International Standards for Arms Control and involved with the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association, including research into incidents when one hunter shot and killed another. He has been involved with the Whakatūpato programme. 
• Mike Keefe QSM is a Rotorua-based District Licensing Committee member, a Judicial Justice of the Peace and a member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal. He has significant firearms experience as a former Police officer and District Arms Officer. He is a firearms licence holder and keen hunter. He was instrumental alongside John Ransfield QSM in starting the Whakatūpato Programme where firearms training was introduced into a marae setting improving safety and firearms compliance.
• Digby Livingston is a Wellington-based lawyer and director and a member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal. He was one of the inaugural Borrin Foundation Community Law Fellows and is a licenced firearms owner.
• Melissa Jackson is a Taumarunui-based legally trained local government manager and firearms safety leader. She is a former secretary of the Central King Country branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association and is a hunting instructor for a local community trust that focuses on ethical hunting and te ao Māori practices.
• Tracy Wakeford is a Northland-based clinical psychologist. She also has a strong background working in firearms safety and experience with firearms (particularly the Whakatūpato programme and work with Mountain Safety Council). 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/strong-candidates-appointed-to-inaugural-firearms-licensing-review-committee/

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

A new notified petroleum prospecting application aims to improve understanding of the offshore Pegasus Basin east of the North Island, a promising but largely under-explored frontier basin, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.

New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals has today opened a three-month competitive process for an application lodged by CBX Energy Limited. It covers about 4207.26 sq km over the Wahipapa fairway in the Pegasus Basin, a frontier area considered prospective for hydrocarbons.

This is the second application lodged by the company and the seventh petroleum prospecting or exploration application accepted for assessment since the repeal of the offshore exploration ban.

Mr Jones says continued interest in New Zealand’s petroleum sector demonstrates growing confidence in New Zealand’s resource potential and the role natural gas can play in supporting the country’s future energy security.

“The return of interest in petroleum prospecting and exploration shows companies are once again willing to invest in understanding New Zealand’s resource potential.

“A country that understands its resource potential is better placed to shape its future. Prospecting and exploration help identify opportunities, reduce uncertainty and ensure New Zealand understands the options as it plans for future energy need.”

Previous geological and seismic work has highlighted the prospectivity of the Pegasus Basin, but further prospecting is needed to better understand the basin’s potential and inform future exploration decisions.

“The Pegasus Basin remains one of New Zealand’s least explored offshore basins. Frontier areas present some of the most exciting opportunities in the exploration sector because they offer the potential for large-scale new discoveries and geological insights,” Mr Jones says. 

CBX Energy proposes to undertake technical studies using existing geological and geophysical data including modern analytical techniques, to further evaluate the basin’s prospectivity. 

Competing applications will be received until 5pm, 25 November 2026.

Applications will be assessed in accordance with the Minerals Programme for Petroleum 2025 and the requirements of the Crown Minerals Act. This includes consideration of applicants’ technical and financial capability, compliance history, and the proposed work programme.

For more information, see: Applications under the open market competitive process – New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/new-petroleum-application-targets-pegasus-basin/

Source: New Zealand Government

A four-year funding boost of $9.7 million, announced by Minister for Conservation Tama Potaka today, will help protect New Zealand’s national parks and native ecosystems from wild goats and deer. 

“When left unchecked, wild goats and deer can cause significant damage and impact productivity for farmers and other land managers,” Mr Potaka says. 

The funding, from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), enables targeted wild goat and deer management in nationally significant conservation areas, reducing browsing pressure on native vegetation and supporting ecosystem recovery.  

“This IVL investment means DOC will continue achieving significant conservation gains by reducing wild goat and deer impacts across some of New Zealand’s most important conservation landscapes — including Whanganui National Park and Waitōtara Conservation Area in the North Island, and Kahurangi, Nelson Lakes, Westland Te Tai Poutini, and Fiordland National Parks in the South Island,” Mr Potaka says. 

“The programme strengthens monitoring, surveillance and operational capability, helping protect previous investments, reduce reinvasion risk, and build the knowledge and partnerships needed to deliver long-term biodiversity outcomes.

“It also builds on the strong progress of priority wild goat and deer work in these national parks, amplifying the biodiversity gains in some of New Zealand’s most important conservation landscapes.”

Note to editors: 

The programme of work from this funding includes:

• Continuing wild goat control and monitoring across high-priority ecosystems in Whanganui National Park. 
• Strengthening goat and deer management in the Waitōtara Conservation Area. 
• Protecting wild goat free areas in Kahurangi National Park, particularly high value ecosystems around the Heaphy Great Walk. 
• Eliminating the identified wild goat population in Nelson Lakes National Park. 
• Intensifying wild goat eradication efforts in Westland Tai Poutini National Park.
• Continuing the successful deer management programme helping to reduce impacts and protect biodiversity in Fiordland National Park. 

It builds on previous IVL investment in wild animal management, and the wider wild goat and deer work DOC delivers, which covers more than 1.2 million hectares of public conservation land.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/25/goats-and-deer-in-the-sights-of-9-7m-ivl-funding/

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