Revenue Minister Simon Watts has today announced a refreshed Tax and Social Policy Work Programme which sharpens the focus on growing the economy by making New Zealand a more attractive place for capital, talent, and small business investment.
“The initial work programme we released last year focused on boosting productivity, bringing in much-needed capital and skills, and streamlining international tax settings. Our refreshed work programme builds on this momentum,” Mr Watts says.
“The refreshed work programme is about removing regulatory barriers and delivering a stable, predictable tax environment that directly supports growth and opportunity.”
The refreshed work programme has four pillars:
Attracting and retaining capital and talent
Supporting small businesses
Simplifying the tax system and improving integrity
Improvements to social policy
To encourage critical investment in infrastructure, targeted consultation begins today on refined thin-capitalisation proposals.
“We are removing barriers that currently discourage large-scale infrastructure investment. We are also progressing reforms to the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) regime and financial arrangement rules to both retain and attract talent here. These changes will help ensure our settings are modern, competitive, and do not inadvertently discourage productive investment,” Mr Watts says.
“The Government is also committed to making life easier for small businesses. This will include continuing work on simplification of the Fringe Benefit Tax subject to fiscal considerations. We will also be consulting on improvements to the GST regime.
“We are also working with intermediaries to reduce compliance costs and make tax treatment simpler and fairer. Inland Revenue is currently exploring a more flexible approach to income‑tax payments for sole traders and small businesses, and plans to consult on this in the first part of next year.
“We continue to focus on simplifying the tax system and improving integrity. This includes our ongoing policy work looking at the taxation of charities and not-for-profits, Inland Revenue’s compliance programme and the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that tax legislation remains up to date and fit for purpose.
“We’re getting on with targeted, practical reforms. This means listening to stakeholders, removing barriers, and delivering a stable, predictable tax environment that supports growth and opportunity for every New Zealander.
LISHUI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 October 2025 – At the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva earlier this year, a rural healthcare project from eastern China drew global attention.
The mountain county of Jingning She Autonomous County in Zhejiang’s Lishui City introduced its “Smart Mobile Hospital + AI” model — an innovation that shows how digital transformation can bring quality medical services to remote regions.
Delegates said the project offers a glimpse into how technology can bridge healthcare gaps for mountain communities, where access to doctors has long been limited by geography.
For 81‑year‑old Liu Yuyu, those gaps used to mean several hours on steep mountain roads just to see a specialist in Hangzhou, the provincial capital. Now she simply visits her township clinic and meets doctors through a high‑definition screen. Her entire medical history, stored in Zhejiang’s cloud‑based health system, allows specialists hundreds of kilometers away to review her data and adjust treatment in real time.
Such changes are reshaping healthcare in Jingning She Autonomous County in Lishui City, Liu’s mountainous hometown in eastern Zhejiang. Powered by Zhejiang Mobile’s 5G network, artificial intelligence and big‑data tools, the “Smart Mobile Hospital + AI” program is bringing advanced care to even the most remote villages.
In Jingning, known as a land of “nine parts mountain, half part water and half part field,” visiting a doctor has long been a challenge. Some residents still spend an hour to reach a township clinic and more than two hours to the county hospital. With the new system, consultations and diagnostics once requiring a trip to the city can now happen almost instantly.
To overcome the region’s rugged geography, Zhejiang Mobile has transformed its service vehicles into 5G‑enabled mobile clinics. Each van maintains a stable signal on winding roads, transmitting high‑resolution images and test results to upper‑level hospitals. Inside, AI‑based software analyzes symptoms and supports local doctors in diagnosing patients and recommending treatments.
Each vehicle works as a mini hospital, equipped with more than 20 types of medical devices — from portable ultrasounds and ECG monitors to lung‑function analyzers. Township physicians can perform examinations, prescribe medication, and even provide emergency care on site. For complicated cases, they connect instantly with specialists in city or provincial hospitals through the same 5G network.
Inside the Zhejiang Mobile 5G‑enabled mobile clinic, a doctor is using connected diagnostic devices to examine patients and transmit real‑time data to upper‑level hospitals.
Local health authorities say Zhejiang Mobile’s platform helps automate the screening of chronic illnesses such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and cataracts, recommending drugs or further tests. This has significantly improved early detection and reduced serious cases among elderly residents.
To make the “Smart Mobile Hospital” serve not only daily clinical needs but also emergency response, Zhejiang Mobile worked with local authorities to connect data systems across public security, civil affairs and social‑insurance departments. The company helped build an integrated workflow that unites pre‑hospital emergency services with in‑hospital treatment.
When an emergency occurs in a remote mountain area, the system can automatically match and dispatch both a mobile hospital and an ambulance, ensuring rapid, coordinated rescue.
“When patients board the vehicle, facial‑recognition technology immediately confirms their identity and retrieves family and insurance information,” said Chen Lifeng, the director of the Dajun Township Health Center in Jingning County. “All registration and admission procedures are completed in advance, so the patient is effectively admitted upon boarding.”
Through a real‑time 5G link between the vehicle and the hospital, vital‑sign data is transmitted to emergency rooms as doctors provide remote guidance. This enables continuous treatment across the chain — from rescue site to vehicle to hospital.
Seven Zhejiang Mobile medical units now serve Jingning County, covering 67 villages and 78 regular stops. They have traveled more than 250,000 kilometers and delivered care to over 100,000 residents. For families once separated from modern healthcare by mountains, access is finally within reach.
Local doctors say 5G and AI are changing not only how patients are treated but how they think about medicine. Regular screenings catch illnesses earlier, and growing trust in remote consultations encourages people to seek help sooner.
As China continues modernizing its vast primary‑healthcare network, Jingning’s experiment is being closely watched. Zhejiang Mobile’s Smart Mobile Hospital may become a model for other remote regions seeking affordable, technology‑driven medical solutions.
Liu, who once dreaded the long trip to the city, now jokes that her doctors travel farther than she does. “They come here through the screen,” she says with a laugh. “And I don’t miss the bus anymore.”
Hashtag: #ChinaMobileCommunicationsGroupZhejiang
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Police investigating the murder of Bill Maangi in Gisborne are seeking the movements of a vehicle of interest.
Mr Maangi died after being shot in the early hours of Monday 29 September, and while Police make good progress in the investigation, we are needing the public’s assistance.
A Hyundai Sonata [pictured], registration AFN215, was stolen from Forrest House, Ormond Road sometime between 7:30pm and midnight on Sunday 28 September.
The vehicle was seen heading into Riperata Street, turning left onto Lytton Road, before finally turning right into the Elgin area.
It was seen again around 9am on Monday 29 September in the Stout Street/Aberdeen Road area.
Police recovered the vehicle on Monday 20 October, from Churchill Street.
We are urging anyone who may have information, or saw the pictured Hyundai Sonata at any time between Sunday 28 September and Monday 20 October, to please come forward immediately.
The vehicle is currently undergoing forensic examinations.
Information can be provided by going online or calling 105 and quoting file number: 250929/9035.
Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting the same file number.
Port Chalmers Police investigating wilful damage to a home on Kaira Street, Sawyers Bay are appealing to the community for information.
On Tuesday 28 October Police received a report from someone who found their window damaged on Friday 24 October, after being awoken by sounds coming from outside their home.
Upon investigation, Police have found that the window has been damaged from someone discharging some sort of air rifle into the property.
Thankfully, no one was injured, however the victim is understandably shaken by the incident.
Police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed anything unusual around the Kaira Street area between 1am and 3am on Friday 24 October, to please contact Police.
We are also urging anyone with CCTV footage, for the same time, around Kaira Street, Fairview Terrace, and the stretch of Hall Road between Hugh Street and Tewsley Street, to please contact us so that we can review the footage.
Information can be provided by calling 105 and quoting file number: 251028/9304.
Alternatively, if you can provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting the same file number.
Pharmac’s Reset Programme is on track, with the completion of first 90-day action plan, Associate Health Minister David Seymour says.
90-day plans promote transparency and accountability. They are part of the first 12-month phase of Pharmac’s five-year Reset Programme, developed in response to a series of external reviews.
“For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.
“My expectation is that Pharmac should have strong processes so patients, their families, and clinicians, can have a say in decisions. This is part of the ACT-National Coalition Agreement.
“In November last year Pharmac hosted the Consumer Engagement Workshops. Patients and advocates voiced their hopes at resetting the patient – Pharmac relationship. Pharmac listened and developed a plan to achieve this.
“Following the report Pharmac invited workshop participants, in association with the wider consumer-patient representative community, to select a working group. Dr Malcolm Mulholland was selected as the chair. The Consumer and Patient Working Group has been set up for the initial 12-month phase of the Reset Programme.
“The Working Group provides insight, lived experience, and practical advice to ensure the Pharmac Reset Programme is designed in a way that reflects the needs, values, and perspectives of consumers. This first phase will lay the foundation for a more transparent, outward focused, and collaborative organisation and support the wider culture reset of Pharmac.”
The first 90-day plan, which ran from 1 July to 30 September 2025, saw key actions completed including:
Appointing a 10-member Consumer and Patient Working Group chaired by patient advocate Dr Malcolm Mulholland.
Developing a consumer advocate database has been developed and populated with support from the Working Group, representing a diverse range of health conditions and communities with high health needs. This will support ongoing engagement with consumers and patients.
Finding ways to better reflect patient impact in Pharmac’s data to strengthen future Budget bids, including by releasing Budget 2025/26 information proactively to support informed consumer input and advice.
Published an update on its progress in responding to the 2022 Pharmac Review recommendations, providing greater clarity for patients.
“The Working Group has played a key role in supporting the delivery of these actions by providing advice and contributing to implementation. Their work complements the strategic advice provided by Pharmac’s Consumer Advisory Committee,” Mr Seymour says.
“We’ve already got some runs on the board in this first quarter, and next we’ll be diving into the processes that matter most to consumers and patients. Pharmac’s work is vitally important, and our focus is on helping the organisation to work as well as it can,” says Dr Mulholland.
One additional action is currently in progress:
Pharmac is expanding its engagement function to include dedicated relationship managers who will build and maintain relationships with key consumer and patient groups.
Work is already underway on the next 90-day action plan, which includes:
Developing guidelines on when and how to consult with patients regarding funding decisions, brand changes, supply issues, or strategic initiatives.
Agreeing on the best approach and developing resources to support this to incorporate patient voices and lived experiences in clinical meetings.
Creating a joined-up communications planning approach with patient groups and agreeing on a framework for patient storytelling.
Partnering with consumers to identify short-term and long-term improvements to the medicine application funding process.
Continuing work to create a new future-focused and inclusive vision and strategy that reflects the needs and aspirations of staff, consumers, and other stakeholders.
“The Government is doing its part. Last year we allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders,” Mr Seymour says.
A weeklong transnational targeted crackdown on illicit firearms has resulted in 43 arrests and 96 firearms being seized in New Zealand. This was part of a coordinated week-of-action with partner agencies in Australia and New Zealand.
Australian and New Zealand enforcement agencies’ joint intelligence efforts recently reduced the availability of illicit firearms in the community through detection, disruption and enforcement.
The National Illicit Firearms Working Group made up of police from across Australia and New Zealand undertook Operation Black Onyx between Monday 13 October and Sunday 19 October, with agencies working to monitor real-time intelligence and assessments to target persons of interest.
New Zealand Police executed 83 search warrants recovering firearms, firearm parts and ammunition.
Detective Inspector Andrew Alexander, from the National Organised Crime Group for New Zealand Police, says with the combined efforts of our overseas and local partners we have targeted and disrupted criminal activity around illicit firearms.
“The contribution from across the country, from all of our Police Districts and partner agencies, has led to a successful week of disrupting criminals in possession of illegal firearms and provides a real time example of the partnership between New Zealand Police and Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority and the benefits of the Firearms Registry in holding these individuals to account,” he says.
“Utilising our intelligence-led approach to target those in possession of illegal firearms, parts or accessories, without appropriate permits, has ensured that illegal firearms are removed from our streets.”
Throughout New Zealand the operation has led to:
43 arrests, 110 charges
96 firearms seized (which included shotguns, rifles, pistols)
Two significant investments were announced during the visit of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Malaysia this week, in the areas of renewable energy infrastructure and tourism.
Malaysian-headquartered company Yinson Renewables announced its plans to invest in New Zealand with a pipeline of projects expected to total circa 1GW of renewable energy.
Yinson has been developing a pipeline of wind projects in New Zealand over the past four years. Invest New Zealand, the New Zealand Government’s investment attraction agency, has been supporting Yinson.
“This investment shows the message that New Zealand is open for business is being heard,” Mr Luxon says.
A significant investment into New Zealand’s tourism infrastructure was also confirmed on Tuesday by Malaysian infrastructure conglomerate YTL Corporation Berhad. YTL Hotels has acquired the 225-room Hotel Indigo in Auckland in a $160m deal, its first hotel investment in New Zealand. The agreement is the second-largest hotel transaction in New Zealand this year.
Mr Luxon says this solidifies YTL Hotels’ long-term commitment to the region’s tourism and hospitality sector and signals confidence in New Zealand’s visitor economy.
Both investments have received approvals from New Zealand’s Overseas Investment Office.
“These investments demonstrate that New Zealand is seen as a credible investment destination by high-quality global investors, and it is a message I deliver in parallel to the political relationship building on my trips overseas,” Mr Luxon says.
The Prime Minister has just concluded a three-day visit to Malaysia, where he engaged in high-level talks on geo-political issues in the Indo-Pacific region, and advanced New Zealand’s business goals.
“It’s critical for New Zealand to play an active part in regional settings like the East Asia Summit (EAS), where we can be heard and promote our interests,” Mr Luxon says.
The 19-member EAS meets annually and brings together key players in the region including the United States, China and India.
During a 50th anniversary ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit, the Prime Minister established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with his ASEAN counterparts.
“During my visit to Kuala Lumpur, I met with the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and a series of other Southeast Asian leaders.
“As well as witnessing the signing of the two investment deals that will help us build the infrastructure we need, grow businesses, and put more money in Kiwis’ pockets, we also agreed a halal arrangement with Malaysia to boost our exports.”
The Prime Minister is now in the Republic of Korea for APEC
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says the cruise industry is poised for another significant step forward, with the Carnival line announcing a return to homeporting in Auckland.
“I’m thrilled to hear that Carnival Adventure will drop anchor in Auckland for its 2027 winter season, the first ship to homeport in Auckland since 2023,” Louise Upston says.
“A homeport is where a cruise ship begins and ends its voyages, making Auckland a base for passenger boarding, provisioning and crew operations. Having a ship homeported here over winter is a real vote of confidence in New Zealand’s tourism sector.
“This decision by Carnival means more visitors, more jobs and more opportunities for local businesses. That’s great news for our Auckland hospitality, retail and accommodation sectors.
“It also offers New Zealanders the chance to cruise from a home city on short break holidays.”
Carnival Adventure will be homeported in Auckland from 25 May to 29 July 2027.
The announcement comes as New Zealand prepares to welcome an estimated 177,000 cruise visitors across nearly 40 ships during the 2025 – 2026 season.
Louise Upston says the Government recognised the growing contribution of cruise tourism to New Zealand, injecting $1.37 billion into New Zealand economy last financial year,
“Cruise is now extremely significant to tourism and is why I led a meeting with cruise and port sector representatives in July to discuss how we could all make the most of the opportunities and remove any barriers.
“We’ve worked hard to provide clarity on regulatory costs and support new ways to manage biofouling.
“Our Government has also set up a Fast-Track Approvals process supporting efficient consenting for much-needed infrastructure like Port of Auckland’s development of a new wharf and passenger terminal for cruise vessels.
“And we’ve confirmed ongoing cruise access to Milford Sound.
“Today’s news reinforces the significance of those decisions and reaffirms that New Zealand is open for business and committed to supporting the cruise sector’s growth.”
The Government has confirmed that from 1 December 2025, changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, Housing Minister Chris Bishop, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.
“These reforms are a win-win for tenants and landlords and are a pawsitive step forward,” Mr Bishop says.
“Pets are part of the family for many households. Around 64 per cent of Kiwi homes include at least one. Anyone who’s tried to find a pet-friendly rental knows how ruff it can be.
“From 1 December, the pet bonds system will begin. This means Tenancy Services’ bond system will enable landlords and tenants to lodge pet bonds for new tenancies, add a pet bond to an existing tenancy when a new pet is introduced, top-up a pet bond if the rent increases and refund a pet bond if the pet is no longer at the property.
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour says that the policy will fix the problem of tenants being locked out of rental markets due to landlords not being willing to take a risk on tenants with pets.
“There are tenants out there to whom what matters is being able to live in their preferred home with their very good boy,” Mr Seymour says.
“More landlords would be willing to allow pets if they could protect themselves from some of the risks.
“This policy is also important for helping victims of domestic abuse move on with their lives. Often, people stay in relationships to look after pets and become stuck. Helping these people find rentals that are accepting of pets will allow them to move on safely and have a brighter future.”
The new rules include that:
Tenants must have the landlord’s consent to keep a pet but landlords can only withhold consent on reasonable grounds.
Landlords may require a pet bond up to two weeks’ rent, in addition to the existing general tenancy bond.
Tenants will now be liable for all pet damage to properties beyond fair wear and tear
Tenancy Services will enable lodgement, top-ups and refunds of pet bonds and will provide updated guidance and forms ahead of commencement.
“Supporting people to find a pet-friendly rental home is part of the Government’s plan to create a well-functioning rental property market.
“The changes reflect the Government’s focus on practical, balanced solutions that support both renters and property owners,” Mr Potaka says.
“These reforms are about fairness and trust. They make it easier for landlords to say yes, while giving tenants the certainty they need to settle with their pets.
“Our Government is focused on a rental market that works for everyone, whether they be young renters, families, and the people providing homes.”
Diabetes patients in South Auckland had remarkable success in a trial of using community pharmacists as coaches.
A pilot programme in South Auckland has shown that community pharmacists, working closely with general practice nurses, can significantly reduce blood sugar levels for people with diabetes – and keep them down.
Type 2 diabetes is a major health challenge in Aotearoa New Zealand, leading to preventable complications such as dialysis, amputations, vision loss, and heart disease.
The programme, run by Counties Manukau Health and funded by the Ministry of Health, enrolled a total of around 60 people, with a new paper focusing on 26 participants who enrolled early and had long-term follow-up data. See Journal of Primary Healthcare.
Participating pharmacist, Carole Baxter, at Unichem Tuakau Pharmacy recalls one patient whom she and the nurse referred to as ‘the poster boy’.
“We told him what he would need to do – lifestyle changes, moving more, improving his eating and taking his medications. Whatever we said, he did. He ended up not needing to take any medications.”
Baxter believes the pilot would have been even more successful if it hadn’t coincided with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It shows that diabetes patients really need a coach,” Baxter says. “It was often simple things like finding people weren’t testing regularly because they had left their meter at a tāngi or moved house and couldn’t find it. Issues that were easily resolved.”
Baxter wrote long-term-condition plans for the patients and is still following up with activities like checking they have an appointment to get their next script. “A few days later, the script turns up in the pharmacy,” she says.
At the outset of the trial, patients’ average HbA1c was 97.6 mmol/mol.
HbA1c, a long-term measure of blood sugar control, should ideally be under 53 mmol/mol – a target many people do not meet.
During the pilot, patients had an average reduction of 25.2 mmol/mol, or 20.7 mmol/mol for Māori and Pacific participants.
When the patients were followed up after seven months, the participants had sustained their improvements
Most, participants (85 percent) improved their HBA1C by at least 5 mmol/mol.
“Rates of prescribing of newer diabetes medicines such as empagliflozin and dulaglutide, were higher than comparable studies in people with type 2 diabetes in New Zealand eligible for these treatments,” says lead author Dr Natalie Gauld, an honorary senior lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
“We’d love to see a larger trial with more pharmacies and a comparison group,” says Gauld.
“Having a pharmacist mentor would help build confidence and support pharmacists in this new way of working. It’s also vital to involve Māori and Pacific communities in designing the next phase.”
Dr Sue Tutty, GP liaison at Counties Manukau and co-author, says the programme highlights the value of collaboration.
“It showed how relatively small interventions, utilising a team-based model of care, can have a significant impact on outcomes.”
Researchers recommend scaling up the approach with more emphasis on team-based care and better integration between pharmacies and general practices, mentoring for pharmacists, and additional support for patients who feel overwhelmed or disconnected from the health system.
“This project is scalable now with the resources we currently have in the community, and with motivation and project support,” Tutty says.
