Events – Mark your calendars for the best night of the year when Australia’s most famous girls night out hits Auckland on March 1st

February 5, 2025

Source: AO Communications

Lise & Sarah’s DISCO CLUB will turn up the volume again in 2025 with its Australian and New Zealand tour, with general release tickets on sale now.

In 2025, 20,000 women* will have the chance to dance at the sell-out phenomenon that is Lise & Sarah’s DISCO CLUB. And for the first time an international trip across the ditch to Auckland, NZ.

Founded two years ago by best friends and podcasters, Lise Carlaw and Sarah Wills, DISCO CLUB continues to grow and establish itself as the ultimate night out for women, delivering an electric night of dancing and singing with friends.

“DISCO CLUB is designed by women for women: everything we miss about clubbing and nothing we don’t,” said Lise.

“While it all started with a simple conversation between us about how much we missed nights out dancing with our girlfriends, we have seen first hand – over and again – the incredible collective joy shared on a judgement-free night of much-needed fun,” said Sarah.

“There’s an undeniable energy – the power of song and movement, of freedom, that comes with feeling safe, comfortable and welcome – the scene is set to feel the emotion and revel in nostalgia.”

“But it’s not just about the music – it’s about connection – connection between both friends and strangers and across generations, and that’s why it’s booming,” said Lise. “Women continually tell us it’s dancefloor therapy.”

Another essential element is the early start and finish time, with arrivals from 6pm for a 7pm start and 10pm finish. “We simply wanted a great night out and a chance to press pause on real life, but we also wanted to be in our PJs by 11pm, and it turns out we’re not alone!” said Sarah.

Lise & Sarah’s DISCO CLUB Tour is Australia’s largest event series for women borne from a podcast (The Lise and Sarah Show).

MIL OSI

Op-Ed – Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face – OPED Conor English

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Opinion – by Conor English

5 February 2025 – Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face – Boxer Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”. He was simply pointing out in his own unique direct way, that sometimes things don’t go the way you think. There can be unintended consequences. Your opponent can counter punch, so a “plan b” can be useful!

The new USA government has a plan to use tariffs as a way of incentivising other countries to do things that are helpful to the USA. Things like curtail immigrants or drugs travelling over the border, or to shift their manufacturing jobs to America. The President has described the word “tariffs” as “the most beautiful word in the dictionary” so its clear he likes the idea of using tariffs. It does have some logic. Maybe this plan will work?

So, using emergency powers that enable quick action, rather than long winded trade negotiation processes, this plan is being implemented this week. First up, 10% tariff on goods from China, and energy products from Canada. Tariffs will be set at 25% for most other goods from Canada and Mexico. If these countries change their drug, migration and manufacturing policies, the USA will look to review the tariff levels. That’s the new deal.

New Zealand had its own tariffs for many years as was fashionable. But now we seek fair trade, with no tariffs or quotas, or other non-tariff trade barriers in our trading relationships. It matters to us as a small trading country at the bottom of the world. Multilateral co-operation and enforcement frameworks such as the World Trade Organisation are vital.

America, like many countries, has a long history of using tariffs. An excellent example of how things can end up like a punch in the face, as Mike Tyson would put it, is the passing of what was known as the “Smoot Hawley” Tariff Act on June 17, 1930. This raised tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods, despite a petition signed by 1,028 economists asking President Hoover to veto the legislation. He didn’t. The theory was it would save jobs in America and protect local producers from international competition following the “Black Thursday” share market crash on October 24, 1929.

But it didn’t make things better, it made things worse.

Americas trading partners punched back. They didn’t do nothing. They retaliated, just as Canada and Mexico now have. The world economy and geopolitics has evolved significantly since the great depression and what happened then may not happen now. However, history can perhaps provide some small insight as to how this might play out.

Wikipedia tells us that after the Smoot- Hawley passed – yes – USA imports did decrease by 66% from $4.4 billion in 1929, to $1.5 billion in 1933. So that must be good for domestic jobs and industries? Well no, because other countries punched back with their own tariffs, as well as sourcing their own imports from other countries rather than America.

As a result, USA exports also decreased 61% from $5.4 billion to $2.1 billion. GNP fell from $103.1 billion in 1929 to $75.8 billion in 1931, bottoming out at $55.6 billion in 1933, a drop of around 50% over four years.

So rather than create jobs, jobs were lost, and plenty of them. Unemployment was at 8% in 1930 when the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act was passed, but the new law failed to lower it. The unemployment rate jumped to 16% in 1931, and 25% in 1932–33. The factories that produced those export goods couldn’t sell their products, so staff lost their jobs.

Unemployment didn’t fall below early 1930s levels until the massive economic stimulus of World War 2.

As with any economy, there is always more than just one thing happening, but at that time, that is what happened in the USA. So how does this current fast changing situation effect New Zealand?

Unlike 100 years ago, we get impacted very quickly by the transmission of changes in our exchange rate, interest rates, commodity prices, share markets and trade flows. This then flows through our economy.

For example, if inflation goes up in America because of the new tariffs, international interest rates may go up, thus reducing the speed of any reductions on our mortgage rates. Dairy commodity prices might rise, but so too might international oil prices, pushing up our fuel prices and inflation. Our dollar may fall, making it cheaper for tourists to visit, but the cost of servicing our increasing national debt more expensive. Chinese built EVs may be more available and cheaper here as cars are diverted from the USA market.

There will be all sorts of positive and negative impacts, unintended consequences and unforeseen outcomes. It could be overall positive or overall negative for both America and New Zealand, but we just don’t know. We do know though that it creates more uncertainty, and that’s not helpful to anyone.

So will it be a punch in the face, as Mike Tyson suggests, or a pat on the back? Either way, we need to be fleet of foot and have a “Plan B”.

Conor English is a Director of Silvereye – a Wellington based Government relations firm, a former exporter, CEO of Federated Farmers, and Independent Advisor to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

MIL OSI

Housing Market – First home buyers well placed for 2025 – CoreLogic

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: CoreLogic – Commentary from Kelvin Davidson, CoreLogic NZ Chief Property Economist

In today’s Pulse, CoreLogic NZ’s Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson looks at the conditions facing first home buyers (FHBs) in 2025, with the data pointing to favourable market conditions – although their percentage share of activity may not hold at recent record highs.

Even if mortgaged investors and movers do take a greater proportion of activity in 2025, FHBs are still likely to buy a higher number of properties than they did last year.

Put simply, a larger overall number of transactions in 2025 should ‘float all boats’.

A look back at 2024The full-year CoreLogic Buyer Classification data for 2024 showed another strong performance from first home buyers (FHBs), making up 26.1% of property purchases. That was a new record high, surpassing the previous mark of 25.7% set the previous year. Granted, at around 20,850, the number of FHB purchases had been beaten on seven previous occasions since 2005 (including each year from 2019 to 2021), but it was still a solid year on that measure too.

Why have FHBs proven successful? Access to KiwiSaver for at least part of the deposit is one factor, while they have also been making full use of the low-deposit lending allowances at the banks. Getting around the loan to value ratio rules by purchasing new-build properties is another popular option at present, and we estimate that FHBs accounted for about 27% of new-build buying activity in 2024.
FHBs have also been taking advantage of plenty of choice (total available listings are high) and the soft market – their median price paid in 2024 was $698,000 (down from $719,000 in 2022).

They are also benefiting from reduced competition. For example, ‘movers’ or relocating owner-occupiers ‘only’ accounted for 26.5% of activity last year, which is about 2%-points below their average.

At the same time, mortgaged multiple property owners (MPOs including investors) have had a tricky few years too, with their share of activity at 21.7% in 2024, versus the average since 2005 of around 24.5%.

That’s not too surprising, given that typical mortgage rates were above 7% for at least the first half of 2024, meaning that significant top-ups out of other income were required to sustain a standard new rental purchase. Interest deductibility was back to 80% for most of the 2024 calendar year, but the Brightline Test only came down on 1st July 2024 while the deposit rules were eased from 35% to 30% on the same day.

2025 outlook

Looking ahead, our expectation is that overall property sales volumes will rise from around 80,000 in 2024 to 90,000 in 2025, reflecting the lagged effects of lower mortgage rates and the anticipation of a growing economy again, albeit slowly.

That being said, further job losses in the near term are unfortunately looking likely, and debt to income ratio limits will also become a consideration, although the ‘generous’ 20% speed limit and the new-build exemption should mean they don’t put a hard stop on activity.

In this environment, it would not be a surprise to see a higher number of deals from all buyer groups, especially the three main cohorts of FHBs, mortgaged investors, and movers.

Anecdotally, we have seen evidence that movers are starting to become more active again as housing chains free up, especially in the ‘next home’ segment (i.e. previous FHBs who are now looking to trade up), while mortgaged investors have also shown clear signs of a comeback.

Although mortgaged investors’ calendar-year market share in 2024 was still quite low, the quarter-by-quarter figures had turned up by the end of year, hitting 22.6% in Q4 – their strongest result since the middle of 2022. Our more granular analysis shows that this was driven primarily by smaller/new investors (those who now own two properties in total after their latest purchase), or the cliched ‘Mums and Dads’.

To illustrate the impact of lower mortgage rates on those top-ups: If you plug in a purchase price of $780,000 (the median paid by mortgaged MPOs in 2024), assume 30% deposit, 4% gross rental yield, interest-only mortgage (and 100% deductibility), a drop in mortgage rates from around 7% to about 5.5% broadly cuts the weekly cash requirement from $350 to $200. That’s still significant for a new investor, but much less of a hurdle than before.

A story of many buyers

Looking ahead, 2025 looks set to be busier year for the property market in general and across the various buyer groups. However, market share must always equal 100%, and even though FHBs will likely buy more properties this year than last, it is still conceivable that their percentage share of activity will drop back from recent record highs, as mortgaged investors and movers return closer to their normal positions.

In turn, that may well prompt fears or headlines that first home buyers are being shut out again. But as an example, they could see their market share drop to 24% this year and still purchase about 1,000 more properties than in 2024. In other words, a lower market share doesn’t mean the demise of FHBs.

MIL OSI

Transport – Desert Road closure costing freight businesses an estimated $100,000 per day

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

National road freight association Transporting New Zealand has emphasised the importance of getting the Desert Road on State Highway 1 reopened as soon as possible, estimating that the closure is increasing freight costs for businesses and consumers by $100,000 per day.

Chief executive Dom Kalasih says that while using block road closures allows NZTA to work more efficiently and safely on roading projects, it is essential that these are well managed and keep to schedule.

“Transporting New Zealand supported the block road closure approach for the Desert Road project, rather than operating stop-go for months and years on end. However, taking this approach means that NZTA needs to be providing regular comms updates and completing these works on time.

“If there are any delays with the Desert Road opening, it is critical that NZTA provides notice well in advance so that transport companies can readjust their plans to manage the extra demands.”

Kalasih says that having the closure extended would be bad news for businesses and consumers across the country.

“Based on NZTA information about the additional detour time and traffic data, we estimate the additional freight cost is in the order of $100,000 per day, due to approximately 800 trucks per day having to travel for an additional 35-40 minutes. Our members have no choice but to pass those costs on to their customers, and that shows up as higher prices for consumers.

“There’s also the loss in labour productivity and the significant impact on local businesses in the affected area to consider.

“The closure also increases risk to the resilience of the network. If SH4 between National Park and Tohunga Junction was to become blocked for any significant period, then inter-regional travel across the Central Plateau would be severely impacted.”

Transporting New Zealand sought an update from NZTA on how the project was tracking to schedule on Monday, and will be keeping their members regularly updated.

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.

MIL OSI

Mouse plague threatens rare skink

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: Department of Conservation

Date: 05 February 2025

Mouse numbers have been tracking consistently high in the area where the skinks live. Mice are small enough to enter the small holes and burrows where the skinks live and eat them alive.

This operation, in Victoria Forest Park, will protect the only known population of the Alborn skink, which is at high risk of extinction. It’s classified as Threatened – Nationally Critical with the population estimated to be 30 individuals.

DOC Operations Manager Chris Hickford says that the 10-hectare pest control operation is an interim measure to protect the skinks, until a predator proof fence can be built.

“We are working with the New Zealand Nature Fund (NZNF) to raise funds to build a predator proof fence for the skinks. Once we can enclose an area, and remove any predators inside it, we’ll be able to protect the skinks without needing to use toxins.

“The pest control operation will utilise the toxin brodifacoum, placed in bait stations. Brodifacoum is the most effective toxin to control mice and is less likely to lead to bait shyness than other toxins.”

Map of caution zones
Image: DOC

Because brodifacoum persists in the environment, an area around the operation will become a “caution zone” for three years due to the risk of game animals consuming sub-lethal amounts of the toxin, which could then enter the food chain. There is a five-kilometre radius zone for pigs, and two-kilometre radius for deer.

Hickford says, “We have designed the operation to minimise this risk as much as is practical. We have evidence that pig and deer numbers are very low in the treatment area and will monitor for interactions with the bait stations throughout the operation.”

You can donate to this project to build a fence for the Alborn skink through DOC’s partner, New Zealand Nature Fund (NZNF). NZNF is a charitable trust responsible for funds donated to this project. Visit NZNF to secure the future of the Alborn skink

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

MIL OSI

Fatal crash, Twin Lakes Road, Upper Hutt

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police can confirm one person has died following a crash on Twin Lakes Road, Upper Hutt this morning.

The single vehicle crash was reported at about 7am.

The sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

New infrastructure research can aid disaster preparedness

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: New Zealand Infrastructure Commission

New research from the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga shows how insurance can help us to manage natural hazard risks and choose how to prepare infrastructure for a changing climate.

“New Zealand has experienced some significant natural events in recent years,” says the Commission’s General Manager Strategy, Peter Nunns. “In dollar terms alone, we’ve seen at least $10 billion in infrastructure rebuilding costs from two large earthquakes and two storms since 2012. And that doesn’t of course include the impact of these events on people’s lives and businesses or the economy.”

Nunns says that not only is the likelihood and size of events such as storms expected to grow in coming years, but the replacement cost of infrastructure is growing too.

“On an inflation-adjusted, per-person basis, public infrastructure is now worth 70% more that it was in 1990. So, the cost of replacing it after a natural disaster is rising at the same time as the likelihood of a disaster is rising. It’s more important than ever to make good decisions about when and how to reduce risks and minimise costs.”

The Commission’s report Invest or insure? Preparing infrastructure for natural hazards looks at how insurance can help us decide if, when and by how much to invest in infrastructure adaptation or resilience.

The report shows that insurance prices rise as risks to assets, like the chance of flooding, and the cost to repair or re-build go up. Investing to make infrastructure more resilient or adapt to changing risks can bring down the cost of insurance. When infrastructure providers measure their risks and price them through insurance, they can make better risk management decisions by looking at whether the cost of resilience investments are matched by benefits from lower insurance premiums.

Providers must also factor in other costs – such as risks to public safety or damage caused by the failure of their infrastructure. These economic and social consequences can also be added to the providers’ insurance / resilience appraisal.

However, Nunns says that overall New Zealand has an incomplete picture of the hazards it faces, the risks these pose for our infrastructure, and how these are being managed. For instance, the last time a review of insurance coverage for public assets was undertaken – over 10 years ago – it found that less than half of public assets were insured.

“This is challenging, as our research shows that, in addition to helping to smooth out the costs of responding to natural hazards, insurance can also help infrastructure providers make better decisions about when and how to reduce risk and minimise costs.”

“Risks change over time. A risk management decision made yesterday might not be the best decision for tomorrow. It’s important that infrastructure providers consider this in their long-term asset management planning.”

Report key findings

– There is no single best approach to managing natural hazard risk to infrastructure. Instead, the optimal approach will vary depending on many factors, including likelihood and consequence of the hazard, and the relative cost of different options in different situations.

– To manage risk well, infrastructure providers need to have a good understanding of their assets and the risks to which they are exposed. They will also need the capability to assess their options and optimise their response to risks from natural hazards. However, at a national level, we lack comprehensive and consistent hazard data for providers to use to assess their risk.

– Quantifying risk and/or pricing it through insurance premiums, can help clarify the optimal risk management approach for infrastructure assets. Optimal resilience investments should reduce risk management costs, compared to continuing to pay risk related insurance premiums. When resilience investments are more costly than insuring risk, they may not be warranted.

– The optimal level of resilience will depend on the relative cost of resilience investments compared to the expected cost of (and the benefits we get from) the assets being protected. We can increase the case for resilience investment by focusing on keeping infrastructure delivery costs down. Conversely, rising infrastructure delivery costs will erode the case for resilience investments.

Background notes

– Our understanding of both the probability and severity of natural hazards continues to improve as scientific research progresses. Improving our scientific understanding and investigating hazards in more detail sometimes results in increased estimates of risk. For example, pre-2021 modelling estimated that there was a 30% chance of a major earthquake on the Alpine Fault over the next 50 years. More recent research has estimated the probability to be much higher, with a 75% probability of occurring over the next 50 years.

– In some cases, the underlying risks are also changing as climate change is expected to make severe weather events both more frequent and more severe.

– In recent decades, New Zealand has experienced annual reported losses equal to almost 0.6% of gross domestic product (GDP). These losses mainly reflect damage to residential property and businesses, as well as damage to infrastructure.

– Already, natural disasters cost New Zealanders more as a share of GDP than anyone else except Chileans. Some hazards will grow significantly in their frequency and intensity as our climate changes over the next 30-80 years.

MIL OSI

ChildFund – Back to school? Not without clean water

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: ChildFund New Zealand

‘Back-to-school’ means something different in parts of the Pacific

Children in remote areas of the Pacific, like the outer islands of Solomon Islands or Kiribati struggle to go back to school if they don’t have access to clean water, let alone access to pens, school books and a new school bag.

“The Pacific is our home too. It’s unacceptable that even one child in our region does not have easy access to the most important life-saving resource of all – water,” says CEO of ChildFund Josie Pagani

Some schools lack running clean water, and parents either cannot access or cannot afford bottled water. Children miss school to spend the day collecting clean water from sources many miles away.

“Lack of clean water has a domino effect. Dirty water impacts a child’s education, which then impacts their ability to work and earn an income, and even their lifelong health,” says Sharon Inone, CEO of Greenergy

Sharon has recently returned from working with the United Nations, to her home province of Temotu in Solomon Islands, where Greenergy is working with ChildFund New Zealand to bring clean water to her community.

“I made a promise to my mother that I would do something about the lack of clean water in our home, and that’s what I’m doing,” says Sharon Inone.

The lack of clean water in parts of Solomon Islands, Kiribati and other remote parts of the Pacific leads to dysentery, severe diarrhoea, hospitalisation and even death in children with their whole lives ahead of them.

ChildFund New Zealand is working with local communities across the Pacific to fix or build water infrastructure.

Without this work, too many children will miss out on an education, a career and even a full healthy life.

1 in 10 deaths for children under 5 years in parts of the Pacific is linked to diarrhoea, vomiting and dirty water. The Pacific has some of the highest rates of stunting in the world, with 33 per cent of children under the age of five in Solomon Islands suffering from stunting, and 15 per cent of children affected in Kiribati.

“Stunting doesn’t just affect physical growth. It affects a child’s brain development which makes it hard for them to learn. Preventing the illnesses that come from dirty water will help to reduce these rates. This is a fixable problem. So let’s fix it,” says Josie Pagani.

“I want our kids to grow up like normal kids, with access to the basics like clean water. Not to be born into the culture of looking for water every day. If they have clean water, kids will get the education they deserve. We are adding four to five more hours every day to their lives if they don’t have to search for clean water. These are hours that their parents can use earning an income instead of looking for water. It is adding more time to do more productive things,” says Sharon Inone.

“This is not just about water. It’s about people getting their lives back. It’s about stopping kids die. It’s about allowing parents time to make money, and the kids the time to learn. It’s about improving the standard of living and the health of children no matter where they live,” says Sharon Inone.

“Clean water changes everything.”

Give the back-to-school gift of an education to a child in the Pacific.

MIL OSI

Fire Safety – Dry conditions prompt fire restrictions in Otago’s alpine area

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has placed Otago’s alpine area into a restricted fire season from 8am, Wednesday 5 February until further notice.

A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for at checkitsalright.nz.

Otago District Manager Phil Marsh says the current warm, dry weather is forecast to continue over the next few weeks, raising the fire risk in Otago’s fragile alpine environment.

“Our highlands have some of the most beautiful tussock, grass and native forest in the country – and unfortunately it’s all quite flammable,” he says.

“Significant fires can ignite and spread quickly in these types of vegetation even when the fire danger isn’t that high.

“There’s very little rain expected, which means it’s especially vulnerable at present.”

Fires are already restricted or prohibited in the rest of the Otago district, due to the dry summer conditions.

“The Otago district can have large uncontrolled fires all year round, whenever there are periods of dry weather,” Phil Marsh says.

“The large vegetation fire on Mt Creighton in 2022 showed how quickly a significant fire can get started, with serious consequences for our environment and wildlife.

“The best way to prevent a wildfire is not to light an outdoor fire, which is why we’re restricting outdoor fires in the Otago alpine area.

“If you’re thinking about starting any kind of open-air fire, you must go to checkitsalright.nz first to find out if you can do that in your location, and what restrictions apply.

“We’re serious about protecting our people, property and environment, so we urge everyone to take extra care with fire this summer.”

MIL OSI

Proposed changes to cost recovery settings: 2025 annual review

LiveNews Publisher

February 5, 2025

Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

Have your say

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) seeks your feedback on increases to:

the Dairy Standards Processor Levy and the Dairy Exporter Levy
veterinary service fees for establishments
veterinary service fees for live animal imports and exports, including germplasm
the Raw Milk Levy
the Homekill Levy.

We’re also proposing 6 relatively small design changes to ensure appropriate charging for the services provided.

Summaries of the proposals are on this page and full details are in the consultation document.

Consultation opened on 5 February and we must get your submissions by 5pm on 7 March 2025.

Consultation document

Annual review 2025: Proposed changes to MPI’s cost recovery settings [PDF, 1.9 MB]

What’s being proposed?

Fee/levy	Current rate	Proposed rate
Dairy Standards Processor Levy total revenue per annum	$4,279,580	$5,576,268
Dairy Exporter Levy revenue per annum	$834,567	$1,541,334
Establishments fees (vets) per hour	$128.15	$152.42 or $155.80
Establishments fees (supervising vets) per hour	$136.45	$169.89 or $173.71
Veterinary service fees for live animal imports and exports, including germplasm per hour	$186.30	$216.84
Raw Milk Levy per annum	$581.25	2% increases per annum for 3 years. $616.83 by 2027–28.
Homekill Levy per annum	$100	2% increases per annum for 3 years. $106.12 by 2027–28.

Summaries of proposed regulatory design changes to 6 other cost recovery settings

1. Clearance of increased regulatory interest and high regulatory interest foods (for example, frozen berries)

Regulations currently include an administration activity fee for importing of increased regulatory interest food or high regulatory interest food. Under the regulations, charging is specified as being for “each consignment”. The administration activity is often done for groups of consignments, for example, where a group of consignments comes from a single origin, rather than for each consignment within that group. This saves time and reduces the bill for the importer. It is proposed to amend the regulations to clarify that charging is done for “each consignment or group of consignments of a single origin”.

2. Levy waiver relating to the former Meat Industry Initiative Fund

Regulations state amounts to be charged for a now-ended Meat Initiative Fund. A permanent waiver is in place so that these amounts are not actually charged. The design change proposes to replace the waiver with a change to the regulations to clarify that these charges have ceased.

3. Food export exemptions

It is proposed to add a new charge of $135 per application plus $33.75 per quarter hour beyond the first hour to recover the cost of the work undertaken by MPI officials to process exemption requests under section 347 of the Food Act 2014. For example, if food is destined solely for export, it should comply with standards in the destination market and could be given an exemption from meeting New Zealand standards where these differ from those prevailing in the destination market. The new fee will increase revenue by about $34,000 per annum.

4. Agent collection rate (Domestic Food Business Levy)

A change is proposed to clarify that the $11 collection charge for the Domestic Food Business Levy currently described in regulation is GST-exclusive. Charges in regulations are routinely recorded as GST-exclusive because businesses are generally the one charged and claim back GST (the price businesses are concerned about is the GST-exclusive price). This will also future-proof charges in case of future GST changes. This charge was intended to be GST-exclusive.

5. Animal products: charges for use of electronic system

The proposal is to amend the Animal Products (Dairy Industry Fees, Charges, and Levies) Regulations 2015 and Animal Products (Fees, Charges, and Levies) Regulations 2007, to enable certification costs to be recovered at the same level during 2025–26, as the certification system transitions from the AP e-cert system to the new trade certification system. The proposals include removing the “cost per second” component of the charging formula, and to amend the definition of “cost per request” as the cost per second component is not compatible with how the new system will operate.

6. Food Importer Levy

Three changes are proposed to the new Food Importer Levy. The changes improve efficiency around who pays, what data is used in the calculation of the levy, and the due date for levy payment. The changes reflect original intentions when the Food Importer Levy was approved last year, but which were not given effect at the time. The changes are as follows:

extend the levy to importers who are registered but who do not import any amount of food. Despite importing no food, these importers generate some cost by interacting with the food safety system
charge importers at the start of each financial year according to their import amounts from the previous year. This is expected to reduce administration costs for importers and MPI.

We also propose to standardise the date the levy is payable to within 20 working days of the date of the annual levy invoice.

Making a submission

We welcome submissions on the proposals contained in the consultation document. Submissions must be received by 5pm on 7 March 2025.

You can make a submission by completing a submission form and either:

sending it to us by email, or
posting it to us.

Cost recovery submission form [DOCX, 110 KB]

How to submit your completed form by email

Attach your completed form to an email and send it to costrecovery@mpi.govt.nz

How to submit your completed form by post

Post your completed submission form to:

Cost Recovery Directorate I Corporate Branch
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140.

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

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