Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Ministers, Councillors and iwi have officially opened Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) today, marking a turning point in the way New Zealand’s biggest city moves and grows. After a decade of construction, commuters will be able to travel through the heart of the city by train from Sunday 13 September, when CRL stations open and a new rail timetable begins. Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the opening is a historic moment for Auckland, coming around a century after an underground city centre railway was first proposed. “CRL is …

Thousands of tonnes of waste will be diverted from landfill with a $4.7 million upgrade to waste recovery facilities in Taupō, Minister for the Environment Nicola Grigg announced today. “A $2.3 million investment from the Waste Minimisation Fund, combined with equal funding from the Taupō District Council, will boost recovery and processing at the Broadlands Road Resource Recovery Centre. “The current facility’s limited waste diversion capabilities mean skip and bin trucks go straight to landfill. After the upgrade, loads will be inspected and waste sorted by disposal class, diverting at lea…

The Government’s plan to ensure secure, affordable electricity for New Zealanders is working, with data today showing new records for renewable generation and a significant drop in wholesale electricity prices, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. Data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment for the three months ended 30 June this year shows: “These are significant wholesale price decreases, reflecting a number of factors including the Government’s decision to procure an LNG import facility to support renewable electricity,” Mr Brown says. “This Government has also delivered po…

Good morning. It’s great to be here in the beautiful Kerikeri for this year’s RMLA conference. I want to acknowledge the RMLA for its leadership, and each of you for the critical role you play in shaping the future of our communities. You are the people who spend your professional lives helping New Zealand make some of its most important choices - where we build, how we grow, and how we protect what matters most. It is where infrastructure, housing, environmental protection, private property, science, investment and community expectations all have to be reconciled in decisions that endure. …

Revenue Minister Simon Watts says a Bill introduced into the House today will help grow the economy by reducing compliance costs, simplifying rules and removing unnecessary obligations. “My aim is for a world-leading tax system, and these sensible changes bring us a step closer to that. For fringe benefit tax, we’re proposing a much simpler ‘close enough is good enough’ approach to employer-provided vehicles.” Mr Watts says. “Rather than requiring detailed records and logbooks, employers would simply choose the category that best reflects how much a vehicle is used privately – substantially …

Three Government programmes are making a difference in preventing family violence, new independent evaluations show. Evaluations of E Tū Whānau, Pasefika Proud and the Ethnic Communities Violence Prevention programme found positive shifts in attitudes, behaviours and social norms associated with family violence. The programmes are funded by the Ministry of Social Development. “Family violence and sexual violence cause enormous harm, but these evaluations show we can make a difference,” Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “These are three different programmes work…

Lower Overseas Investment fees will make it easier and more attractive for investors to bring capital into New Zealand, helping businesses grow, lifting productivity, creating higher-paying jobs, and unlocking New Zealand’s potential. "The Government is focused on removing unnecessary barriers to investment and making New Zealand a more attractive place to do business,” Mr Seymour says. “Last year the Government streamlined the Overseas Investment Act, putting in place a risk-based national interest test that reduced unnecessary checks on low-risk investment applications while maintaining th…

The average KiwiSaver balance has passed $40,000 for the first time, with $138.8 billion now invested on behalf of New Zealanders, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer. The Financial Markets Authority's KiwiSaver Annual Report, released today, shows the average member balance up 11 per cent to $40,340, contributions up 8.2 per cent, and more than 112,000 new members joining the scheme. "Competition is a key focus for this Government, and this report shows it working. Members switched funds 460,000 times last year and $7.4 billion moved between providers, up from $5.5 bi…

The Government is investing in upgraded visitor facilities at Horopito on the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “More than 67,000 people pass through Horopito, including on the Great Ride each year, creating lasting memories while contributing the local economy along the way,” Louise Upston says. Horopito is located on the edge of the Tongariro National Park, near Ohakune. “This investment of $405,000 will help to rectify the current lack of visitor infrastructure at a key junction through the construction of public toilets, s…

Planning for the future redevelopment of Hawke's Bay, Palmerston North, and Tauranga hospitals has reached an important milestone, with early concept images showing what future buildings could look like, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "This is the next step in getting these three redevelopments underway, and it gives patients, staff, and their communities their first look at what these hospitals could become," Mr Brown says. "Acute services are at the heart of any hospital. Getting these buildings right means more capacity where demand is highest, improved connections between services, a…

The Government will provide $8 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support the continued operation and preservation of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say. “Waitangi is where the story of modern New Zealand began. It is a place of immense national significance, a place of nationhood,” Mr Jones says. “Preserving heritage buildings, museums, cultural facilities and public infrastructure at a site of this significance is an essential and ongoing investment. This pūtea from the Regional Infrastructure …

The Government Inquiry into the Fatal Landslides in Tauranga will now report back in February 2027, Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden has announced. The Inquiry was established following the landslides at Mauao Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay Road, Pāpāmoa, which claimed eight lives in January 2026. The Inquiry’s purpose is to establish how the fatal landslides occurred, report on whether relevant agencies took appropriate steps to manage any apparent risk in the period immediately prior to the two fatal landslides – including steps to warn and evacuate people likely to be affec…

The New Zealand Defence Force and local iwi Ngāti Rangi have today signed an agreement enabling the construction of 50 new homes at Waiouru Military Camp to begin, Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Our government is committed to fixing the basics, and that means ensuring our sailors, soldiers and aviators and their families have access to warm, safe, dry homes, for modern living. “High-qualityhousing is essential to our soldiers’ wellbeing, retention and operational effectiveness. “This agreement will strengthen the meaningful partnership NZDF has with Ngāti Rangi, and respects the imp…

Business leader David McClatchy has been reappointed as a Member of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Board, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The board manages and administers the investments for the NZ Superannuation Fund and the Elevate NZ Venture Capital Fund which, as of 30 June, were worth $94.4 billion. “Mr McClatchy’s reappointment – for a further three years from October 1 this year – recognises his strong commitment and contribution, maintaining stability and continuity during the pre-election period and into the future. “Mr McClatchy brings extensive experience in ma…

The Government is supporting the world’s first clinical sleep trial testing how New Zealand strong-wool bedding performs against synthetic alternatives, say Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson.The three-year, $2 million sleep science research programme is supported with $800,000 from the Primary Sector Growth Fund and led by Wisewool. The project will test real people in their own homes and in sleep laboratories, to measure how New Zealand strong-wool bedding performs against synthetic alternatives. It will assess sleep latency, body temperature regul…

Minister for Regulation David Seymour and Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Louise Upston have today welcomed the completion of the Ministry for Regulation’s Hospitality Sector Review, which will make it easier and cheaper for hospitality businesses to open, and easier for them to do business. “Everybody has a favourite café, bar or restaurant they wish was still open. Today’s announcement is about cutting red tape and getting rid of dumb rules which can contribute to closures,” Mr Seymour says. “If we are going to unlock New Zealand’s potential, we need to let Kiwi businesses get on with…

The Government is investing $2.4 million across six community programmes using sport and physical activity to support children and young people who may be at risk of offending or reoffending, says Minister for Sport and Recreation, Mark Mitchell. “This investment is in addition to the initial $2.2 million provided to five community organisations across New Zealand, which I announced in June 2026.” The Reducing Child and Youth Offending project is a Sport NZ-led initiative focused on understanding and advocating the value of physical activity and sport to support children and young people who…

New Zealand’s latest OECD PISA results show a significant narrowing of the socio-economic achievement gap, driven by strong gains among students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “This is a really significant result. For years, a child’s socio-economic background has been far too strong a predictor of how well they will do at school. “For the first time in years, that gap is closing, and it is closing because students at the bottom are doing better.” Between 2022 and 2025, students in the lowest socio-economic quartile made gains equivalent to …

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that upgrades to improve the current pedestrian crossing on State Highway 1 (SH1) through Ōtaika, south of Whangārei, are one step closer with a tender now out to deliver a new signalised crossing. “Carrying more than 20,000 vehicles per day, around six percent heavy vehicles, SH1 through Ōtaika is a very busy highway. Given safety issues raised by the local community over a number of years, the existing unsignalised pedestrian crossing needs an upgrade and we’re getting on with it,” Mr Bishop says. “The closest signalised pedestrian crossing is …

Work to replace the deck and beams of Symes Bridge on State Highway 39 (SH39) between Ōtorohanga and Pirongia will begin on 11 October, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “SH39 is a vital route through western Waikato and an important freight connection between Taranaki and Auckland. This upgrade will ensure Symes Bridge remains safe, reliable and fit for the traffic that depends on it every day,” Mr Bishop says. “The upgraded bridge will be stronger and over one metre wider, improving its resilience and keeping people and freight moving safely along this important route. “NZ Transport A…