New Zealand Government stories
Work-based apprenticeships will shift away from Te Pūkenga next year, with industry groups saying the move should better match training to jobs.
Cross-party backing is being sought to deliver a planning overhaul that could cut compliance costs by 45% while balancing development and environmental protection.
More inspectors will be deployed to construction, manufacturing, forestry and agriculture as WorkSafe seeks to curb work-related harm.
Delays and cost blowouts on major infrastructure projects could ease as ministers move to streamline land acquisition rules and compensation disputes.
New Zealand researchers warn the US funding freeze could disrupt ocean, Antarctic and health science, and strengthen anti-science politics.
A skilled labour crunch, weak investment and slow policy change are set to keep Aotearoa New Zealand’s construction sector under strain in 2025.
Ratepayers could face more pressure unless ministers ease red tape, funding rules and reporting burdens on councils this year.
Concerns are mounting that weaker oversight could revive defective builds, as insurers and surveyors question the sector’s readiness for self-certification.
Questions are mounting over whether Wellington ratepayers are being asked to fund water works more expensively than necessary after a departmental misread.
Councils could face fresh funding pressure after Wellington backed wider emergency management reforms and minimum national standards.
Consultation could leave WorkSafe with about 20 fewer staff, as it shifts resources towards frontline inspections and enforcement.
A lack of disclosure on New Zealand’s big projects is obscuring costs, designs and accountability, critics say, as billions are spent in secret.
The civil construction sector warns a planned vocational overhaul could worsen skills shortages unless industry training and standards stay intact.
Insurance concerns and storm damage are pushing down values in parts of Nelson, with buyers wary of future natural hazards.
Poor record keeping can trigger fines after a company and a banned director were penalised NZD $48,000 for breaching employment standards.
Shifting to circular models could help New Zealand and Australia close emissions gaps, cut waste and create jobs in infrastructure and construction.
Wise's research reveals 29% of Kiwis lack understanding of international money transfer fees, and calls for NZ government regulation to ensure transparency.
Greater certainty over projects and funding could reverse years of under-investment, as a new 30-year plan and agency seek private capital.
Despite 20 years of attempts, New Zealand still lacks an effective disaster coordination system. Locals fear they remain unprepared for the next Cyclone Gabrielle.
The move could leave more New Zealanders in cold, damp homes, worsening respiratory illness and raising pressure on the health system.
