News Briefing: 17 July 2025

EMPLOYMENT
Neil Sands (Law News): Minister adopts Uber’s wish-list when drafting employment law changes, rejects official advice
Phil Smith (RNZ): Parliament considering big changes to employment law
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Legislation that lets workers talk about salaries likely to pass into law
Rob Stock (Post): Labour puts forward modern slavery bill, saying NZ will get left behind (paywalled)
RNZ: ‘It really is hard for older job seekers to find work at the moment'
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Are the Reserve Bank’s employee benefits gold standard or pretty standard? (paywalled)
Susan Hornsby-Geluk (Post): Siouxsie Wiles vs Auckland Uni - paying the price of litigation (paywalled)
Miriam Bell (Post): Work, Interrupted: Here's where skill shortages are right now (paywalled)
Brett Murray (Post): Staff retention is a safety issue (paywalled)
RNZ: KiwiRail bans 2500 workers from using melatonin, Zopiclone citing safety concerns

REGULATORY STANDARDS BILL
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Ministry feared costs of $60m a year to review laws under Regulatory Standards Bill
David Harvey: The Select CommitteeReflections on an Academic Debate
Māni Dunlop, Whatitiri Te Wake, Te Aniwaniwa Paterson (Te Ao Māori News): “International Embarrassment” Māori leaders condemn coalition government in Geneva
Richard Prebble (Herald): Why the Regulatory Standards Bill matters for property rights (paywalled)
Mountain Tui: Compensating Criminals & Animal Abusers: A Dystopian Future

EDUCATION, TRAINING
Brent Edwards (NBR): Government’s last opportunity to address skills training concerns (paywalled)
Steve Maharey (Post): If we want a national network of polytechnics, we need to fund them (paywalled)
Hanna McCallum (Post): Whitireia and WelTec to close creative campus, cut 48 jobs
Stephanie Ockhuysen (RNZ): Plan to scrap Taranaki polytech's agriculture courses sparks backlash
No Right Turn: ACT means secrecy
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Government shuts the door on open-plan classrooms
Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira (RNZ): Erica Stanford announces the end to construction of open-plan classrooms
1News: No more open-plan school classrooms to be built - Govt
Hanna McCallum and Tatiana Gibbs (Post): Schools call for funding fix as Government scraps open-plan classrooms (paywalled)
Caron Copek (Stuff): So what's so bad about open-plan classrooms?
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): Walls go back up as open-plan classroom experiment falls flat
Hanna McCallum (Post): Once hailed the classroom of the future, open-plan learning now being scrapped (paywalled)
Janhavi Gosavi (Re: News): Hard work on to fix ‘unfair’ homeschool sport rules, says MP

BANKS, FINANCIAL SERVICES
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): Class action against ASB and ANZ banks for overcharging customers offers to settle for more than $300m
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Banks class action: the lawyers blinked first (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): ASB, ANZ offered settlement in class action stoush (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): ANZ dismisses $300m legal settlement offer as a ‘cynical’ attempt to influence law reform (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): $617 million offer in ANZ/ASB class action a ‘stunt’, says ANZ (paywalled)
Tim Hunter (NBR): Bank class action plaintiffs reveal settlement offer (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Woman discovered she was added to husband's business loan when she was called to repay it
Herald: Financial complaint numbers at historically high levels - Financial Ombudsman

LAW AND ORDER
Adam Pearse (Herald): Reoffending won’t be publicised during future bootcamps as officials prepare for ‘MSA 2.0′ (paywalled)
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Retail crime advisory group costs $500k in three months
Sam Sherwood (RNZ): Prisoner deaths in double-bunk cells puts process under scrutiny

HOUSING, BUILDING
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Labour pushes for Potaka to release homelessness briefing amid concerns over rising numbers
Kelly Makiha (Rotorua Daily Post/Herald): Rotorua homeless people moved to secret pod village; council chases consent application (paywalled)
RNZ: Sleeping pods for the homeless held back by council consents, Rotorua organisation says
Bernard Hickey: Bishop wants a growth economy that isn't just a housing market with bits tacked on (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): The return of the property investor - but why?
Greg Ninness (Interest): Building industry operating at less than two thirds of capacity as slump bites hard
Nick Hill (Post): Building consenting reforms should target the problem, not the system

RMA
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Govt to halt 'pricey, pointless' council planning work ahead of RMA overhaul
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Resource Management Act reforms: Chris Bishop tells councils to stop plan changes
Press/Post: Embedding a ‘yes’ culture: The time of saying ‘no’ is coming to an end, Chris Bishop says

ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Tom Rose (Herald): Petition calls for halt to Gene Technology Bill as export leaders urge cautious approach
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Northland orca expert: Reject Waipiro Bay marina fast-tracking
Marnie Prickett, Mike Joy, Marie Doole, Simon Hales (PHCC): Government cannot achieve “enduring freshwater policy” by siding with narrow commercial interests
RNZ: World risks losing more of its wetlands, DOC scientist Hugh Robertson tells UN

CLIMATE CHANGE, COMPENSATION FOR WEATHER-RELATED EVENTS
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): Where do I send conservatives the bill for climate change?
Lianne Dalziel (Newsroom): Now we’re paying attention, how should we manage retreat?
Alexa Cook (RNZ): Emissions Trading Scheme incentivising whole farm conversions into forestry, farmers say
Brent Edwards (NBR): Farmers argue carbon forests are a travesty (paywalled)
Nadine Roberts (Stuff): ‘They’re not living it’: Farmers’ blunt response to flood support package
Stuff: $600k support package for flood-hit farmers announced
Samatha Gee and Keiller MacDuff (RNZ): Government launches $500k support package for flood-hit farmers in Tasman
RNZ: Tasman flooding: Council says most of its annual budget spent in a fortnight
Mary Afemata (Local Democracy Reporting): Māngere family says 'yes for now' to buyout after two-year wait for answers

BUSINESS, PROVINCIAL GROWTH FUND
Matt Nippert (Herald): More than half Crown Regional Holdings/Provincial Growth Fund loan book ‘at risk’ (paywalled)
Chris Keall (Herald): Commerce Commission chairman John Small defends LinkedIn post about Uber
Emma Andrews (RNZ): 'Thriving' Māori economies revealed in new report
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Commerce Minister refuses to release statutory management doc (paywalled)

HEALTH
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Lifting advertising restrictions will enable medical conferences in NZ - David Seymour
Anna Whyte (Post): ACC halts rollout of second stage of sexual violence prevention plan (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Labour ponders free tests as Government struggles with slow path to cervical cancer elimination (paywalled)
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Top doctor Caroline McElnay says 'no' to vaccination doesn't always mean 'never'
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Plea to reopen consultation into plans to close Auckland mental health facility
ODT Editorial: Health service hopes (paywalled)
Maddy Croad (Press/Post): Stricter regulations needed for campylobacter ‘epidemic’, health experts warn (paywalled)
Rachel Helyer Donaldson (RNZ): MPI accuses researchers of scaremongering over campylobacter hospitalisations, deaths
Katie Todd (RNZ): Christchurch Hospital workers sleeping in cars to try secure a car park, mayor says
RNZ: Awanui lab workers settle on 9.2 percent salary increase after six months of strike action

PARLIAMENT
Janet Wilson (Post): National tiptoes on the tightrope while coalition partners dance a jig (paywalled)
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Echo Chamber: Shane Jones, greatest ever Australian politician?
Adam Pearse (Herald): Byelection: Te Pāti Māori candidate contender cops flak for supporting Labour MP’s selection
Adam Pearse & Jamie Ensor (Herald): Minister Judith Collins taken to hospital with ‘nasty bout of vertigo’
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Minister Judith Collins hospitalised after 'nasty bout of vertigo'
Paddy Gower (Stuff): Ian Taylor: What shocked me most about the fallout over criticising Jacinda Ardern

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
David Williams (Newsroom): Govt winds up council reform storm
Doug Leader (Post): Ensuring regional councils’ range of tasks continues to be delivered (paywalled)
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Gore mayor Ben Bell fires back on tough first term
1News: Auckland Council scraps proposal to acquire block of land for new cemetery

WELLINGTON
Amanda Gillies (RNZ): The Detail: How friendly fire torpedoed a mayoral campaign
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Chaos on Courtenay: Inside Ray Chung’s unruly, incomprehensible campaign rally
Emma Ricketts (Stuff): How a Ray Chung campaign event descended into chaos
Marc Greenhill (Post): Council candidate ditches under-fire Independent Together group (paywalled)
Harriet Laughton (Post): Embassy Theatre to stay open despite earthquake notice
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): Wellington’s Embassy Theatre receives Earthquake-Prone Building notice
Nick James (RNZ): Wellington's Embassy Theatre deemed earthquake-prone after latest assessment

ENERGY
Sam Smith (Stuff): Compulsory time of use plans for electricity to provide ‘better options’ for households, Energy Minister says
Sam Smith (Stuff): What is a time-of-use electricity plan and is it really worth it?
Mandy Te (Interest): 'Reset the market rules': Electricity Authority announces new rules for large energy companies
Alka Prasad (Post): Energy companies required to give cheaper off-peak rates, better solar returns (paywalled)
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Regulators dip toes into electricity market reforms before potentially bigger wave of change (paywalled)

TRANSPORT
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Shane Jones floats special economic zones as answer to NZ’s fuel security (paywalled)
Shanti Mathias (Spinoff): Kids on footpaths, e-scooters in bike lanes: transport law catches up to reality
Emma Stanford (Stuff): Regional NZ airline Sunair grounded due to safety concerns
John Weekes (Herald): Sunair says passenger services grounded for 10 days by Civil Aviation Authority
Amelia Wade (Sunday Star Times): Conefusion: questions over government’s road cone hotline’s success

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Science Media Centre: Slash and forestry management changes proposed – Expert Reaction
Monique Steele (RNZ): Labour inspectorate says exploiting primary industries workers harms their brand
Alka Prasad (Post): Pukekohe growers warn national food crop in danger if rules not overhauled (paywalled)
Tony Wall (Stuff): Pines and politics: The frustrations behind Molesworth manager’s ‘shock’ exit
Riley Kennedy (BusinessDesk): Butter’s up, but don't blame the processors – or the supermarkets (paywalled)
Tony Wall (Stuff): ‘We haven’t come to terms with it yet’: Manager of country’s largest farm quits suddenly
RNZ: Queenstown hotel fined $22,000 for breaches under Fisheries Act

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, TRADE
Caleb Fotheringham (RNZ): Cook Islands' 60th anniversary: 'Who New Zealand sends, sends a message'
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Starlink approved for military use in NZ
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Influential China course for public servants overhauled
RNZ: Second round of FTA talks with India start in Delhi
Phil Goff (Stuff): Israel’s actions now amount to genocide
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Cheap Chinese peaches on Govt’s menu once again
'Alakihihifo Vailala (Pacific Media Network): NZ’s Customs Minister urges cooperation to combat organised crime in the Pacific

IMMIGRATION, MIGRANT EXPLOITATION, WEALTH VISA
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Criminologist fears electronic tagging of migrants 'going to get huge'
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Immigration adviser banned for migrant rip-offs
1News: Immigration adviser previously censured has licence cancelled
Liu Chen (RNZ): Parent Resident Visa review advanced after shortcomings recognised
Tom Raynel (Herald): Small businesses don’t have the cash for Investment Boost – advisory group chair David Downs (paywalled)

CENSUS
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Scrapping census could compromise infrastructure planning
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Homelessness data quality set to worsen in census overhaul

COST OF LIVING
Amy Williams (RNZ): Charities see alarming levels of poverty as families struggle
Herald Editorial: Cost-of-living crisis hits harder in winter (paywalled)
Mildred Armah (Stuff): Parents of baby born at 27 weeks face uncertain future in NZ
Eva de Jong (Herald): Rising cemetery fees add burden to grieving low-income families

COVID-19
Rachel Moore (Stuff): New Zealand’s Covid strategy not perfect but it saved lives - expert
Graham Adams (The Platform): Hipkins’ role as Covid czar thrust into spotlight
Herald: Former Auckland accountant Howard Taylor gets community detention for $94k Covid loan fraud