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Sand-related toys will need to be tested for asbestos before being sold in New Zealand
Commerce Commission

Sand-related toys will need to be tested for asbestos before being sold in New Zealand

Parents will face tighter checks on children's toys after a recall of contaminated products exposed more than 45,000 items to asbestos risk.

By RNZ • 4 min read • Last week
Pipes or paperwork? Mayor says councils burdened by rising audit fees
Risk & Compliance

Pipes or paperwork? Mayor says councils burdened by rising audit fees

Waimakariri ratepayers could face nearly $500,000 in annual audit costs, as the mayor says the money is being diverted from core services.

By David Hill • 4 min read • Last month
30,000 people in Wellington region fail to pay first Tiaki Wai water bill
Commerce Commission

30,000 people in Wellington region fail to pay first Tiaki Wai water bill

More than a fifth of Wellington region accounts are in arrears, adding pressure on Tiaki Wai as second bills go out next month.

By Ellen O'Dwyer • 5 min read • Last month
Exclusive: Water done well reshapes councils' finances & plans
Commerce Commission

Exclusive: Water done well reshapes councils' finances & plans

Councils face around $50 billion of water upgrades over the next decade, as ring-fenced funding finally tackles decades of neglect.

By Mike Bishara • 9 min read • Last month
Commerce Commission confirms it will not step in to keep Wellington water bills down
Commerce Commission

Commerce Commission confirms it will not step in to keep Wellington water bills down

Residents face higher Wellington water bills after the Commerce Commission said Tiaki Wai's costs still justify rises and no cap is needed now.

By Ellen O'Dwyer and Nine to Noon • 3 min read • Last month
Deputy mayor estimates price of fixing Wellington's pipes at $80k per ratepayer over 25 years
Commerce Commission

Deputy mayor estimates price of fixing Wellington's pipes at $80k per ratepayer over 25 years

Wellington households face mounting pressure as fixing ageing pipes could add more than $80,000 to each ratepayer over 25 years.

By Ellen O'Dwyer • 4 min read • Last month
Card fee regulations are here, so why are card surcharges more common than ever?
Commerce Commission

Card fee regulations are here, so why are card surcharges more common than ever?

Consumers are still being hit by hefty card surcharges as retailers say lower interchange fees are hard to track and not yet filtering through.

By Susan Edmunds • 4 min read • Last month
National unveils nine-point energy plan to tackle power bills
Data centers

National unveils nine-point energy plan to tackle power bills

Households could get cheaper, more flexible power deals as National proposes new rules to boost competition and rein in network charges.

By Giles Dexter • 4 min read • Last month
ACT pledges to stop power companies being broken apart, open up solar market
Commerce Commission

ACT pledges to stop power companies being broken apart, open up solar market

Households could get better solar export prices under ACT's plan to widen electricity competition and let private firms build grid links.

By Russell Palmer • 3 min read • Fri, 18th Sep 2026
Councils to be allowed to charge developers with new levy from 2029
Real estate

Councils to be allowed to charge developers with new levy from 2029

Existing ratepayers could be spared higher bills as councils prepare to shift more of the cost of new housing infrastructure onto developers from 2029.

By Giles Dexter • 4 min read • Wed, 16th Sep 2026
Transpower profit rises as grid investment ramps up
Clean technologies

Transpower profit rises as grid investment ramps up

Rising electrification demand is driving a bigger build-out of New Zealand's grid, with approved projects set to lift capital spending further.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Tue, 1st Sep 2026
You can't manage what you haven't measured: the execution test for water reform starts now
Digital Transformation

You can't manage what you haven't measured: the execution test for water reform starts now

Households could face higher bills unless new water entities lift delivery from councils' 60 to 80 per cent record and prove their costs.

By Jason Perera • 4 min read • Fri, 28th Aug 2026
One NZ, 2degrees plan shared mobile network business
Unified Communications

One NZ, 2degrees plan shared mobile network business

Customers could see faster upgrades and lower duplication costs as regulators weigh a joint mobile network venture that may reshape New Zealand telecoms.

By Mark Tarre • 5 min read • Thu, 27th Aug 2026
STRIM warns of Golden Bay telecoms resilience gaps
Commerce Commission

STRIM warns of Golden Bay telecoms resilience gaps

Community reports from Golden Bay suggest backup towers alone may not guarantee reliable 111 access when a fibre route fails.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Tue, 18th Aug 2026
Commerce Commission weighs Orion's NZD $1.51b plan
Commerce Commission

Commerce Commission weighs Orion's NZD $1.51b plan

Canterbury households could face higher power bills as regulators test whether Orion's NZD $1.51 billion network spend is justified.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Mon, 10th Aug 2026
Miller named FMA Chair as regulator's remit expands
Commerce Commission

Miller named FMA Chair as regulator's remit expands

The regulator's expanded remit comes as New Zealand moves to deepen capital markets and tighten oversight of consumer credit.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Fri, 7th Aug 2026
Commerce Commission proposes cut in company card fees
Commerce Commission

Commerce Commission proposes cut in company card fees

Retailers could save about $40 million a year if lower limits on company card interchange fees are adopted, easing checkout costs.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Thu, 4th Jun 2026
New Zealand businesses warned over illegal review gating
Software-as-a-Service

New Zealand businesses warned over illegal review gating

Pressure from regulators and Google is putting firms at risk of hefty penalties if they screen out unhappy customers before asking for public reviews.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Wed, 22nd Apr 2026

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