Knowledge
CEOs cannot escape health and safety responsibility — the High Court confirms
Monday 20 April, 2026
New Zealand's first conviction of a CEO of a large organisation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 has survived an appeal. For senior leaders, this decision sends a clear warning that health and safety due diligence is a personal legal obligation. It cannot be delegated, ignored, or assumed by those below you.
Changes to Alcohol Trading and Licensing
Friday 20 March, 2026
The Government is progressing changes to New Zealand’s alcohol laws that will significantly relax restrictions on trading during Anzac Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day. This article outlines what the proposed reforms mean in practice, particularly for councils, District Licensing Committees, and licensing inspectors, including changes to on-licences, RSA operations, and transitional licence conditions.
New Zealand's Leave Laws Are Getting a Major Overhaul
Thursday 19 March, 2026
If you employ staff in New Zealand, your leave obligations are about to change significantly. The Government has introduced the Employment Leave Bill. It contains the most far-reaching reform of employment leave law in over 20 years. For employers, this means new rules on how leave accrues, how it is paid, and how employment agreements must be updated. The Bill aims to replace the current legislation with a clearer, more consistent framework.
Reform Series – Recasting Environmental Dispute Resolution
Thursday 12 March, 2026
One of the Government’s criticisms of the current resource management system is that it is slow, costly, and overly complex. As one of the solutions to remedy this, the Government plans to reconfigure the approach to environmental dispute resolution by introducing a new division of the Environment Court to be called the Planning Tribunal. This Tribunal, led by a chairperson and a pool of adjudicators, will largely consider matters which were previously the...
Changes to the Employment Relations Act
Wednesday 4 March, 2026
The Employment Relations Amendment Act 2026 introduces significant changes affecting contractors, personal grievance claims, high-income employees, and union processes. The reforms aim to provide greater certainty for businesses when engaging contractors and managing employment relationships, while also adjusting how remedies and dismissal claims are treated. Employers should review their contractor arrangements, consider the new income threshold for dismi...
Reform Series - Understanding the Regulatory Relief Framework
Wednesday 4 March, 2026
The proposed Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill introduce a novel regulatory relief framework as a mechanism which could entitle private landowners to compensation/relief where specified rules in proposed plans significantly impact the reasonable use of their property. The framework responds to the Government’s goal to prioritise private property rights. In this article we set out the key details of the new regulatory relief framework proposed unde...