Patch 2024.12

December 2024 proposals

Proposals would introduce roadside drug tests, change benefit rules, allow partial-strike pay deductions, enable congestion charges, restrict online sports betting, and create a stalking offence.

• Proposal to introduce roadside drug tests — Would allow approved roadside drug screening, with positive tests checked in a laboratory before an infringement notice.
• Proposal to change benefit rules — Would change welfare rules to support people into work and reduce time receiving benefits.
• Proposal to deduct pay during partial strikes — Would let employers deduct part of an employee’s pay during a partial strike, after giving written notice.
• Proposal to enable congestion charges — Would create a framework for local authorities to propose charges for using busy roads at certain times.
• Proposal to restrict online sports betting — Would reserve online racing and sports betting for TAB New Zealand or its partner.
• Proposal to create a stalking offence — Would create a stalking offence and add related consequences for sentencing, family violence and firearms licences.
• Proposal to give people more data control — Would let customers authorise trusted third parties to request their data from businesses in designated sectors.
• Proposal to update money-laundering rules — Would change anti-money-laundering rules to make the system more risk-based, efficient, and effective.
• Proposal to update occupational regulation — Would strengthen occupational regulators’ consumer protections and make their regulatory systems more efficient.
• Proposal to change Customs charges — Would change Customs charges, GST, and product-stewardship fee collection to improve revenue collection.
• Proposal to allow Easter trading dropped — This proposal would have removed Good Friday and Easter Sunday trading and alcohol-sale restrictions while keeping employee protections.
• Proposal to change gene-technology rules — Would create a new system for regulating gene technology and genetically modified organisms.
• Proposal to change water-service rules — Would set up new rules for delivering water services, including economic regulation, consumer protection, and water-quality oversight.
• Proposal to protect registered greyhounds — Would stop registered racing greyhounds being destroyed, except under specified veterinary or legal grounds.
• Proposal to allow holiday advertising — Would allow television and radio advertising during currently restricted holiday periods.
• Proposal for fast-track approvals — Would create a fast-track approvals system.
• Proposal to change planning rules — Would make some planning approvals faster and let councils choose whether to use medium-density housing rules.
• Proposal to regulate offshore energy — Would create a permitting system for building, operating and removing offshore renewable energy projects.
• Proposal to change coastal title rules — Would change the test for customary marine title, affecting rights over some coastal activities and major infrastructure decisions.
• Proposal to bring back three strikes — Would bring back escalating penalties for repeat serious violent and sexual offending.
• Proposal to improve court processes — Would make targeted changes to court rules, including clarifying judicial officers’ roles and powers.
• Proposal to improve tribunal access — Would improve tribunal operations by removing access barriers and fixing gaps and inconsistencies in the law.
• Proposal to update Māori affairs rules — Would allow some Māori organisations to meet electronically and change related reporting and administrative rules.