Patch 2025.11

November 2025 proposals

Bills this month would ban surcharges, change elections, expand tolls, speed approvals, strengthen grocery competition, tighten attendance, alter immigration checks, change clean-car rules, refocus councils.

• Proposal to ban some payment surcharges — Would ban surcharges on in-store EFTPOS, Visa, and Mastercard debit and credit payments, with refunds for unlawful charges.
• Proposal to change election rules — Would change enrolment, prisoner voting, advance voting, voter contact, and conduct around polling places before the 2026 election.
• Proposal to expand tolling and road charges — Would expand when existing roads could be tolled and update road-user charges, supporting a future move away from fuel excise.
• Fast-track approvals and grocery competition — Would change fast-track approval rules and support stronger competition in grocery retail.
• Proposal to tighten school attendance exemptions — Would tighten school attendance exemptions and make other changes across the education system.
• Immigration checks and levies could change — Would change immigration levies, require warrants for some after-hours checks, and add monitoring and protections for some migrants.
• Proposal to change clean vehicle rules — Would change the Clean Vehicle Standard to support emissions targets and reduce possible costs for vehicle importers and consumers.
• Proposal to refocus council services — Would refocus councils on core services, increase performance accountability, and seek to reduce pressure on rates.
• Proposal to simplify infrastructure funding — Would make it easier to fund urban infrastructure through special-purpose bodies and levies on landowners who benefit.
• Proposal to speed up land acquisition — Would streamline land acquisition, objections, and compensation for public projects, affecting agencies and landowners.
• Proposal to change Health New Zealand’s management — Would change Health New Zealand’s goals, governance, planning, and reporting, including required health targets.
• Proposal to simplify anti-money-laundering oversight — Would reduce AML/CFT supervisors from three to one and change supervision and levy rules for reporting businesses.
• Proposal to improve court timeliness — Would change legislation aimed at making court proceedings more timely.
• Plumbers could self-certify some work — Would let approved plumbers and drainlayers certify some work themselves instead of needing a building authority inspection.
• Building trades could face stronger licensing — Would strengthen licensing, complaints and discipline rules for building, plumbing, gasfitting and electrical professionals.
• Drivers could face time-based road charges — Would allow charging for road use at different times.
• Proposal to change medicines law — Would change rules covering medicines.
• Proposal to change education rules — Would change education and training rules.
• Proposal to change public service management — Would change public service roles, performance management, key appointments, and national security risk management.
• Proposal to extend Ministers’ post-election roles — Would keep Ministers and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries in office until after election processes are formally completed.
• Proposal to return Kororipo Pā land — Would transfer Kororipo Pā land in Kerikeri to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust as guardian for Ngāpuhi.
• Proposal to set regulatory standards — Would create a framework called the Regulatory Standards Bill.
• Proposal to change Parliament’s rules — Would change rules about Parliament.
• Proposal to repeal and change laws — Would repeal and change laws connected with Parliament.