Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Kiwi Trust Firm Eyes Export Growth Amid Rising Litigation Concerns for US Doctors

Source: Impact PR

A New Zealand-based offshore trust firm managing more than $6.8 billion in assets is set to launch a North American export expansion programme as litigation risks drive US doctors to move wealth into Cook Islands and Nevis protection structures.

New US research shows almost 60 per cent of obstetricians and gynaecologists report being sued at least once during their careers. More than half of general surgeons had also faced a malpractice claim, highlighting the long-term litigation risks facing many American medical professionals. The study also found doctors' risk of facing a malpractice claim increases over the course of their careers and varies significantly by specialty.

Matthew Smith, a lawyer and director of business development at Southpac Group, says many US professionals, business owners and specialists are seeking asset protection before any dispute arises, because malpractice claims, insurance limits, and an aggressive litigation culture can expose personal wealth built up over decades.

“Most clients are professionals or company owners looking to protect assets they have spent decades building,” Smith says.

“The US legal environment is far more aggressive than what we see in New Zealand.”

Smith says asset protection structures used by some doctors are typically part of a broader risk management and wealth preservation strategy, particularly where malpractice insurance policies contain payout caps that may not fully protect them if a claim escalates.

He says this makes offshore asset protection structures far more common in the US than in New Zealand.

Southpac’s new client numbers rose over 290 per cent between 2022 and 2025 as wealthy Americans became increasingly focused on legal risk, asset protection and geopolitical uncertainty following the pandemic.

Smith says their firm currently administers trusts established by clients from 51 countries, with the United States accounting for about 85 per cent of its client base. The UAE, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK are also among its largest markets.

Mike Arand, Southpac CEO, says the firm was the first trustee company licensed in the Cook Islands and has established more than 4,000 trusts over the past 40 years, with medical professionals now one of its fastest-growing client segments.

Arand says most clients have between US$2 million and US$10 million in assets and use offshore trusts as part of long-term wealth protection planning.

The Cook Islands became internationally known for asset protection trusts after introducing specialised legislation in the late 1980s designed to shield assets from future creditor claims, provided structures are established before legal action begins.

Arand says Southpac also uses Nevis, a Caribbean jurisdiction known for protective company legislation, as part of some client structures.

“For many clients, a Cook Islands trust may sit above a Nevis company, creating two layers of protection across separate jurisdictions,” Arand says.

He says their ability to operate across both the Cook Islands and Nevis is one of the firm’s points of difference in the international asset protection market.

Offshore trusts have long attracted controversy globally, but Arand says Southpac operates a comprehensive due diligence programme before taking on clients, including client verification, background checks, sanctions screening, politically exposed person checks and ongoing monitoring.

“Prospective clients can be declined outright where there are concerns around sanctions exposure, criminal activity, tax transparency or existing legal claims,” Arand says.

The Cook Islands was rated compliant or largely compliant across 38 of 40 compliance recommendations set by global standards body the Financial Action Task Force, in its latest international review, compared with New Zealand’s 34.

The financial services firm is now preparing for further expansion of its referrer network of attorneys, wealth advisers and other professional advisers across North America, including a series of meetings with specialist asset protection lawyers in Los Angeles, San Diego and Canada.

“There are thousands of lawyers across the US advising on domestic asset protection, but many still do not fully understand offshore structures,” Smith says.

“That represents a significant growth opportunity for us.”

The company currently employs 26 staff in New Zealand alongside teams in the Cook Islands, Nevis and the Philippines.

Arand says offshore trust administration has quietly become a significant professional services export industry, linking New Zealand, the Cook Islands and North America, with offshore financial services estimated to contribute about 8 per cent of the Cook Islands' economy, making it one of the country’s largest industries outside tourism.

He says the firm expects North America to remain its primary growth market as more US professionals seek offshore asset protection structures traditionally associated with ultra-wealthy investors.

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Universities – Disaster law falling short on housing rights – study

Source: University of Auckland
Before the next disaster strikes, Aotearoa New Zealand needs stronger legal protections for people's right to housing or we risk repeating failures seen after the Canterbury earthquakes, says University of Auckland legal scholar Dr Maude Loutsch.

As extreme weather events and natural disasters become more frequent, Loutsch says disaster response law is becoming increasingly important.

In her thesis, she argues for a human rights-based approach to effectively protect the right to adequate housing in disaster contexts. Such an approach would shift the focus from housing solely as physical infrastructure, to housing as a human right tied to dignity, community, culture and wellbeing. (ref. https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/items/31010ce1-04f5-4c3a-b576-240077616662 )

Loutsch says existing legal tools in the area are fragmented, limiting clarity and accountability. She explores avenues for reform, calling on governments to take a more active role in defining, promoting and monitoring the human right to housing amid natural disasters. 

Her research examines disaster responses in Tonga, New Zealand and Japan, including New Zealand's response following the Canterbury earthquakes and Cyclone Gabrielle.

The analysis uncovers a gap between legal commitments and action and identifies shortcomings, including a narrow recognition of the right to adequate housing, a failure to place human rights standards at the forefront of disaster responses, limited participation by disaster victims, discriminatory practices, and limited avenues for redress.

Read more about the research: http://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/06/17/disaster-law-falling-short-on-housing-rights—study.html
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Economy – RBNZ opens DTA consultations on crisis preparedness and final tranche of draft standards

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

18 June 2026 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) – Te Pūtea Matua has opened consultations on six draft standards and a package of crisis preparedness policies for deposit takers. The consultations are the latest step in RBNZ's implementation of the most significant regulatory reform for the sector in decades, the Deposit Takers Act 2023 (DTA).

The crisis preparedness policies are designed to enable the orderly resolution of a deposit taker failure, while preserving critical customer services and avoiding the use of public funds.

“The New Zealand financial system is resilient, and deposit takers are required to have strong capital buffers. Despite these safeguards, international experience shows us that failures can occur and we need to be prepared,” says Acting Assistant Governor Financial Stability, Angus McGregor.

“Having a crisis management framework in place before a failure occurs is essential for reducing economic damage and disruption for New Zealanders,” Mr McGregor says.

The crisis preparedness package reflects several years of policy work drawing from international practice and addressing New Zealand's unique context. It supplements protections under the Depositor Compensation Scheme and other standards RBNZ has developed as part of implementing the DTA.

Requirements proposed in the crisis preparedness package include:

recovery planning and resolution pre-positioning, meaning deposit takers establish contingency plans and internal capabilities for dealing with severe financial stress; and
the design of loss-absorbing capacity (LAC) instruments being introduced for domestic systemically important banks (Group 1 deposit takers) following our review of key capital settings in 2025.

Alongside the crisis preparedness package, RBNZ is consulting on six draft standards with accompanying guidance relating to:

Capital
Internal Models (requirements relevant only to deposit takers that use the Internal Ratings-Based model)
Operational Resilience
Outsourcing
Disclosure (remaining aspects not covered in tranche 2 consultation)
Related Party Exposures.

This consultation marks the third and final tranche of DTA draft standards and guidance that will be issued in 2027. Crisis preparedness standards will be issued separately in 2028.

“We have appreciated deposit taker support and input through previous DTA consultations, and we look forward to their feedback on these proposals,” Mr McGregor says.

Both consultations are open for twelve weeks, with submissions due by 5pm on Friday 11 September 2026.

DTA Standards exposure drafts (tranche 3) – Citizen Space
DTA Crisis Preparedness package – Citizen Space

Next steps

All DTA standards except those relating to crisis preparedness will be issued by 31 May 2027 and come into effect on 1 December 2028.

Crisis preparedness standards will be issued in 2028 and come into effect in 2029, although implementation timeframes may vary, to give deposit takers reasonable time to comply.

Notes

The DTA empowers the Reserve Bank to make prudential 'standards', which are secondary legislation. These are the core prudential rule-making instruments under the DTA. RBNZ is responsible for drafting and issuing them. RBNZ consults on DTA standards in two phases, as follows:

Phase one is policy consultation, which seeks feedback on the substantive policy positions for each standard. The crisis preparedness package is at this phase and follows on from RBNZ's Crisis Management Issues Paper in 2024. Other DTA policy consultation occurred in 2024.
 
The second phase is publication of the exposure draft of the standard with any accompanying guidance. At this phase the policy is set, and the consultation seeks feedback on whether the resulting standard delivers its intent and the guidance is clear and complete.

RBNZ will publish 'near final' versions of standards we consulted on in 2025 and early 2026 (DTA standards exposure drafts tranches 1 and 2) before they are issued, to give deposit takers as much time and information as possible to plan their transition to the DTA. 

More information

Deposit Takers Act information – RBNZ website
2024 Crisis Management Issues Paper (PDF) – RBNZ website
2025 Review of key capital settings – RBNZ website
DTA Standards exposure drafts (tranche 1) – Citizen Space website
DTA Standards exposure drafts (tranche 2) – Citizen Space website

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NZ NEEDS NEW IMMIGRATION FRAMEWORK FOR HUMANITARIAN CRISES

Source: World Vision

This World Refugee Day (June 20) a new report calls for immigration changes to better support and protect people displaced due to disaster, conflict, and humanitarian emergencies.
World Vision New Zealand and the University of Auckland Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies have partnered on the report which urges changes to the country’s humanitarian protections and immigration settings.
It comes as the world faces an unparalleled refugee crisis in which the number of displaced people has nearly trebled since 2010 to more than 117 million people. [i]
The organisations say New Zealand and other countries need new approaches to assist and protect people for humanitarian reasons.
In the recent past, New Zealand has created special visas to support resettlement for those caught up in the war in Ukraine and regime change in Afghanistan but has not created equivalent pathways for people affected by other humanitarian emergencies such as Sudan or Iran.
World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice Rebekah Armstrong says this has meant that New Zealand’s response to humanitarian emergencies has been ad hoc, inconsistent and unevenly applied.
She says New Zealand needs an Emergency Protection Framework which can be applied consistently and transparently across a range of humanitarian crises.
“Every time a crisis erupts, New Zealand has to design a response under pressure and while we’re figuring out the rules, children and families are left waiting for safety and certainty.
“We negotiate the visas, the eligibility, the support and the funding while the emergency is already unfolding. A country with New Zealand's humanitarian record has an opportunity to prepare in advance and respond with greater clarity and compassion,” she says.
Timothy Fadgen, an affiliated scholar with the University of Auckland’s Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies, says New Zealand has the opportunity to show principled leadership in a time of growing global displacement.
“Countries like New Zealand have a responsibility to respond to conflict, disasters, and climate-related displacement with compassion and fairness, particularly in our Pacific region.
“An Emergency Protection Framework would allow New Zealand to show practical humanitarian leadership by putting fair and prepared systems in place before emergencies occur which can be applied fairly across the board,” he says.
Armstrong says in addition to being inefficient and costly, the current makeshift approach does not adequately support successful settlement.
“Children and families who have settled in New Zealand from Ukraine and Afghanistan have received different combinations of legal status, settlement support, and family reunification compared with those who arrive under the refugee quota. We need the same systems and services to apply to both groups of people,” she says.
Armstrong says an Emergency Protection Framework could be adopted as part of an amendment to the current Immigration Act 2009 and should include: pre-determined criteria for an emergency protection response, defined visa pathways, community sponsorship, and coordinated settlement systems.
Fadgen says a change is also needed to respond to the growing issue of climate-related displacement in the Pacific.
“Climate mobility is already affecting Pacific communities, and future emergencies may not fit within existing mobility pathways. We need to recognise this and have a plan in place to best manage climate-related displacement if it happens at scale,” he says.
Both World Vision and the Centre of Asia Pacific Refugee Studies hope that the country’s political parties will address New Zealand’s obligations to humanitarian protection as part of policy debates in the lead-up to the 2026 general election.
Notes:
World Vision New Zealand is a global, child-focused humanitarian organisation. We work alongside children, families, and communities to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice, serving all people regardless of faith, ethnicity, or gender.
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Property Market – Conditions may be ripe for a ‘bargain’ property trade up – Cotality

Source: Cotality

New analysis by Cotality finds that trading up from a three-bedroom to a four-bedroom house typically still commands a six-figure premium.

What is the trade-up premium?

One way to measure the potential costs facing a property owner who’s looking to ‘trade up’ is to assess the difference in median values between three bedroom and four bedroom houses – this equates to the extra debt and/or equity that needs to be found. 
It’s not a perfect measure; some people might see trading up as getting the same-sized house that’s newer or in a ‘better’ suburb. However, extra space would be how many households view a trade-up.
The areas with large gaps
Using the Cotality Market Trends dataset, the first chart shows the top 10 suburbs with the largest trade-up premium (as at mid-2026) across  three and four bedroom houses.

Few people would be surprised to see parts of Auckland in that list, as well as Queenstown-Lakes, but areas such as Mackenzie, Waipa, Hastings, Whakatane, and Western Bay of Plenty might be not as widely expected. One factor in some of those markets could be the prevalence of more desirable enclaves (e.g. Tekapo, Havelock North) where a shift from a three-bedroom house to a four-bedroom property could also tend to mean a distinct change of suburb in many cases.
Each of these areas still have a trade-up premium of $290,000 or more, although that gap has fallen by 7% over the past year in Western Bay of Plenty and Auckland City (as four bedroom properties have fallen more than three bedrooms), with a drop of nearly 12% in Hastings, and 9% in Queenstown-Lakes – albeit that shift in Queenstown is only because four-bedroom properties have grown a bit less than three-bedrooms.
Put another way (aside from Queenstown perhaps), it’s got a little easier to shift up in a lot of these areas, especially with a tendency for many households to have strong incomes too.
The areas with smaller premiums
At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom 10 all have a trade-up premium of less than $120,000, and are all smaller, provincial areas spread across both the North and South Islands. Waitomo, Otorohanga, and Kawerau all have a gap between three- and four-bedroom houses of less than $100,000. Of course, with incomes also tending to be lower in some of these areas, a trade-up may not necessarily be much more affordable than other parts of the country.
Where have the changes been?
Turning to the changes since we last looked at this topic in the middle of 2025, there have been sizeable percentage increases in the trade-up premium in Ruapehu, Grey, and Opotiki (all at least 10%). Although in the case of Opotiki, the median values for three-bedroom houses have dropped by more than four bedrooms – as opposed to slightly faster rises for the bigger properties in Grey and Ruapehu.
What about in dollar terms? Mackenzie ($26,180), Grey ($22,363), and Opotiki ($22,086) have all seen the trade-up premium lift by at least $20,000 in the past year, whereas it’s fallen by at least that amount in areas such as Western Bay of Plenty, New Plymouth, Queenstown-Lakes, Hastings, and Auckland City.
A sluggish market can be a good time to trade up
Overall, then, some areas have become more favourable over the past year for people looking to get a bit of extra space (although it’s still not necessarily ‘easy’ as such), while naturally it’s become slightly tougher elsewhere.
In general, though, it’s worth keeping in mind that soft patches in the property market can sometimes be a good opportunity to trade up; even though a lot of households tend to withdraw when uncertainty is elevated. That can be because they’re concerned about the price they might get for their current house, but they potentially overlook the fact that the bigger property may have dropped even further.
For example, take the contrast between Christchurch and Wellington City – having gone about $29,000 above Christchurch in 2021, the trade-up gap in Wellington has since drifted downwards and is now around $25,000 less than Christchurch.
Our Cotality Buyer Classification data continues to show that movers are cautious at the moment, whether that’s Wellington City, or Christchurch, or a wide range of other areas. And for as long as the current economic uncertainty stays elevated, that buyer group may remain on the sidelines. But at some stage when sentiment and job security improves, owner-occupier households are likely to start to transact again, and those who get active first could benefit the most from recent reductions in the trade-up premium in a number of areas.
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Current account deficit $4.6 billion for the March 2026 quarter – Balance of payments and international investment position: March 2026 quarter – Stats NZ news story and information release

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Insurers welcome review of FNZ levy funding model

Source: Insurance Council of NZ

The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) has welcomed the Government’s decision to review how Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is funded.
ICNZ Chief Executive Kris Faafoi said the review is a timely and positive step toward ensuring the long-term sustainability of a critical public service.
“Fire and Emergency New Zealand provides an essential service to communities across the country, and it is important it is funded in a way that is sustainable, fair and fit for the future.
“The current model relies on a levy applied to insurance premiums. While this has been in place for many years, insurers have long questioned whether it remains the most appropriate way to fund such a core public service.”
Kris Faafoi said continued reliance on insurance levies risks adding pressure to premiums over time, affecting affordability for households and businesses.
“When premiums rise, there is a real risk people reduce their cover or go without it altogether. That has broader consequences for individuals, communities and the wider economy.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, also highlighted fairness concerns, as Fire and Emergency services are used by all New Zealanders, regardless of whether they hold insurance.
“Ensuring FENZ has a stable and sustainable funding base is essential. At the same time, linking that funding directly to insurance raises longer-term challenges,” Kris Faafoi said.
Mr Faafoi said the review should also sit alongside the need for sustained investment in resilience.
“Our proposed Community Protection Levy is a practical option to help fund large-scale risk reduction, supporting communities to better withstand natural hazards and help keep insurance affordable and accessible over the long term.”
As part of the review, ICNZ also expects officials to examine international approaches as many comparable jurisdictions fund fire and emergency services through central or local government.
“We look forward to engaging constructively with officials as they consider options, including overseas models, to ensure FENZ is well-supported into the future,” Kris Faafoi said.
“The review provides an opportunity to step back and take a considered look at how best to fund a vital public service, while easing pressure on insurance premiums over time.”
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Ministerial Overreach – CMC statement on changes to Medical Council leadership

Source: Council of Medical Colleges

The Council of Medical Colleges (CMC) thanks Dr Rachelle Love for her hard work as Chair of the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) and wishes her well for the future. CMC has valued our positive engagements with Dr Love and her contribution to the joint programme of work between MCNZ and medical colleges to support equitable health outcomes for all. We look forward to working with Dr Ken Clark as the new Chair.
Reports that the Minister of Health has not reappointed senior MCNZ leaders because of what he described as an “ideological agenda” are concerning. CMC recognises the Minister’s role in appointing MCNZ members. However, action taken on ideological grounds risks undermining the independence of the regulator responsible for protecting patient safety and maintaining public trust in the medical profession.
MCNZ plays a critical statutory role in setting standards, ensuring cultural competence [1], accrediting training, and safeguarding the public. The health system depends on it as a strong, stable, and independent institution that reflects the needs of the population. MCNZ must be able to carry out its statutory functions without political interference. Before setting standards, including the draft cultural competence and safety standards, MCNZ consults widely. CMC has found these consultations robust and MCNZ responsive to concerns raised.
Cultural safety is not ideological. It is evidence-based, internationally recognised, and central to good patient care. It improves communication, reduces harm, and strengthens trust. Its importance in New Zealand is heightened by our reliance on international medical graduates to staff our hospitals and health services.
CMC represents 18 medical colleges committed to high-quality, equitable care for all people of Aotearoa New Zealand. The colleges work closely together on a programme to support culturally safe healthcare in vocational training. We aim to improve outcomes for patients receiving specialist care and our approach is reinforced by the work of MCNZ. We will continue to champion high standards for vocational trainees and specialists, reflecting not only their technical skills but also how they deliver healthcare to patients.
CMC stands ready to work constructively with the Minister, MCNZ, and sector partners to ensure New Zealand maintains a clinically skilled, culturally competent and safe, and future-ready medical workforce. Patients, whānau, and communities deserve nothing less.
[1] Importantly, s.118(i) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 requires the Medical Council to “…set standards of … cultural competence (including competencies that will enable effective and respectful interaction with Māori)…”
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Funding "boost" continues dangerous under-funding of aged care – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

The Health Minister’s funding “boost” for aged residential care continues underfunding to the sector and will continue unsafe practices and short staffing, which is putting vulnerable residents at risk, NZNO says.
Simeon Brown today announced a 4% increase of $79 million for aged care providers in the coming financial year. As part of the funding, aged care providers will be expected to receive admissions from hospitals during weekends.
NZNO Gerontology Nursing College chair Bridget Richards says the funding equates to a 2.6% increase to baseline funding, below the current inflation rate of 3.1%.
“This is a funding cut in real terms and will lock in short staffing which is preventing residents getting the health care they need and the dignity of care they deserve. Nurses and care givers are constantly forced to make impossible choices about who gets help first because they are stretched so thin.
“As highlighted in NZNO’s Care in Crisis: Manaaki i te Raru report, residents are at risk every day because of understaffing. They suffer falls because care givers are too busy to assist them, and they suffer infections because nurses are too busy to change their dressings, and facilities buy cheap dressings to save money,” Bridget Richards says.
Residents cannot be discharged from hospital back to their facilities without assessment from a registered nurse at their care home, she said. “However, not all facilities have a nurse onsite 24/7; something NZNO has been calling for. Residents being discharged from hospital are also likely to be sicker and have greater care needs than other residents.
“Without greater funding, these residents are being put at even greater risk,” Bridget Richards says.
“Care in Crisis found numerous issues caused by short staffing for residents being discharged back to their homes from hospital including poor handover communication, medication changes not being appropriately charted and unable to be dispensed by facility nurses, transfers in the middle of the night when facilities are not adequately staffed or prepared to receive them, and a lack of rehabilitative resources for post-hospital care needs.”
The funding was also likely to lead to an effective wage cut this year for care givers who are some of the lowest paid workers in the health sector, Bridget Richard says.
“NZNO hopes the Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group will provide the direction to improve all aspects of aged residential care,” she says. 
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Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners statement on changes to Medical Council leadership

Source: Royal NZ College of General Practitioners

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) is concerned by the Minister’s comments about cultural safety being political ideology in relation to the change of board members at the Medical Council. The independence of the Medical Council as a regulator is fundamental to public trust, patient safety, and the integrity of medical standards in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Medical Council has a statutory responsibility to set standards of clinical and cultural competence, and ethical conduct for doctors. That work necessarily includes setting expectations around culturally safe care and improving health equity, particularly for Māori, who continue to experience significant and well-documented inequities in health outcomes. This all forms part of safe, competent and responsive medical practice.
The College stands firm that ensuring our workforce is well regulated and able to deliver culturally safe care and equitable outcomes for Māori must be a priority. This underpins the high standards of practice and patient safety our health system requires.
Ministers are entitled to make appointments, and those decisions should strengthen confidence in the independence of regulators. The College supports considered, independent professional regulation. We also reaffirm that cultural safety, equitable care, and improving Hauora Māori are essential components of high-quality general practice and of a health system that serves all New Zealanders well.