Property Council New Zealand has welcomed today’s announcement from the Government, describing the reforms as a pragmatic step toward a more consistent and accountable building system.

Chief Executive Leonie Freeman said the move to replace joint and several liability with a proportionate liability model, alongside enabling voluntary consolidation of Building Consent Authorities (BCAs), addresses long-standing issues that have created cost and delay in the sector.

“Joint and several liability has often left councils as the last man standing. Proportionate liability changes this – a shift that the development community supports,” Freeman said.

“Spreading accountability more fairly across the construction pipeline should ease pressure on councils and provide greater certainty for the market. We expect this will also help reduce the risk-averse behaviour that slows down consenting and drives up costs.”

Freeman noted that Property Council members are prepared to play their part.

“Our members are open to sharing liability if it gives councils greater confidence and improves consistency. The detail around mechanisms such as professional indemnity insurance and home warranties will be important for ensuring clarity.”

On BCA consolidation, Freeman said the change could help remove unnecessary complexity.

“Sixty-six different interpretations of the Building Code create inconsistency and duplication. A regionalised model could help streamline processes, but its success will depend on councils’ willingness to work together.”

Freeman said the reforms build on earlier moves to improve access to new building products.

“Addressing both consenting and liability settings is a step in the right direction. These changes have the potential to remove blockages, reduce costs, and provide a more predictable system for everyone involved in the building process.”

A leading e-cigarette brand’s global Instagram account is promoting vapes to vast audiences, including in New Zealand, where regulations prohibit vape marketing to young people.

Partnership deals with Formula One racing, and glamorous young influencers are promoting vapes to vast global audiences.

Many countries, including the UK and New Zealand, have brought in regulations to prevent marketing vapes to young people. Social media platforms also have policies for this purpose.

A new study published in Health Promotion International has found Vuse, the world’s leading e-cigarette brand, is using a global social account to enter into paid partnerships, including a Formula One racing team, to promote vapes to massive audiences.

“Collaborations with music festivals and influencers show that the company is targeting young people and may be using social media’s global reach to bypass local bans,” says Dr Lucy Hardie, a population health researcher at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, who led the international study.

“Fast cars and beautiful women are a tried-and-true marketing strategy used by the tobacco industry,” Hardie says.

The study reviewed more than 400 Instagram posts associated with the internationally leading e-cigarette brand, Vuse, owned by British American Tobacco, between August 2023 to July 2024.

Hashtags like #VuseInsider were used to promote brand ambassadors and festival experiences.
Vuse has partnerships with social media influencers who produce stylised ‘Get Ready with Me’ videos linked to music festivals.

“You see a beautiful young influencer choosing fashion and makeup set to cool music, a type of clip popular with young women. It finishes with her popping a vape into her handbag as she heads out the door to attend a music festival,” Hardie says.

Vuse also sponsors Formula One race team McLaren, meaning the company’s branding and logos are used in posts that are promoted to its nearly 14 million followers.

Despite the platform’s policy, these are seldom disclosed as paid partnerships, the study finds.
The researchers warn that Vuse’s global Instagram marketing strategy allows it to bypass national advertising bans, such as those in New Zealand and in the UK, effectively exploiting legal gaps and weak platform enforcement.

“Social media is borderless and so is this type of marketing,” Hardie says. “We urgently need global agreements restricting e-cigarette marketing on social media, and platforms need to enforce breaches of platform policy.

“There needs to be greater scrutiny and accountability for brand partnerships that target vulnerable audiences with highly addictive substances.”

The long-term health effects of youth vaping are not yet known, but associations are emerging in research that link vapes to heart and lung conditions, as well as well-established issues related to nicotine addiction.

Another related study just published in Tobacco Control reveals how one New Zealand-based vape company uses environmental schemes to maintain a presence at youth-oriented music festivals in New Zealand, despite a strict sponsorship ban since 2020.

The study, also led by Hardie with colleagues from the University of Otago and the University of Sydney, revealed that leading vape company VAPO has established a recycling initiative, VapeCycle, that can sponsor major festivals like Rhythm and Vines attended by more than 20,000 young people.

The company’s branding still features at the festivals on recycling bins. Hardie says the studies point to a need for stronger regulations and enforcement to better protect young people.

Re: Pending RBNZ interest rate decision – “We believe there's a clear need for an interest rate cut to help ease cost of living pressures for New Zealand borrowers and to boost home loan affordability.

With interest rates being uncertain at the moment, borrowers are considering whether to fix their mortgage rate or continue with a variable loan. Many are electing to split their loan between the two as part fixed and part variable, and this can be a good option right now as the expectation is that rates will continue to trend downwards into 2026.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to the best mortgage product. Finance and mortgage advisers will base their advice on the specific needs of each individual customer. This varies from person to person depending on their circumstances.

What is in the best interests of one customer is different from that of another. For example those who are self-employed may not fit traditional bank lending criteria, so it’s important to discuss your situation with your adviser to obtain the loan that is most suitable.

While the major banks have many good products, borrowers should never think that they are the only source of lending. In fact very often a non-bank lender can meet a customer’s needs for either a better rate or a more flexible loan depending on the requirement. Some of these lenders are only available through a mortgage adviser.

A mortgage adviser will be able to provide the advice based on both the lending product and on your situation.”

Non-compliance could put aviation operators at serious financial risk

AUCKLAND – 18 August 2025 – With the Civil Aviation Act 2023 now in force, aviation operators across New Zealand are beginning the transition to formal Drug & Alcohol Management Plans (DAMPs), a new legal requirement that will form a core part of safety and risk management frameworks across the sector. The first submission deadline is just a month away, 30 September 2025 for Group 1 operators, followed by 30 June 2026 for Group 2.

The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) is encouraging operators to start planning now, saying that building a fit-for-purpose plan takes time, clarity, and the right expertise. The company offers end-to-end DAMP compliance services including policy review, certified training, random testing and secure reporting as required in the DAMP.

“Developing a compliant and operationally sound DAMP can’t be rushed,” says Glenn Dobson, CEO, TDDA. “For high-risk sectors like aviation, there are multiple moving parts from policies and testing protocols to staff training and reporting systems. Some operators can underestimate how much is involved.”

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2023, Drug & Alcohol Management Plans (DAMPs) are now a legal requirement under Civil Aviation Rule Part 99 and must be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). These plans apply aviation businesses broadly: commercial airlines and maintenance organisations, adventure operators, agriculture aircraft operations, air traffic services, and more.

Each DAMP must set out how the operator will carry out random drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive workers, how non-negative results, refusal to test or unable to provide a sample will be handled, and what ongoing education and training will be provided for staff and supervisors. Plans must also clearly define roles and responsibilities across sites and teams, and include a system for regular reporting to the CAA. Full compliance is required in April 2027.

“We’re seeing a growing number of operators asking, ‘What does good look like?’. That’s the right question. Smart operators know that shortcuts, low-cost testing providers, and DIY kits won’t meet CAA’s expectations, and worse, they compromise safety,” adds Dobson.

“In our experience, the operators who act early are the ones whose operations continue smoothly. As the submission deadline approaches, providers get overwhelmed, delays happen, and work stoppages become likely,” says Dobson. “It also allows operators time to find the right fit – a compliance partner who truly understands the aviation sector.”

TDDA is New Zealand’s largest IANZ accredited, workplace drug and alcohol testing provider. It is currently offering free policy reviews to all DAMP- required operators as part of its commitment to industry safety.

TDDA delivers end-to-end support for aviation operators implementing DAMPs, policy design, employee training, compliant testing and CAA-aligned reporting. TDDA’s services meet the requirements of Civil Aviation Rule Part 99, covering random testing, response protocols, secure reporting and supervisor education.

TDDA’s reporting platform, IMPERANS, provides operators with real-time oversight, site-level visibility, and tools to manage DAMP quarterly reporting with ease. Supported by a fleet of mobile clinics that meet businesses where they operate, TDDA services both single-site and multi-site operations, including remote and mobile environments. As a specialist in DAMP compliance, TDDA ensures programs are practical, enforceable, and future-ready through to 2027 and beyond.

About The Drug Detection Agency

The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) is a leader in workplace substance testing with more than 300 staff, 90 mobile health clinics, 65 locations throughout Australasia, and processing more than 250,000 tests annually. TDDA was established in 2005 to provide New Zealand and Australian businesses with end-to-end workplace substance testing, education and policy services. TDDA holds ISO17025 accreditation for workplace substance testing in both AU and NZ. Refer to the IANZ and NATA websites for TDDA’s full accreditation details. Learn more about TDDA at https://tdda.com/.