MIL Email Publisher (NZ)

Source: BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ welcomes the passing of the Employment Leave Bill, and says it marks the end of one of the most costly and confusing pieces of workplace law ever forced on employers and workers.

The Bill repeals and replaces the Holidays Act 2003, moving to a simpler, hours based system where annual and sick leave accrue from day one – giving both employers and workers far greater certainty about what they are owed and what they must pay.

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the 2003 Act has been one of New Zealand’s most problematic pieces of employment legislation.

“Even employers that wanted to comply found it difficult to do so because the Act became increasingly complex as work patterns evolved beyond the traditional Monday-to-Friday, 40-hour week.

“It has cost employers hundreds of millions of dollars to put right, and it has meant too many workers didn’t get the pay they were entitled to. Fixing it is common sense.”

The Act was so complex even government departments and agencies were caught out.

Health New Zealand estimated it had incorrectly calculated leave for around 90,000 current and 130,000 former employees; it paid out around $961 million in remediation.

Meanwhile, between November 2015 and June 2020, the labour inspectorate investigated and enforced Holiday’s Act breaches resulting in more than $237 million in remediation payments to over 22,7000 employees across numerous organisations – and that was likely only the tip of the iceberg.

“When a law is so complex that even the government departments enforcing it can’t get it right, you know the problem is with the law, not the employers,” Rich says.

“Crucially, this was never just a big-business issue. As MBIE itself acknowledges, the Act’s provisions are “unclear, overly complex, difficult to apply for diverse working arrangements, or challenging to systematise in payroll systems”, meaning even the smallest employer with a handful of staff could be caught out.

“Behind every one of these numbers are payroll teams spending months untangling calculations, and businesses diverting money and time that could have gone into growth, wages and jobs.

“A simple accrual-based approach will remove many of the opportunities for confusion that have persisted under the current Act and which have cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years.

“BusinessNZ has long advocated for an hours-based approach to calculating leave which is simpler to apply to non-standard working hours than the current weeks-based system.”

Other changes in the new legislation include leave entitlements required to be proportionate to hours worked, access to leave entitlements from the first day of employment, increased leave compensation payments for casual employees, and more flexibility to cash up annual leave.

“While we look forward to these changes we also applaud the longer lead-time, which should give software developers and payroll providers enough time to convert their systems to reflect this new approach. In practice, employers should be able to make more straightforward leave calculations, and employees can be reassured they are being paid correctly.”

The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

Source: Book Hero and Toy Hero

30 July 2026

Independent Kiwi retailer expands into toys after serving more than 100,000 customers and selling 345,000 books in under two years.

At a time when much of the retail conversation is about store closures, shrinking sales and tough economic conditions, one independent Kiwi business is heading in the opposite direction.

Less than two years after launching Book Hero, the online bookseller has today unveiled Toy Hero, a dedicated online toy store and the next chapter in the company’s continued growth.

The move follows strong customer demand for toys, puzzles and games, which quickly grew to around 20 per cent of Book Hero’s sales.

Rather than treating toys as an add-on, the team has created a dedicated destination bursting with 20,000 products and built on the same promise customers have come to expect – fast delivery, competitive prices and humans at the helm.

Book Hero has served more than 100,000 New Zealand customers and sold more than 345,000 books since launching, bucking a challenging retail environment and proving there’s still strong demand for independent retailers that straddle online, experiences and activations and immediacy.

Tim Wackrow, Co-Founder at Book Hero and Toy Hero, says Toy Hero is a natural evolution of the business.

“We’ve learnt that what customers value most is certainty. Whether it’s a birthday this weekend, a family road trip or just keeping the kids entertained, people want to know they can order from a Kiwi business and have it arrive overnight. That’s exactly what we’ve built Toy Hero to do.”

“Families were already shopping for toys alongside books, so creating a dedicated destination with the same fast delivery, fair pricing and personal service that people know us for was the natural next step.”

Launching today, Toy Hero features a curated range of some of the world’s best-loved brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Bluey, Wasjig and Paw Patrol, with thousands more products and brands arriving over the coming months as the range continues to expand.

Juanita Neville-Te Rito, retail consultant and founder of RX Group, says online retail continues to grow, but success increasingly belongs to businesses that give customers a compelling reason to shop locally.

“Almost one in every four retail dollars is now spent online, but the businesses seeing sustained growth aren’t necessarily the biggest. They’re the ones giving customers a reason to come back through proper service, competitive pricing, fast fulfilment and a strong local identity.

“Expanding into adjacent categories is also a natural progression for successful retailers. When you’ve built trust with customers, extending that relationship into complementary products is often far more effective than trying to acquire entirely new shoppers.”

Toy Hero is now live at toyhero.co.nz

Fast facts

• 100% New Zealand owned – Toy Hero is brought to you by the team behind Book Hero (ex-Mighty Apers)
• Launching with 20,000 toys, board games and puzzles available to buy with overnight nationwide delivery
• Stocking leading brands including Barbie, Hape, Hot Wheels, Bluey, Ravensburger and Tonies
• It comes hot on the heels of Book Hero, which launched less than two years ago and already has over 100,000 NZ customers having sold 345,000 books
• The combined businesses have 17 full-time staff
• Toys, puzzles and games grew to around 20% of Book Hero sales within six months, leading to the creation of Toy Hero
• Built on the same customer promise as Book Hero: fast delivery, competitive prices, real people and proudly Kiwi owned

Source: Greenpeace Aotearoa

Greenpeace is calling on all political parties to support a citizens assembly to reform electoral finance laws in light of the alarming flood of political donations threatening to drown democracy in New Zealand.

“Our democracy is facing an unprecedented onslaught of political party donations, which have increased five-fold compared to two electoral cycles ago”, says Greenpeace Executive Director Russel Norman.

“Much of this money is linked to corporations that are actively trying to circumvent environmental protection rules, making this flood of donations a threat to both the democratic process and environmental rules and regulations that protect nature.

“The tens of millions in political donations pouring in from individuals and corporations linked to polluting industries corrupts the democratic process. It is naive to think that political parties are immune to the pressure that comes from depending on millions in funding from polluting industries.

“That’s why today we are calling for an end to all corporate donations to political parties. Only people should be allowed to donate, and there must be a limit on how much each person can donate, for example $1000.

“But most of all we are calling for all parties to support a citizens assembly to deliberate on the rules on electoral finance.”

Citizen Assemblies are a type of deliberative democracy where a diverse group of people who represent society gather to debate a complex issue using collaborative decision making techniques. They have been used in Ireland to debate abortion law, Canada, some Australian states and by the Wellington City Council.

Norman says that all political parties would be compromised in any debate over reforming political donations.

“Political parties are an essential part of our democracy but when it comes to electoral finance reform, citizens assemblies are the best bodies to deliberate on electoral finance law, given that all parties have an unavoidable conflict of interest”, says Norman.

Political donations are increasing. In the non-election years of 2024 and 2025, Electoral Commission records show that $25 million was donated to political parties. For the comparable years in the previous electoral cycle, 2021 and 2022, the total was $11 million. In the electoral cycle before, it was only $5 million

Already in 2026, nearly $4 million has been declared in donations, and that’s only donations that need to be declared under the rolling disclosure rules.

“Many of the political party donors are individuals or companies linked to applications in the fast track approvals process, a process which was designed to sidestep environmental guardrails”, says Norman.

“Other donors are linked to industries actively lobbying to weaken environmental protections, such as the fishing and agribusiness industries, or are from fossil fuel companies which are seeking to weaken climate change policies.”Donations like this are a problem for democracy but also an issue for environmental campaigning organisations like Greenpeace, which is why we are speaking out.

“Greenpeace is committed to protecting democracy from the corrosive influence of money because it is important in itself, but also because we can see the influence of polluters’ money on the government which will ultimately impact the environment we all depend on.

“Today we call on all political parties to support such a citizens assembly on electoral finance reform.”

Greenpeace has sent a letter asking for the above to all political parties.

Source: Antarctica New Zealand

30 July 2026

The Scott Base redevelopment has entered its delivery phase following the signing of the main construction contract with Wellington-headquartered construction firm LT McGuinness.

The milestone follows a comprehensive reset of the programme after the previous redevelopment proposal was paused because it could not be delivered within the Government’s approved funding.

Cabinet approved the reset redevelopment programme Detailed Business Case in May 2026 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance authorised the project to proceed into delivery earlier in July.

Antarctica New Zealand chair Leon Grice said today’s announcement represented far more than the execution of a construction contract.

“Our continuous presence and scientific programme in Antarctica are fundamental to New Zealand’s interests. Approval to Deliver and the construction contract marks the successful completion of the reset of a major public infrastructure project. And it begins the next generation in the Scott Base legacy.”

The Scott Base redevelopment will deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose Antarctic research station, including new accommodation and communal facilities, upgraded science and operational spaces, and critical infrastructure improvements.

Capacity will increase from the current 5,000m² to approx. 6,500m², including a new Base Services Building (over 3,000m²); refurbishment of the Hillary Field Centre (an additional 400m²); replacement of ageing infrastructure (water, wastewater and power); with an enclosed elevated link connecting new and existing facilities.

The redevelopment also includes a major wind farm upgrade and battery storage system, significantly increasing renewable energy generation, resilience and grid stability for both Scott Base and neighbouring McMurdo Station.

Mr Grice said the Board deliberately chose to pause the previous redevelopment when it became clear it could not be delivered within the approved budget.

“We took difficult decisions to pause the project, commission an independent review and fundamentally rethink the redevelopment. Those decisions have delivered a project that is affordable, deliverable and still achieves the objectives Government originally set for the redevelopment.

“We haven’t compromised the original scope of requirements or functionality to get this project back under budget. The capacity and size of the new Base remain consistent with what was originally proposed.

“We have confidence we can deliver this programme because we have significant contingency allowances and we have done extensive quantity surveying work at every step and we have a close working partnership with LT McGuinness. We have not assumed that everything will go perfectly.

“Antarctica is one of the world’s most challenging construction environments. Weather, shipping, logistics and operating in a remote polar environment inevitably create uncertainty. Our programme accepts this reality, and we have prudential and tested project governance, and we have confidence the project can absorb unforeseen events without compromising our ability to deliver.

“Scientists, operational staff and support personnel will receive the modern facilities they need to live and work safely and effectively in Antarctica. What has changed is the way those facilities have been designed and how they will now be delivered.”

Mr Grice said one of the most enduring outcomes from the redesign was the development of a long-term masterplan for Scott Base.

Antarctica New Zealand Chief Executive Jordy Hendrikx said the past 18 months of planning and design had significantly strengthened the redevelopment programme.

“We have now completed planning, design and procurement. We have confidence in the design, confidence in the commercial arrangements and confidence that the project is ready to move into delivery, while remaining within the Government’s approved funding envelope.”

Professor Hendrikx said the redevelopment remained one of New Zealand’s most strategically important investments in science and infrastructure.

“Scott Base underpins New Zealand’s permanent presence in Antarctica, enables world-class science and supports our obligations under the Antarctic Treaty System. This redevelopment ensures New Zealand can continue to undertake internationally significant science from Scott Base while providing modern, resilient facilities capable of supporting Antarctic operations for decades to come.”

LT McGuinness Company Director Dan McGuinness said the collaborative delivery model established a year ago had been central to achieving that contractual success.

“The Early Contractor Engagement process enabled our team to work alongside Antarctica New Zealand on construction, logistics and engineering issues. Together we have developed a simpler, more buildable project with greater certainty around design, programme, logistics and cost. We are looking forward to successfully delivering Scott Base over the coming Antarctic seasons.”

Construction will proceed over successive Antarctic summer seasons, reflecting the unique logistics and approximately 100-day annual construction window available on Ross Island. The coming season will see drilling and completion of piles undertaken, along with shipment of materials needed for the 2027/28 season. Practical completion remains scheduled for 2030.

Source: Business Canterbury

Business Canterbury welcomes the passing of the Employment Leave Act, which replaces the Holidays Act after decades of complexity and uncertainty.

Chief Executive Leeann Watson says, “Congratulations must go to the Government and Minister van Velden for taking a piece of legislation that had been stuck in review for years, and delivering changes that will make leave calculations and management clearer and more workable for both employers and employees.”

“The leave calculations in the Holidays Act required an advanced calculus degree to navigate, and too often left both employees and employers unsure about the fairest way to determine entitlements.

“Payroll and leave legislation will always need to balance ease of use with fairness and practicality, but where the Employment Leave Act has landed is lightyears ahead of the outgoing Holidays Act. It removes another significant layer of red tape and will help businesses focus more on growth and on employing more people.

“Moving to a pro-rated minimum sick leave entitlement removes an absurdity within the previous law, where employees working fewer hours could receive disproportionately higher entitlements.

“As with the Holidays Act, the provisions in the new law set out minimum entitlements only. Employers will still be able to offer packages that go beyond the minimum requirements, and many already do.

“Continuity across political cycles will be important for employers. We hope that political parties will look at the progress made on the whole and not revert to repeal and replace conversations over the two-year implementation period.”

“The passing of the Employment Leave Act also nearly completes the key set of reforms the business community has long been calling for.

“The trifecta of policy changes businesses asked for ahead of the last election were resource management reform, health and safety reform, and Holidays Act reform, with two of three now passed by the Parliament.

“We look forward to working with the Government on the next set of improvements that will best support businesses to grow and hire more people.”

Business Canterbury, formerly Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, is the second largest Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand and the largest business support organisation in the South Island. It advocates on behalf of its members for an environment more favourable to innovation, productivity and sustainable growth.