KiwiSaver, Jobseeker and more — what's changing on July 1
Explainer: It's July 1 tomorrow and believe it or not we're halfway through 2025, which means the Government will roll out several new changes to policies and regulations.
Here are some of the highlights you need to know:
Healthy Homes standards come into effect
One big change is mandatory Healthy Homes standards which all rental properties must now comply with.
The rules set basic standards for heating, insulation and ventilation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Among them:
Landlords need to provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat a home's main living room. These need to meet the minimum heating capacity
Properties need to be insulated in the ceiling and under the floor, unless the design of the home makes this impossible
Every liveable area needs a window or door that opens to the outdoors and can be fixed open
Kitchens and bathrooms need extractor fans
All rental properties also need efficient drainage, guttering and downpipes and any gaps or holes need to be blocked.
There is a tool on MBIE's Tenancy Services website landlords can use to check their compliance.
Parental leave payments
The maximum weekly rate of paid parental leave will go up as of July 1.
The maximum parental leave payment rate for eligible employees and self-employed people will increase from $754.87 to $788.66 gross per week, Employment NZ said.
The minimum parental leave payment rate for self-employed parents will also increase from $231.50 to $235 gross per week, to reflect the minimum wage increase on April 1.
ADVERTISEMENT
There have also been changes to broader parental leave requirements which will take effect that will clarify certain details around how leave is counted and who is eligible.
Jobseeker tightens up
Jobseeker is making changes to how people can get support.
From Tuesday, people will only get Jobseeker Support for 26 weeks — six months — before they need to reapply. Currently, people need to reapply once a year.
Those who are already getting Jobseeker Support may still be on a 52-week reapplication before they move to the shorter period depending on their situation, Work and Income said.
There will also be changes to two groups of people already on Jobseeker - sole parents who are the primary caregiver and whose youngest dependent child is 14-18 years, and people who were "grandparented" and getting benefits before 2013.
KiwiSaver changes
ADVERTISEMENT
The Gvernment announced several changes to KiwiSaver in this year's Budget.
As of July 1, the government contribution will drop from 50 cents to 25 cents for each dollar you contribute to KiwiSaver each year, lowering the maximum government contribution from $521.43 to $260.72. You'll need to contribute at least $1,042.86 to get that.
The government contribution will be extended to include 16- and 17-year-olds from July 1 2025, and they will be eligible for mandatory employer contributions as well, from 1 April 2026. The age for auto-enrolment will remain at 18.
Those enrolled in the scheme with an income of more than $180,000 will no longer receive the government contribution. Eligibility for this will be tested according to one of the last two tax years based on the member's income, once their final tax return is finalised.
ACC payments to increase
ACC has raised some payments starting July 1 as part of their annual review.
Clients who have been receiving weekly compensation for more than 26 weeks will have their payments increased by 2.89%.
ADVERTISEMENT
The new gross maximum rate of weekly compensation payable will be $2418.55 per week.
Transport fees to increase
Public transport fees are changing in many locations as councils try to meet a directive from the government to pay more of the cost of delivering the services.
Fares will increase in Waikato, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury and Invercargill. Northland's bus fares are going up in August.
Auckland Transport increased its fares in February. The BayBus service around Tauranga and Bay of Plenty increased prices in April, while the Otago Regional Council has agreed to raise prices but it hasn't set out when that will happen.
In Wellington, Metlink fares will rise 2.2% while in Christchurch, fees will also rise.
Check with your own local public transport for details in your area.
ADVERTISEMENT
Raw milk records
From July 1, it will be a requirement to keep records of the movement of raw milk to and from farms.
It's part of the National Pest Management Plan for Mycoplasma bovis which aims to prevent the spread of the disease.
Weight loss drug Wegovy available
The weight loss and diabetes drug Wegovy (also known as Ozempic) which is only available on prescription, should be on pharmacy shelves as of July 1, drug maker Novo Nordisk confirmed.
It ends a years-long wait for the much-hyped medication.
rnz.co.nz
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
Struggling foodbanks brace for winter surge
By Amy Williams of RNZ Foodbanks already struggling with demand are bracing for a winter surge and calling on the government for guaranteed permanent funding. The coalition was providing $15 million for the community food sector from July but ongoing funding is uncertain. Manukau Foodbank, one of the largest in the country, recently had to cap the number of people getting food parcels. Manager Joel Williams said they supported more than 200 families each week, buying staples to plug gaps in donated goods. "We've got that mixture of high quality great products, rice, milk powder... down here, tonic water and crackers. That's the tension that we sit in all the time." The foodbank, run by the Salvation Army, had operated out of a warehouse in industrial Manukau for 30 years. Williams said they had been forced to open an online booking system and cap numbers because of the constant queues of people waiting for food parcels and some missing out. "How many more need to be fed? I don't see an end to that number. We'll occasionally be closed for a public holiday and we'll select a day of the week and double the numbers for that day. "Those slots get filled up within 15 minutes. We've got an online booking system and the bookings, they're like Chili Pepper tickets." Williams said they were seeing some people who were employed, but most were without work. "There's a vast number of unemployed people in New Zealand now, and the largest number of people that we see are unemployed or partially employed, on a benefit of some type. "The two largest cohorts of people are solo mums or single older men really struggling with rent." He said over the past year there had also been an increase in migrants asking for help, as well as people who were fully employed or unemployed for the first time. The Ministry of Social Development's latest monthly update in May showed there was an 11 percent annual rise - just over 21,000 people - on the JobSeeker benefit, to 213,831. The unemployment rate was 5.1 percent. The Salvation Army ran 60 foodbanks across the country. Food security manager Sonya Cameron said another year with some government funding was a relief. "It's fantastic for us, it feels like a reprieve. We had expected that funding could have ended this July so now we've got another year. "Minister [Louise] Upston is saying very clearly that she does not expect the funding to be permanent, so we're still needing to look at how we seek ways to reduce our costs and try to become financially sustainable." Cameron said foodbanks provided vital support for people and needed ongoing funding. "People come into our centres because they need food and from there we're able to then connect them to the other support that they need." Auckland City Mission also confirmed it expected to receive approximately the same amount of government funding as last year, which meant it will not have to reduce the number of food parcels it distributes. One-off funding only It came after a collective of foodbanks wrote to Social Development Minister Louise Upston asking for ongoing sustainable funding before this year's budget announcement. Foodbanks started to receive direct government funding in 2020 during the pandemic, and over the following four years more than $200 million was invested in the sector. Since then it had been on a one-off basis only. Food security funding was extended with one-off grants to 13 providers last year, including the mission, which received a one-off $700,000 from the ministry for food parcels. The ministry said it was reviewing the way foodbanks were funded. Kore Hiakai / Zero Hunger Collective was a group of organisations working together to address food-related poverty. Executive director Tric Malcolm said its monthly data showed demand for food parcels had not eased since Christmas, and winter increased that pressure. "Capacity I think was passed a long time ago. What we've heard from foodbanks across the country for more than 12 months now is that they're trying to find ways to make everything stretch." She said ongoing government funding would help foodbanks pay for the staples they had to buy. "The level of resource available in the community has decreased, there's less people able to donate from their generous pockets because everybody's struggling with the cost of living... and there seems to be less philanthropic money that's available as well." The collective met with Upston after the recent Budget and expected to have another meeting in coming months. "When we came out of the global financial crisis we knew that food parcelling had increased exponentially, and if we kept food parcelling we're sticking a band aid on the problem." The latest Health Survey found one in four children, 27 percent, live in households that run out of food often or sometimes. "We've been inviting government to help us, help community, help business, help philanthropy find more long lasting solutions and at the same time make sure no-one in this moment goes hungry long term," she said. 'More people than ever are falling off the cliff' Looking ahead, Williams would like to see the causes of poverty addressed. "Foodbanks are not an appropriate response to food poverty. Poverty exists for one simple reason - people don't have enough money. There's a lot of things the government can do to change that. "There's a desire in our sector, in the food rescue and foodbank sector, to put ourselves out of a job, to not be needed. That would be nice. "We're the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, and it just seems that more people than ever are falling off the cliff. Sure would be nice if somebody built a fence."
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Metropolitan Wellington Councils Confirm New Water Services Delivery Model
Press Release – Porirua City Council The decision to move to this new model for water services delivery has been prompted by the Governments Local Water Done Well policy, which has mandated that all councils must review how water services are delivered. Five councils covering the Wellington metropolitan area – Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council – have all now confirmed they will establish a new, jointly-owned organisation to deliver water services to their communities. The decision to move to this new model for water services delivery has been prompted by the Government's Local Water Done Well policy, which has mandated that all councils must review how water services are delivered. In March and April 2025 the councils publicly consulted on water service delivery options. Across all five councils, submissions showed solid support for the preferred option of a multi-council-owned water organisation, ranging from 69 to 84 percent of submissions in favour. The five councils have now all voted to go ahead with the new organisation, which will take accountability for water services on 1 July 2026. Mana whenua iwi Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika support this decision and are partnering with councils on improving water services delivery. The new organisation, with the interim name Metro Water, will own and operate public drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater assets for a population of around 430,000 people. Advisory Oversight Group chair Dame Kerry Prendergast says councils and mana whenua have been clear throughout the process that the intent is to provide better levels of service for communities through reduced leaks, outages and unplanned disruptions, while also enabling growth and delivering cleaner harbours and waterways. 'By establishing a council-owned organisation, we are ensuring assets are retained in public ownership and there is no privatisation. It also means councils, representing their communities, and mana whenua will have ongoing oversight.' 'Metro Water will have the resources, independence and region-wide perspective to effectively manage and improve three waters services for current and future communities,' says Dame Kerry. The next steps are to finalise key foundation documents for the new organisation, finalise a Water Services Delivery Plan for submission to the Government, and appoint interim board directors and an interim Chief Executive. Factsheet – what's planned for water services in Metropolitan Wellington New water organisation accountable for water services from 1 July 2026 There will be a new multi-council-owned water organisation that will take charge of drinking water, wastewater and reticulated stormwater services within the boundaries of Hutt City, Porirua City, Upper Hutt City and Wellington City, from 1 July 2026. For planning purposes, a temporary, placeholder name of Metro Water is being used for the new organisation. This is not intended to be the permanent name. Metro Water will have new governance and ownership arrangements, new leadership and new strategic direction that will distinguish it from Wellington Water. To ensure ongoing service delivery and to retain expertise and experience, it is the intent of councils that Metro Water will absorb Wellington Water operational and support staff below senior management (known as tier 3 and below). Governance and oversight Metro Water will have an independent Board, appointed by a steering committee of representatives of the five council owners and representatives of Ngāti Toa Rangitira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. Councils and mana whenua will set the framework for Metro Water through foundation documents (currently being developed) – Stakeholder Agreement, Constitution, Statement of Expectations and Consumer Charter. These will be in final draft by October 2025 and ratified by councils in late 2025. Metro Water will operate in line with new water services legislation and regulatory oversight will be provided by the Commerce Commission (consumer protection and charging), the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (water standards) and Greater Wellington Regional Council (environmental compliance). Charging Metro Water will charge directly for water services. Initially, interim billing arrangements are likely to be in place until Metro Water has established systems and processes. Regardless of billing arrangements, water charges will be clearly separate from rates. Charges will have to increase over the next decade, as the backlog of long-overdue upgrades is tackled. Economic and financial modelling indicates that Metro Water will keep costs about a third lower than would be the case if the status quo continued. That's because Metro Water will have greater ability to borrow money than councils currently do and costs can be spread over a longer period of time. It's also expected to deliver economies of scale and efficiencies. The exact amount of water charges will be influenced by a number of factors including how costs are shared between commercial water users and households, the scheduling of upgrade works and investment, and moving to consistent charges across the metropolitan area. Currently households and commercial water users pay different amounts through rates in each city. Water services delivery plan All councils are required to present a Water Services Delivery Plan to Government by 3 September 2025. The Metropolitan Wellington Water Services Delivery Plan will set out how the five councils will meet requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms, including statutory requirements under the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024. Implementation Interim Board Directors will be appointed prior to October 2025 by the council representatives on the existing Advisory Oversight Group. The interim board will appoint an interim Chief Executive and oversee establishment of Metro Water. In due course, the interim board will be replaced by an enduring board appointed by the Stakeholder Committee. Some initial work is already underway on interim director recruitment and planning for IT and customer systems and processes for Metro Water. Implementation is being jointly funded by the five councils.
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Generate Appoints Matt Hanchet As Investment Distribution Manager
Press Release – Generate Before the role at Mint, Matt spent five years at Generate where he started in customer relationship management before heading to Distribution and becoming a Business Development Manager. Generate, one of New Zealand's leading KiwiSaver and wealth providers, is pleased to announce that Matt Hanchet is returning to Generate and joining the team as Investment Distribution Manager. Matt was most recently Head of Retail Distribution at Mint, where he led adviser engagement and helped shape distribution strategy, product positioning, and media relationships. He worked closely with the investment team to align messaging with Mint's investment process and played a key role in lifting their market presence. Before the role at Mint, Matt spent five years at Generate where he started in customer relationship management before heading to Distribution and becoming a Business Development Manager. Generate KiwiSaver Scheme has more than 170,000 members and more than 7 billion funds under management. Generate's portfolio of eight managed funds is becoming a central focus as more informed Kiwis seek expert guidance to build their financial futures beyond KiwiSaver. Matt's new role will be key to increasing the rollout of managed funds within Generate's third-party adviser network. Matt says, 'I'm excited to take on the role of Investment Distribution Manager. It's a significant opportunity to help advisers across New Zealand fully leverage Generate's excellent range of managed funds.' Says Kristian James, Generate Head of Distribution: 'Matt's leadership and skills were highly valued during his previous tenure with Generate. Now we're excited to have him back in this key distribution role.'
