Latest news with #CameronLuxton
Scoop
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scoop
Boaties Soon Off The Hook: ACT Ends Unfair Petrol Tax
ACT MP and keen boatie Cameron Luxton is celebrating a long-overdue win for fairness with the end of petrol excise taxes for boat users and other off-road fuel users. 'Fuel tax is supposed to fund roads. So why have boat owners been forced to pay it when their vehicles never touch a road,' says Luxton. 'It's always been unfair, which is why ACT has been fighting since 2021 to scrap this boatie tax. Now, it's finally happening. 'Following the 2023 election, ACT secured a coalition commitment to replace petrol excise with road user charges (RUCs) across the board with progress confirmed this week. 'This means you'll no longer be taxed at the pump when filling up your boat, lawnmower, quad bike, or chainsaw. 'For boaties, that's around 70 cents a litre in excise saved, plus another 10 cents in GST that gets put on top. That's $120 off a 150-litre tank. It's a massive win for fairness and common sense. 'The shift to RUCs won't happen overnight – it's part of a broader transition and will involve public consultation – but the Government's direction is clear, and ACT will make sure this promise is kept. 'The day I get to go fishing without paying road tax will be a good one – and it's thanks to Kiwis who've supported ACT.'
Scoop
27-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Building Monopolies Busted: Tradies And Home Buyers To Benefit From Cheaper Materials
ACT is celebrating a major win for tradies and first home buyers alike. From tomorrow, thousands of overseas building products including plasterboard, cladding systems, and joinery will be available for use in New Zealand. This long-overdue reform was a key ACT campaign policy in the 2023 election. 'Builders and tradies are finally free to use materials trusted and approved around the world,' says ACT Building and Construction spokesperson Cameron Luxton, Parliament's only licensed builder. 'For years, outdated red tape has locked our building industry into high-cost, low-choice options. Dumb rules kept out better, cheaper, and more innovative products. This stifled competition, inflated prices, and put the dream of home ownership out of reach for too many Kiwis. "I remember the plasterboard supply crisis back in 2022 and how it crippled the building industry. Only a Government could create the absurd situation where there's a black market for plasterboard. Tomorrow's changes will break up the plasterboard monopoly and have similar effects for products all across the sector. 'Plasterboard in New Zealand costs 67% more than in the US and Canada, and 38% more than in Australia. That's not because ours is better, it's because tradies haven't been allowed to use anything else. 'More competition doesn't just help those who choose the new products, it forces existing suppliers to drop their prices or risk losing out. 'This is how ACT thinks across the board. We're already streamlining medicine approvals, and we're pushing to open the supermarket sector to more overseas players. When there's more choice and more competition, Kiwis get better products at better prices.'
Otago Daily Times
27-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
More overseas building materials to be let in
The government hopes opening up the ability for building companies to buy more overseas material will cut down the price of construction. On Monday it will release its building product specifications document, which will list international standards for products like plasterboard, cladding, windows and external doors. The aim of the change is to allow more overseas building materials into New Zealand's construction sector. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the products had been given "the green light" to end "costly monopolies". "For example, New Zealand has some of the most expensive plasterboard in the world. "Kiwis pay around 38 percent more than Australia for plasterboard, 47 percent more than the UK, and 67 percent more than the US for the same products. And 97 percent of the plasterboard that we must currently use is made by one established company. "You may recall that in 2022, when that company ran into difficulty, prices for plasterboard soared and some builders were reported to pay six times the normal amount so they could finish the job." He said there were are thousands of high performing products that had been tested against international standards, but faced uptake barriers in New Zealand because they had not been specifically tested against "our own standards". "This is just the beginning of our work to open the door to more building products, lower the cost of homes and turbo charge the construction sector and there will be more to come," he said. ACT building and construction spokesperson Cameron Luxton said builders and tradies were "finally free to use materials trusted and approved around the world". "More competition doesn't just help those who choose the new products, it forces existing suppliers to drop their prices or risk losing out. "This is how ACT thinks across the board." 'Big step forward' Registered Master Builders Association chief executive Ankit Sharma said the announcement marked a timely and practical reform that would help to reduce the construction costs and increase product availability across the sector. "Builders across New Zealand have faced increasing cost pressures, and one of the biggest challenges has been delays or shortages in key building materials. By allowing overseas products that meet standards to be used more readily, we can improve supply chain resilience, reduce delays and ultimately deliver more homes, faster and more affordably," he said. The initiative reflected feedback from association members, who frequently identified access to building products as a constraint, Sharma said. "The building sector has been calling for a more responsive system. Today's announcement is a big step forward and we support the government's commitment to unlocking more affordable housing through better regulation."
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Construction Director And Engineer, Yang Kang Hong Qu, Selected As ACT Local Candidate For Hibiscus And Bays Local Board
Press Release – ACT New Zealand ACT Local has selected Yang Kang Hong Qu – a construction director with an electrical engineering background, as its candidate for the Hibiscus Coast Subdivision of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board in this year's Auckland Council election. Yang, 30, is a North American expat of Chinese descent who brings an international outlook alongside practical experience in engineering and construction. As director of a local construction company, he's used to working with people from all backgrounds, solving challenges on the job, and making sure projects stay on track and on budget. He believes that same practical mindset – thinking ahead, working smart, and delivering what's promised, is exactly what council needs to better serve local people. 'I'm running because I know how hard people work to pay their rates. As a construction director, I've spent years planning projects, solving problems, and keeping budgets on track, and I believe our local board should do exactly the same. Families deserve to see their money go into things that really matter in our community, like wellmaintained parks and facilities, safe local roads, and good services. A strong local board doesn't just make decisions on these things; it also advocates to council for the projects and investment our area needs. Together, we can make sure every dollar counts and build a community that works for everyone.' – Yang Kang Hong Qu Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Cutting the waste Ending race-based politics Restoring accountability ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture.' – Cameron Luxton
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Construction Director And Engineer, Yang Kang Hong Qu, Selected As ACT Local Candidate For Hibiscus And Bays Local Board
ACT Local has selected Yang Kang Hong Qu – a construction director with an electrical engineering background, as its candidate for the Hibiscus Coast Subdivision of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board in this year's Auckland Council election. Yang, 30, is a North American expat of Chinese descent who brings an international outlook alongside practical experience in engineering and construction. As director of a local construction company, he's used to working with people from all backgrounds, solving challenges on the job, and making sure projects stay on track and on budget. He believes that same practical mindset – thinking ahead, working smart, and delivering what's promised, is exactly what council needs to better serve local people. "I'm running because I know how hard people work to pay their rates. As a construction director, I've spent years planning projects, solving problems, and keeping budgets on track, and I believe our local board should do exactly the same. Families deserve to see their money go into things that really matter in our community, like wellmaintained parks and facilities, safe local roads, and good services. A strong local board doesn't just make decisions on these things; it also advocates to council for the projects and investment our area needs. Together, we can make sure every dollar counts and build a community that works for everyone." – Yang Kang Hong Qu Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time — after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects. When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting: Fixing the basics Cutting the waste Ending race-based politics Restoring accountability ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says: ' ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who've had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It's time to take control on behalf of ratepayers — to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won't divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They're here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton
