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Thousands more children are getting the help they need at school as the Government's record investment in learning support delivers real results, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, we invested three-quarters of a billion dollars in learning support, the largest investment in a generation. 2026 is the first year that investment takes effect, and already thousands more children are getting the support they need.
The crash-prone Haynes Bridge on State Highway 54 in Manawatū will be replaced with $6.5 million funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to improve safety and reliability. The new bridge aims to support local communities, businesses, and economic activity by providing a dependable transport connection and avoiding lengthy diversions. Design and consenting will start within six months, with construction expected to begin in 2027.
The Queenstown Cable Car project by Southern Infrastructure Limited has secured an initial $265 million private lending agreement with Private Capital Group, funded partly through the Government’s Active Investor Plus visa program. This cable car aims to connect key areas in Queenstown, providing a rapid public transport solution to alleviate road congestion amid the region’s rapid growth. The project exemplifies the government’s strategy to attract international investment for infrastructure development, leveraging private capital and innovative funding to address New Zealand’s infrastructure challenges.
New Zealand's manufacturing sector has expanded for 14 consecutive months, with growth spreading across all main industry groups and regions, as reflected in the BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) reading of 53.1 for August. Increased new orders and solid production indicate positive momentum, supported by government initiatives like the Investment Boost to enhance productivity. Despite global uncertainties, New Zealand manufacturers are outperforming major economies, contributing significantly to employment, GDP, and exports while receiving strong governmental support.
Revenue Minister Simon Watts introduced a Bill aimed at growing the economy by reducing compliance costs, simplifying tax rules, and removing unnecessary obligations, including a streamlined approach to fringe benefit tax for employer-provided vehicles. The Bill also updates Foreign Investment Fund rules to attract skilled workers and investment, improves cash flow for start-ups, reduces red tape for charities and not-for-profits, and strengthens student loan enforcement. Overall, these changes seek to create a more efficient, world-leading tax system that benefits businesses, investors, charities, and borrowers.
The New Zealand Government is reducing Overseas Investment fees and streamlining application processes to attract more international capital, aiming to boost business growth, productivity, and high-paying jobs. From September 2026, fees for national interest assessments will significantly decrease, and assessment times have already been halved, with most investments now approved within days. Additionally, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) can waive or refund fees in exceptional cases, enhancing fairness while maintaining safeguards to unlock New Zealand’s economic potential.
David McClatchy has been reappointed for three years as a member of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Board, which manages the NZ Superannuation Fund and Elevate NZ Venture Capital Fund valued at $94.4 billion. His extensive experience in investment management and governance contributes to the board’s stability, leadership, and expertise during a period of economic uncertainty. The reappointment reflects the Government’s commitment to strong governance and robust investment performance to grow New Zealand’s sovereign wealth funds for future generations.
The New Zealand Government has successfully cleared a backlog of 311 historical minerals permit applications, enhancing the efficiency and certainty of the permitting system under Resources Minister Shane Jones. Interest and activity in the minerals sector have surged, with record numbers of applications and permit decisions made by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZP&M), supporting investment, regional growth, and economic opportunities. While NZP&M maintains timely and fair decision-making, the quality of applications remains crucial for processing speed, and the agency continues to administer over 1,000 permits with strong performance against targeted timeframes.
The Government’s Housing Flexible Fund has exceeded its initial target by enabling the delivery of 823 new social and affordable homes across nine high-need locations, primarily funded through Budget 2025 with $41 million in operating and around $60 million in capital funding. This data-driven, needs-based approach prioritizes one- and two-bedroom homes and actively involves over 30 Community Housing Providers, including many Māori providers with strong local ties, to ensure effective delivery tailored to community needs. Building on previous budgets, the Flexible Fund establishes a long-term pipeline for social housing, reduces borrowing costs for providers, and aims to deliver thousands more homes in coming years to address ongoing housing demand.
The Government is investing $500,000 to expand the Tiaki – Care for New Zealand programme, which educates visitors on responsible travel to protect the country's natural environment and culture. The funding, sourced from the International Conservation and Tourism Visitor Levy, will support activities like signage, website improvements, training, and collaboration with councils and tourism organizations. Led by Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Tourism New Zealand, the initiative aims to grow tourism sustainably while preserving New Zealand’s unique attractions and supporting the economy.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis acknowledges the second quarter was challenging for New Zealand's labour market, with rising costs and uncertainty causing employers to pause hiring, resulting in a 5.6% unemployment rate. The government is focusing on policies to boost economic growth and business confidence, including support for tourism, international education, major construction projects, infrastructure investment, and the Investment Boost initiative. These measures aim to encourage employers to invest and expand, fostering long-term job creation rather than quick fixes.
The New Zealand Government is investing $800,000 to upgrade Tourism New Zealand’s systems, making local tourism services more accessible and visible through AI search tools. This initiative aims to improve the accuracy and personalization of holiday planning by making tourism data AI-ready and expanding the AI travel assistant with detailed regional information. The investment supports goals to boost tourism exports by 2034, increase international visitors to pre-pandemic levels by 2026, and grow tourism-related jobs and economic growth.
The Government is investing $3.8 million from the International Visitor Levy to upgrade public toilet facilities in the Mackenzie and Queenstown Lakes districts, two of New Zealand’s busiest visitor destinations. This funding aims to alleviate the financial burden on local communities by adopting a user-pays approach, ensuring visitors contribute to the maintenance of public amenities. The investment supports tourism's role in sustaining jobs and local businesses while providing cleaner, more reliable infrastructure for both residents and visitors.
The Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership has expanded from 16 to 19 members with Korea, Peru, and Thailand joining, reflecting growing interest among small and medium-sized trading nations. The partnership focuses on creating simple, consistent trade rules to support exporters, strengthen trading positions, and foster economic growth amid global uncertainties. New Zealand, a founding member, hosted a significant Ministerial meeting in Auckland, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among like-minded economies to open doors in emerging markets and enhance trade opportunities.
New Zealand and Switzerland have agreed to establish a Trade and Investment Dialogue to enhance cooperation on trade, economic security, e-commerce, investment, and sustainability. This initiative follows discussions between their trade officials and aims to strengthen bilateral trade and collaboration within international forums amid global economic uncertainty. In the year ending December 2025, two-way trade totaled NZ$1.88 billion, with key exports and imports including services, meat, pharmaceuticals, and intellectual property, and the first official meeting is scheduled for September.