The Government is in its final sprint before the end of the year, introducing a record number of Bills in its last 2 sitting weeks in Parliament, and passing 5 Bills under urgency. 2026 is expected to continue at a similar pace, with major legislative reforms set to be passed before the general election.
What laws have changed recently?
Below is a summary of some of the key changes since our September 2025 newsletter. Please note that this isn’t a complete list of all law changes relevant to your organisation.
To get full clarity about legislative changes affecting your organisation, dial up the ‘clarity of change’ function in your ComplyWith Obligations Register.
While you’re there, turn on law change notifications for yourself and remember that in the ComplyWith Admin module you can set up tailored law change notifications for anyone in your organisation who will benefit from being kept up to date about law changes relevant to their role.
Key changes for all sectors
- On 17 December 2025, the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Act 2025 automatically extended most expiring resource consents or recently expired consents until 31 December 2027.
- On 27 November 2025, the Statutes Amendment Act 2025 came into force and changed a raft of legislation, including the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act, Privacy Act, and the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act.
- On 13 November 2025, the Electricity (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2025 came into force.
- On 3 November 2025, the Biometric Processing Privacy Code 2025 came into force.
- On 24 September 2025, Part 2 of the Privacy Amendment Act 2025 came into force, extending the grounds for refusing a request for personal information if disclosure affects any individual to whom the information relates (not just the individual concerned).
Key changes for local government
- On 17 December 2025, the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Act 2025 came into force.
- On 20 October 2025, further provisions from the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 came into force.
- On 17 October 2025, the Local Government (Natural Hazard Information in Land Information Memoranda) Regulations 2025 came into force, setting out information that must be included in a land information memorandum.
- On 12 October 2025, the remaining provisions of the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 came into force.
Key changes for the electricity industry
- On 15 December 2025, the Electricity Industry Participation Code (Transmission Pricing Methodology Related Amendments) Amendment 2025 came into force.
- On 1 December 2025, the Electricity Industry Participation Code (Provision of Information to System Operator) (No 2) Amendment 2025 came into force.
- On 23 October 2025, the Electricity (Low Fixed Charge Tariff Option for Domestic Consumers) Amendment Regulations 2025 came into force.
- On 1 September 2025, the Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Injection Payment Requirements) 2025 came into force.
Key changes for the gas industry
- On 13 November 2025, the Gas (Safety and Measurement) Amendment Regulations 2025 came into force.
Key changes for organisations involved in surveillance
- On 1 October 2025, the remaining provisions of the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Act 2025 came into force and made changes to the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 and the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act 2013.
Key changes for landlords of residential tenancies
- On 1 December 2025, the remaining provisions of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 came into force allowing landlords to require a pet bond.
- On 25 September 2025, Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Amendment Regulations 2025 came into force, adding a partial exemption from the ceiling insulation standard.
Key changes for the health sector
- On 4 December 2025, the Specified Prescription Medicines for Designated Registered Nurse Prescribers Notice 2025 replaced the Specified Prescription Medicines for Designated Registered Nurse Prescribers Notice 2024.
- On 27 November 2025, the Misuse of Drugs (Classification and Presumption of Supply) Order 2025 expanded the list of Class A, Class B, and Class C controlled drugs.
Key changes for organisations with animals
- On 17 December 2025, the Animal Welfare (Regulations for Management of Pigs) Amendment Act 2025 came into force.
- On 25 September 2025, the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Amendment Regulations (No 2) 2025 came into force, banning the tethering of vulnerable dogs and the prolonged tethering of all other dogs.
Key changes to climate reporting entities
- On 11 December 2025, certain adoption provisions in Climate Standard 2: Adoption of Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards were extended by 2 years (for accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2025).
- On 8 December 2025, the Financial Markets Conduct (Requirement to Include Climate Statements in Annual Report) Exemption Notice 2025 extended the 2-year exemption for listed issuers and registered banks from including their climate statements in their annual report until 31 January 2029.
Key changes for the education sector
- On 19 November 2025, the Education and Training Amendment Act 2025 came into force, requiring universities to adopt a statement setting out their approach to freedom of expression, and establish a complaints procedure for academic freedom and freedom of expression.
- On 22 October 2025, most provisions of the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Act 2025 came into force reestablishing polytechnics.
What’s coming up?
- On 19 December 2025, the following come into force:
- Water Services (Wastewater Environmental Performance Standards) Regulations 2025
- Medicines (Restriction on Prescribing Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Analogues) Amendment Regulations 2025.
- On 1 January 2026, the following come into force:
- Regulatory Standards Act 2025 (except Part 2)
- Hazardous Substances (Importers and Manufacturers) Amendment Notice 2025
- Commerce (Levy on Suppliers of Regulated Goods and Services) Amendment Regulations 2025
- Customs and Excise (Goods Management Levies) Order 2025
- Road User Charges (Exemption Period for Heavy Electric RUC Vehicles) Order 2025
- Climate Change (Stationary Energy and Industrial Processes) Amendment Regulations 2025
- Climate Change (General Exemptions) Amendment Order 2025
- Climate Change (Unit Register) Amendment Regulations 2025
- Some provisions of the Electricity Distribution Information Disclosure (Targeted Review 2024) Amendment Determination 2024
- Further provisions of the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Act 2025
- Education (Criteria for Significant Amendment to a Plan and Replacement of a Plan) Notice 2025.
- On 8 January 2026, the Health (Immunisation) Regulations Revocation Order 2025 will revoke the Health (Immunisation) Regulations 1995.
- On 23 February 2026, the Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Act 2025 comes into force.
- On 16 March 2026, the Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Act 2024 comes into force.
