Since our December 2024 newsletter, it’s been a relatively quiet period for law changes. This will change next week with many law changes coming into force on 1 April 2025 and the Government's Q2 Action Plan expected to be released too.
What laws have changed recently?
Below is a summary of some of the key changes since our December 2024 newsletter. Please note that this isn’t necessarily 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 14 March 2025, the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Act 2025 introduced a new offence where an employer intentionally fails, without reasonable excuse, to pay any money owed to an employee under an Act or their employment agreement.
- On 31 December 2024, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (Class Exemptions) Amendment Notice 2024 changed the class exemptions in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (Class Exemptions) Notice 2018.
Key changes for local government
- On 15 January 2025, the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits Amendment 2024 added transit corridors to the list of specified roads that must have their speed limits reversed by 1 May 2025 (for speed limits reduced from 1 January 2020).
- On 1 January 2025, the Compliance Rules (Very Small to Medium Drinking Water Supplies) Amendment Notice 2024 came into force and clarified monitoring and reporting requirements for drinking water supplies that serve 500 or fewer people.
- On 24 December 2024, the Fast Track Approvals Act 2024 replaced the interim fast-track consenting process in the Natural and Built Environment Act.
Key changes for public service agencies
- On 18 February 2025, the Public Service Commission’s Conflicts of Interest Model Standards were updated.
Key changes for the electricity industry
- On 14 March 2025, the Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Provision of Information to System Operator) 2025 came into force.
- On 1 January 2025:
- Further provisions of the Electricity Distribution Information Disclosure (Targeted Review 2024) Amendment Determination 2024 came into force
- The Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Co-ordination of Outages Affecting Common Quality) 2024 made changes to Technical Code D of Schedule 8.3 in Part 8 of the Electricity Industry Participation Code.
Key changes for landlords of residential tenancies
- On 20 March 2025, further provisions of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 came into force, including extending a tenant’s ability to withdraw from a tenancy following family violence to instances of family violence experienced by the tenant’s dependents.
- On 30 January 2025, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 reinstated various tenancy termination provisions, including the 90-day notice for ‘no cause’ terminations.
Key changes to climate reporting entities
- On 25 December 2024, changes were made to Climate Standard 2: Adoption of Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards which applies to climate reporting entities under the Financial Markets Conduct Act.
What’s coming up?
The following were passed on 25 March 2025, and various provisions come into force on the day after they receive the Royal assent:
- Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Act 2025
- Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Act 2025.
Other upcoming law changes include:
- On 31 March 2025, the Financial Markets (Conduct of Institutions) Amendment Act 2022 comes into force.
- On 1 April 2025:
- The Minimum Wage Order 2025 comes into force
- Part 4 of the Taxation (Budget Measures) Act 2024 comes into force
- Further provisions of the changes from Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Act 2024 come into force
- Various provisions in the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024–25, Emergency Response, and Remedial Measures) Act 2025 come into force
- The Accident Compensation (Work Account Levies) Regulations 2025 replace the Accident Compensation (Work Account Levies) Regulations 2022
- The Accident Compensation (Earners’ Levy) Regulations 2025 replace the Accident Compensation (Earners’ Levy) Regulations 2022
- Further provisions of the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 come into force
- The Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Code Review Programme) 2025 comes into force
- The Electricity Information Exchange Protocol 4A comes into force
- The Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Consumer Care Obligations) 2024 inserts a new Part 11A in the Code which has obligations for distributors
- The Electricity Distribution Services Default Price-Quality Path Determination 2025 comes into force.
- On 5 April 2025, the Civil Aviation Act 2023 and realigned Civil Aviation Rules come into force
- On 17 April 2025, the Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Scarcity Pricing) 2025 comes into force.
- On 21 April 2025, various provisions of the Maritime Rules Amendments 2025 come into force.
- On 1 May 2025, the Waste Minimisation (Plastic and Related Products) Amendment Regulations 2025 come into force.
- On 1 June 2025, the third stage of the amendment regulations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act comes into force.
