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Advocacy for business by the BusinessNZ Network | |
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In today's AdvocacyUpdate ExportNZ outlines advice to exporters facing tariff uncertainty. BusinessNZ recommends changes at ACC, and also examines moves to simplify rules for health & safety and onboarding new employees: the changes follow our advocacy and are good news for business. Advancing improved resource and consenting law continues - we recommend simpler consenting for new generation infrastructure and an end to duplicating requirements of the Emissions Trading Scheme. BusinessNZ advocacy is firmly focused on a better business environment for NZ. Tēna koutou katoa! Katherine Rich | | | |
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ExportNZ isadvising exportersto keep up their engagement with overseas partners during the current period of trade instability. NZ companies should keep talking with partners, distributors and networks in overseas markets and explore options for different scenarios that could arise in the wake of global US-imposed tariffs, ExportNZ Executive Director Josh Tan says. “NZ will keep making the case for rules-based trade, and NZ exporters should continue working to uphold our reputation as a trusted trade partner, even in uncertain times.”
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Proposed changes to health & safety law will be welcomed by many NZ businesses. Changes flagged recently will make it simpler and safer for small business to protect staff and for landowners to allow adventure tourism on their properties. Changes will also clarify that day-to-day management of safety risks rests with managers not directors, and that Approved Codes of Practice will be deemed sufficient to fulfil a workplace’s health and safety duties. The changes will bring more simplicity and certainty to managing health & safety, BusinessNZ says. | | | |
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For decades the Resource Management Act has significantly held back the development of new electricity generation infrastructure, but the latest RMA consenting Bill could help overcome this problem, BusinessNZ says. RMA consenting rules on energy companies should not duplicate restrictions already in place under the Emission Trading Scheme (as long as their emissions are already covered by the ETS), and consenting authorities should be agnostic about which specific energy projects may achieve consents, in order to get more generation assets built, BusinessNZ’s submission on the Bill says. | | | |
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BusinessNZ supports coming employment law changes to remove unnecessary regulations on employing new staff. Currently businesses must comply with onboarding regulations, including requirements to sign new staff up to collective agreements and promote union options to new staff members – which help boost union membership but hinder workplaces. BusinessNZ has advocated strongly against overregulation in this area of employment law and welcomes the Government's move on behalf of both employees and employers. | | | |
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ACC injury claims and compensation spending are rocketing, but spending on rehab has fallen behind, meaning a big loss in workforce capacity: compensation costs have grown by more than ⅔ in 7 years, with workers spending more time on compo and less time in rehab, bringing a current $12B annual loss of workforce capacity. BusinessNZ has recommended to the ACC Minister that ACC’s funding cap on rehab should be lifted and 1-to-1 case management should be reinstated to help reduce the duration and cost of rehabilitation, while ACC operational efficiency should be improved to allow full funding of Accounts that pay for rehab. | | | |
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Paying for economic shocks |
Treasury’s latest briefing shows Govt spending in response to economic shocks has averaged 10% of GDP in recent years but there has been insufficient focus on growth and saving between each shock, and NZ’s debt has steadily risen. Treasury says economic shocks are generally better addressed with monetary policy rather than fiscal policy (taxing and spending), noting fiscal policy is easily loosened during a downturn or shock but harder to tighten in an upturn, and NZ should focus less on borrowing, taxing and spending, and more on getting growth, delivering operational surpluses, and paying down debt sooner.
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AdvocacyUpdate is an update on recent activity and advocacy by the BusinessNZ Network | |
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