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Ministry of Business & Innovation (MBIE) Stories

Kiwi Stories

Ministry of Business & Innovation (MBIE) stories

Canterbury warned another flood coming within 10 years as Kaikōura recovery continues
Riverbed

Canterbury warned another flood coming within 10 years as Kaikōura recovery continues

Canterbury councillors are being told another major flood could hit within a decade, as a Kaikōura clean-up leaves ECan facing more than $30m in repairs.

By David Hill • 3 min read • Last week
Westpac NZ automates loan income checks with Akahu
Fintech

Westpac NZ automates loan income checks with Akahu

Applicants for Westpac NZ personal loans can now get faster approvals, as the bank's online system automatically sorts income and expense data.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • This month
Government quietly selects liquefied natural gas provider
Procurement

Government quietly selects liquefied natural gas provider

Concerns over safety and secrecy are growing as officials move ahead with a preferred supplier for Taranaki's LNG import facility, without a contract yet signed.

By Kate Newton • 5 min read • This month
Residents urge Government to move $500m Northland drydock
Northland

Residents urge Government to move $500m Northland drydock

Fears over noise, dust and air quality have prompted calls to shift the fast-tracked project away from homes in Marsden Bay.

By Susan Botting • 5 min read • This month
New Zealand health manufacturing revenue rises 55%
Data Analytics

New Zealand health manufacturing revenue rises 55%

Yet a steep drop in purchase orders suggests New Zealand health manufacturers are still cautious about inventory despite stronger sales and margins.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • This month
Rotorua buildings no longer considered an earthquake risk
Real estate

Rotorua buildings no longer considered an earthquake risk

Property owners could save about NZD $107 million as new earthquake rules cut the number of Rotorua buildings classed as prone from 66 to 40.

By Mathew Nash • 5 min read • This month
How to cut public sector jobs? A much more aggressive approach to AI
Digital Transformation

How to cut public sector jobs? A much more aggressive approach to AI

The proposed cuts could deepen service risks, as officials urged ministers to back a much more aggressive push into AI and digitisation.

By Phil Pennington • 7 min read • This month
Drones, thermal imaging and LiDAR: The technology reshaping building inspections in New Zealand
Drones

Drones, thermal imaging and LiDAR: The technology reshaping building inspections in New Zealand

Buyers could face fewer post-settlement surprises as drones, thermal cameras and LiDAR expose hidden defects in New Zealand homes.

By Alert Building Inspections • 5 min read • This month
ECan backs Kaikōura flood recovery, calls for Government support
Disaster Recovery

ECan backs Kaikōura flood recovery, calls for Government support

Funding gaps leave Kaikōura's flood recovery reliant on regional rates, after the council's bid for Government help was knocked back.

By David Hill • 3 min read • Last month
No regulations on too-hot homes likely until 2031
Urban Planning

No regulations on too-hot homes likely until 2031

Thousands of new homeowners face another decade of sweltering summers, with overheating rules for the Building Code pushed back to 2031.

By Kate Newton • 6 min read • Last month
Good Girls Property Management fined over repeated tenancy breaches
Ministry of Business & Innovation

Good Girls Property Management fined over repeated tenancy breaches

The tribunal warned landlords and agents they cannot hide behind clients, after 20 Christchurch tenancies were found to have broken tenancy law.

By RNZ • 2 min read • Last month
Lodestone Energy launches NZD $100m IPO for solar growth
Data centers

Lodestone Energy launches NZD $100m IPO for solar growth

The deal could end the NZX's five-year IPO drought and fund expansion of a solar generator aiming to supply more homes and businesses.

By Mara Sugue • 5 min read • Last month
MBIE confirms botched biometric projects costs blown out to $50.7 million
Data Protection

MBIE confirms botched biometric projects costs blown out to $50.7 million

Taxpayers face a NZD $50.7 million bill after a cancelled Immigration New Zealand upgrade failed to deliver any measurable benefits.

By Mara Sugue • 5 min read • Last month
'Flawed assumptions' behind Immigration NZ's bungling of tech upgrade
Digital Transformation

'Flawed assumptions' behind Immigration NZ's bungling of tech upgrade

Immigration NZ has paused its $336 million upgrade after Cabinet was told its savings forecast was overstated by NZD $134 million.

By Gill Bonnett • 4 min read • Last month
Coroner calls on MBIE to ban tankless diving device after accidental drowning
Alibaba

Coroner calls on MBIE to ban tankless diving device after accidental drowning

A coroner has urged a ban on a tankless diving device after a 58-year-old Lower Hutt man died in an accidental drowning off Mana Island.

By Mary Argue • 5 min read • Last month
Where rents are falling, and where they're not
Real estate

Where rents are falling, and where they're not

Mixed August data suggest New Zealand rents may have bottomed out, as rises in Canterbury and Otago offset falls on the West Coast and elsewhere.

By Susan Edmunds • 3 min read • Last month
New Zealand firms turn to AI for productivity gains
Customer Relationship Management

New Zealand firms turn to AI for productivity gains

Pressure to lift output is pushing Kiwi businesses to embed AI in daily communications, with labour productivity up to 40% below peers.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 5 min read • Last month
Gisborne council to explore campervan dump station after decade-long push
Urban Planning

Gisborne council to explore campervan dump station after decade-long push

Pressure is mounting on Gisborne's tourism infrastructure, with councillors weighing a campervan waste site after years of complaints and a closure.

By Imogen Brophy • 3 min read • Mon, 31st Aug 2026

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Ministry of Business & Innovation (MBIE) stories