MBIE confirmed on Monday it had received five reports about Millie Moon nappies, with the complaints referring to a "rash/blisters forming" after using them.

Erica Stanford says she was never advised Nic Blakeley sat on the governance group that approved pushing ahead with the doomed IT upgrade.

The New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) has launched a trial for a digital business passport. This tool allows businesses to securely share information with multiple org… · Photo : Shorty-NZ · CC BY · Flickr

New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is launching a trial of a New Zealand Business Number digital credential. The NZBN Business Passport is New Zealand's first government-issued...

_Summarised by_ Centrist **MBIE chief executive Nic Blakeley chaired the governance group that approved continuing a failed biometric IT project, despite later describing himself as not “closely involved”. He subsequently accepted responsibility after his ministry deliberately misled Parliament about its status.** The Biometric Capability Upgrade was intended to modernise Immigration New Zealand’s identity-management systems. Its estimated cost grew from $19.49 million in 2018 to more than $50 million before it was cancelled without delivering a working system. Blakeley joined MBIE in July 2023 and entered the Immigration Systems Governance Group within four months. Documents obtained by Stuff show he sometimes chaired its meetings. The project was paused in November 2023 following delivery failures, quality problems and rising costs. An independent review found it “unlikely” to succeed, but supported completing the next testing stage before deciding whether to close it. A month later, Blakeley chaired the meeting that approved continuing the project to assess its performance before seeking further Cabinet funding. Blakeley subsequently told Newstalk ZB he knew the project was troubled but played down his role. “I wasn’t closely involved in this,” he said. Documents show he later received emails about the minister’s anger over another funding request, helped brief the group on discussions with Erica Stanford and remained involved as it considered further spending. In 2025, the group approved another $5.78 million to make the system viable. Blakeley was copied into the approving emails and later agreed to reallocate funding so the project could be cancelled. Parliament’s Privileges Committee found MBIE deliberately misled MPs after Blakeley and former Immigration NZ deputy secretary Alison McDonald failed to disclose that the project had already been terminated. Blakeley accepted responsibility. Stanford says her office was never specifically advised of Blakeley’s governance role. Read more at Stuff _Re-published from the Centrist with permission_ Original article at The Centrist

New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is launching a trial of a New Zealand Business Number digital credential.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) has launched a trial of a new government-issued digital credential for businesses, aimed at streamlining how they securely verify and share information.

Product Safety New Zealand (MBIE) · New Zealand · B&C Fashion Limited is recalling the Truck Dinosaur toys. Small parts may separate from the toys and become a choking hazard. There is a risk of serious injury or death by choking if children swallow small parts.

The passport allows businesses to digitally share information with multiple organisations, including verification that a person is able to act on behalf of the business.

Product Safety New Zealand (MBIE) · New Zealand · B&C Fashion Limited is recalling the Traffic Team toy cars. Small parts may separate from the toys and become a choking hazard. There is a risk of serious injury or death by choking if children swallow small parts.

In 2025, a record-high 47.7% of New Zealand’s primary energy supply came from renewable sources, 88.5% of electricity was generated from renewables, while coal consumption fell to a record low, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The figures illustrate New Zealand’s status as a global renewable energy leader and proponent of the energy transition on the international stage. However, it is not resting on its laurels. Invest New Zealand, the government-affiliated investment agency responsible for directing foreign investment into the country, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy leader Masdar to explore investments of up to NZ$1bn (US$562m) into renewable energy projects across the country. Robert Wall, Chief Executive of Invest New Zealand, writes on LinkedIn: “The agreement will see Invest New Zealand and Masdar work together to identify and progress opportunities across solar, wind and battery energy storage, including potential co-investment with New Zealand companies and Māori businesses. “It's great to continue our work with the team at Masdar to support New Zealand's renewable energy sector.” The agreement builds on the New Zealand-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), alongside a separate investment agreement signed between the two countries. Both...

From 8 October 2026, telecommunications towers meeting specific height and zoning criteria have been reclassified as permitted activities under the Resource Management Act, effectively bypassing the requirement for resource consent and public notification. This regulatory shift, administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), allows operators to construct infrastructure without a formal submissions process, placing the administrative burden of issuing certificates on local councils rather than adjudicating applications. The institutional mechanism behind this change is a modification to the national environmental standards within the Act. Under the previous framework, the construction of such structures required a resource consent, which triggered a mandatory public notice and opportunity for submission. Now, if the structure fits within the defined "zone standards”-described by Albany Ward Councillor John Watson as "generous”-it is a permitted activity. Watson stated that this nationwide rule "effectively bypasses the need for a local council resource consent” and that councils are required to issue the certificate, leaving them "powerless to intervene” in the substantive approval of the project. Administrative Impact and Institutional Limits Auckland Council has documented the immediate procedural consequences of this shift. The council provided a list of 29 applications for cell towers lodged since 8 October, including multiple proposals for towers up to 20 metres in residential areas. Eleven of these projects are being pursued by Connexa, a Canadian-owned infrastructure company. Council records show these applications as "processed,” a status that reflects the new automated compliance rather than a contested planning decision. Watson noted that for these projects, "it's all but certain they will go ahead” because they fall under the permitted activity status.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is seeking feedback on new documents for the new earthquake-prone building (EPB) system: the EPB Legislation and Methodology Guidance, which supports territorial authorities in administering the EPB system, and the EPB technical annexes,…