Moo-ving on
In August, Fonterra announced that it had agreed to sell its major consumer brands. The sale will see Lactalis take ownership of iconic New Zealand brands such as Anchor and Mainland; it…
KiwiSaver changes open the door to first farm ownership
The government has announced important changes to KiwiSaver that will make it easier for farmers and rural workers to use their KiwiSaver to buy their first farm. These reforms acknowledge…
New Zealand’s methane reset
In October 2025, the government confirmed it will reset New Zealand’s biogenic methane target for 2050; it will move from the legislated 24–47% below 2017 levels, to a 14–24% range, while…
Biosecurity overhaul
In July 2025, the Ministry of Primary Industries released its proposed ‘Biosecurity System Action Plan.’ It is intended to guide new legislation to amend the Biosecurity Act 1993, and to…
Methamphetamine in farm accommodation
Providing housing for a rural workforce is often essential to run a successful farming operation, but it also puts a farm owner into the role of a residential landlord for legal purposes.
Trustee decision-making
It is estimated that there are between 300,000 to 500,000 trusts in New Zealand, and it is often said that we have one of the highest numbers of trusts per capita in the world. Although the…
WorkSafe’s heightened focus on farm safety
WorkSafe New Zealand has promised greater attention to safety in the agricultural sector when it announced the new four-year ‘Statement of Intent’ on 4 December 2025.
Options to buy a property during a cost of living crisis
It is not a new concept, but the rise of house prices in New Zealand has meant that it is very difficult to buy a home without some extra financial help from mum and dad.
Death, property and prenups
Many couples now sign agreements ‘contracting out’ of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976. These contracting out agreements are commonly known as ‘prenups.’
Over the fence
The amount of farmland being converted to exotic forestry and registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has been limited with the introduction of the Climate Change Response…