December 13, 2024 In Bramwell Bate News By Cherie Hannam

Making building more affordable

As part of the Government’s commitment to increase the supply of affordable housing, the Building (Overseas Building Products, Standards, and Certification Schemes) Amendment Bill (Bill) was introduced to Parliament. Its purpose being to remove barriers to new building materials entering our market, resulting in more competitively priced products and greater resilience to supply disruptions. This follows on from a Commerce Commission market study (2022) into residential building supplies, which found a lack of competition in the supply and acquisition of key...

December 9, 2024 In Bramwell Bate News By Cherie Hannam

Roadside drug driver testing

Roadside testing to deter drug driving looks to be back on again with the Government’s Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill (Bill) passing its first reading in August. Underlining the need for a workable solution, the Bill’s explanatory note reveals that between 2019-2022, on average 30% of road deaths each year involved crashes where drivers had consumed impairing drugs. The previous government passed legislation in 2022 to enable police to carry out a roadside oral fluid test (OFT) for drugs. However,...

December 6, 2024 In Bramwell Bate News By Cherie Hannam

Divorce law amended for victims of family violence

In another display of cross-party agreement, the Family Proceedings (Dissolution of Marriage or Civil Union for Family Violence) Amendment Act (Amendment Act) was passed into law in October this year, and will come into force in October 2025. The purpose of this legislation is to reduce the harm caused by family violence in marriage or civil union relationships. It amends the Family Proceedings Act 1980 to allow for a marriage or civil union to be dissolved where a party in the...