The Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy helps fund essential fire and emergency services that protect all of us, our homes, vehicles, personal contents, businesses, and communities. It is a contribution we all make through insurance policies. While insurers and insurance advisers collect the levy through insurance policies, it is important to know that the amount itself is set by legislation and sits separately from insurers own premium pricing. From Wednesday, 1 July 2026, changes to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy will come into effect across many insurance policies throughout New Zealand. These changes form part of the new FENZ levy regime and will impact residential, motor, commercial, marine, and specialist insurance programmes.

With the first quarter of 2026 (January to March) well behind us, we see an economic landscape reshaped by a fuel price crisis, geopolitical events, and CPI announcements.

To ensure we continue to act in the best interests of our clients, we are observing the developments in the Middle East and assessing how the ongoing conflict may progress. Initially it was felt the conflict might be over within a matter of a few weeks but that may not be the case as it now appears the disruptions may continue for longer than expected.

Communities across New Zealand have recently faced significant challenges following the severe weather events. At aibGROUP, we know how stressful times like these can be — impacting homes, businesses, and the things that matter most.

A 2026 reset brings a year of positive change. As we are all now looking forward to 2026, our hope is for broader growth and certainty for all our businesses and households. Collectively, many businesses, families and individuals are working hard, resetting plans, and committing to the year ahead. We all wish to see our economy grow, demand to flow back, and investment ideas to be executed. A broadening of economic growth helps us all. Encouragingly, property experts broadly agree that house prices are likely to rise by around 5%, supported by lower holding interest rates and a renewed confidence stimulating activity in the market, with more willing buyers and sellers accepting the market cycle. And with stable monetary policy settings forming, it feels like the right time for the private sector to move forward, plan confidently, and begin investing.

As of August 2025, the New Zealand Government introduced significant updates to the Resource Management Amendment Act (RMA). These changes may have a substantial impact on business operations and property investments, as they are designed to strengthen environmental accountability and reflect the country’s growing focus on sustainability and compliance. Read more about how the Resource Management Amendment Act 2025 could affect your business or property investments.