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Our Government has announced a couple of important things in the last week that I want to share with you.
The first being two initiatives to move young people out of benefit dependency and incentivise them to stay in work.
Every young person deserves the chance to build a strong future. That means getting into work, training, or study, not being trapped on welfare.
For too long, the system has sent the wrong signals.
Currently, a young person who goes on Jobseeker under the age of 25 is expected to spend an average of 18 years on a benefit over their lifetime. That is an unacceptable waste of potential, and our Government is determined to turn it around.
We are making two big changes to put young people on a better path.
We are tightening access to Jobseeker Support for 18- and 19-year-olds. From November 2026, these young people will only be able to receive Jobseeker if they genuinely cannot rely on their parents.
Families should step up first, not the taxpayer. Government support will remain for those in real hardship, but we will no longer allow welfare to be the default option.
This ensures help goes where it’s needed most, and it sends a clear message: education, training, or work is the way forward.
We are rewarding young people who stay in work. Through the new Community Job Coaching programme, young jobseekers will get one-on-one support to overcome barriers and find employment. If they stay off benefit for 12 months, they will receive a $1,000 bonus payment.
We are backing young people who back themselves and helping them build independence and pride through work.
These changes are part of our Government’s plan to break the cycle of long-term welfare dependency, support families, and give young New Zealanders every opportunity to get ahead.
The second announcement I want to share are our changes to the earthquake-prone building system (EPB).
Last week we announced important changes to the EPB – changes that will ultimately save New Zealand around $8.2 billion in demolition and remediation costs.
While well intentioned, the EPB system ultimately captured buildings all across New Zealand that it shouldn’t have.
This has meant that building owners have faced an overwhelming financial burden, with the cost of strengthening often ranging between hundreds of thousands to several million dollars.
If you’ve driven through a rural area or small town recently, you might have seen derelict buildings sitting empty – churches, town halls and classrooms. These are all buildings that are central to local economies and community spirit, but because of the current rules they are often sitting empty as the cost of remediation is so high.
We are removing the New Building Standard (NBS) ratings and replacing them with a new system that will only capture buildings that pose a genuine risk to life in medium and high seismic zones. These changes remove Auckland and Northland from the scheme entirely.
The new system will still ensure that there is an appropriate risk balance. Unreinforced masonry buildings under three storeys in small and rural towns will also no longer require remediation or warning notices, but owners must secure the façade before the building can be removed from the earthquake-prone register.
These changes will save New Zealanders $8.2 billion. New Zealand’s towns and regional areas are set to save around $1.8bn, which is a game changer for them. Because of these changes Auckland alone will save around $4.5 billion. That $4.5 billion is now money that can flow into productive investments which will grow Auckland’s economy and create jobs.
Whether that means that companies can expand or take on more staff, businesses around the country will now be able to spend their own money as they wish.-Hon Chritopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand