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Our Achievements

Since coming into Government in 2017, we’ve worked hard to tackle the long term challenges facing New Zealand, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made on the big issues like child poverty, housing and climate change.

However, we know there’s more to do. That’s why we’re committed to building on our progress so together, we grow a strong economy that gives security to all. Read more about our priorities.

Here are some of the things we’ve achieved so far.

Updated 31 October 2022.

Education

Made targeted trades training and all apprenticeships free, supporting more than 215,000 people to upskill

Economy

Helping one million New Zealanders stay warm over colder months through the Winter Energy Payment

Education

Rolled out healthy, free school lunches to more than 220,000 students across the country, with 63 million lunches already served

Māori

Made Matariki a public holiday

Transport

Cut fuel tax and introduced half-price public transport fares, as the war in Ukraine drives up fuel prices globally

Employment & Business

Increased the minimum wage to $21.20 per hour

Health

Boosted funding for more ambulances and paramedics

Environment

Banned single-use plastic bags to protect our environment

Housing

Delivered more than 14,000 public and transitional homes, as part of our plan to deliver more than 18,000 extra places by 2024

Economy

Taking action to ensure New Zealanders get a fair deal at the supermarket

Health

Boosted Pharmac’s funding so that more Kiwis can access the medicines, treatments, and medical devices they need

Justice

Delivered the largest ever Police workforce to keep communities safer

International

Secured a historic free trade agreement with the EU, which will increase New Zealand’s GDP by up to $1.4 billion per year by 2035

Children & Family

Introduced the Families Package, the biggest boost in household income in a decade for thousands of families

Māori

Supported people into work, with the lowest Māori unemployment rate on record

Economy

Upgraded roads, schools and hospitals through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme

Children & Family

Extended paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks

Mental Health

More than 500,000 free mental health sessions have already been delivered through our new Access and Choice programme

Housing

Invested in vital infrastructure like pipes and roads needed to jump start housing developments, to get more homes built faster

Climate Change

Passed the landmark Zero Carbon Act, with a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Health

Made visiting the doctor cheaper or free for nearly 600,000 New Zealanders

Economy

Fast-tracking key development and infrastructure projects to help get New Zealand moving

Children & Family

Extended free doctors’ visits for children to include 13-year-olds

Environment

Delivered the strongest ever protections to clean up our rivers and lakes

Justice

Introduced tough new measures to tackle gangs and organised crime networks

Children & Family

Recorded improvements across all nine child poverty measures

Mental Health

Fixing mental health infrastructure, with a plan to build new acute mental health and addiction facilities around the country

Regions

With the primary sector, launched Fit for a Better World – a roadmap to boost export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade

Māori

Made sure New Zealand history will be taught in all schools and kura by 2023

Education

Removed fees from NCEA and NZ Scholarship to save families money

Transport

Invested in public transport to fully decarbonise the public transport bus fleet by 2035

Employment & Business

Doubled minimum sick leave, bringing benefits to both businesses and employees

Health

Launched the new health system to reduce complexity and ensure better outcomes

Children & Family

Delivered the biggest benefit boost in a generation, to help families with the cost of living

Education

Upgraded almost every state school in the country through the School Investment Package

Justice

Took more than 60,000 newly prohibited firearms out of circulation through gun buy-backs and police seizures

Transport

Permanently halved the price of public transport for Community Service Cardholders

Māori

Established a new Māori Health Authority to improve health outcomes for Māori

Economy

Delivered an economy that’s larger now than pre-COVID, following a 1-in-100 year economic shock

Housing

Supported more Kiwis into their first homes by increasing income caps on First Home Grants and Loans

Justice

Announced greater powers for Police to seize gang assets and make sure that crime doesn’t pay

Mental Health

Put more mental health and wellbeing support online, on the phone and through smart apps

Māori

Established Te Arawhiti, the Office for Māori Crown Relations, to help make the Crown a better Treaty partner

Climate Change

Invested significantly in rail, public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure

Health

Made record investments to rebuild our rundown hospitals and health facilities

Children & Family

Launched the Best Start payment, supporting parents with the costs of a newborn

Employment & Business

Implementing Fair Pay Agreements, to improve wages and conditions

Mental Health

Delivering better crisis services, through boosts for community crisis teams and co-response teams

Housing

Introduced our Healthy Homes Standards, to ensure all rentals are safe, warm and dry

Environment

Fixing the Resource Management Act to better protect our environment

Education

Supported 50,000 New Zealanders into the trades through Apprenticeship Boost

Environment

Upgrading New Zealand’s water infrastructure, to keep our drinking water safe and beaches clean

Health

Rolled out the National Bowel Screening Programme to the whole country

Economy

Introduced new regulations to ensure Kiwis get a fairer deal at the petrol pump

Māori

Working towards our goal of having one million New Zealanders speaking te reo Māori by 2040

Transport

Introduced a Clean Car Import Standard to reduce emissions and Kiwis’ fuel costs

Employment & Business

Expanded the Flexi-wage initiative to support more people into work

Economy

Delivered low debt through strong economic management

Mental Health

More than 900 additional full time professionals are now working to support mental wellbeing in the community

Housing

Delivered more than 90,000 insulation and heating retrofits in low-income homes through Warmer Kiwi Homes, making homes healthier and reducing power bills

Education

Rolled out free period products for all student across New Zealand, with 2085 schools already involved

International

Upgraded our free trade agreement with China to build on the significant benefits of the existing deal

Māori

Invested in iwi projects through the Provincial Growth Fund, to revitalise our regions

Justice

Banned harmful conversion practices to protect the rights of our Rainbow communities

Māori

Improved access to healthy, affordable homes through investing in papakāinga and housing repair programmes

Climate Change

Started planting one billion trees, with more than 472 million already in the ground

Justice

Launched Te Aorerekura, New Zealand’s first national strategy and action plan to eliminate family violence and sexual violence

Mental Health

Expanded mental health support in schools across the country through the roll-out of Mana Ake

Housing

Made it easier for Kiwis to buy their first home by stopping foreign speculators from buying houses here and driving up prices

Education

Boosted student loans and allowances by more than $100 a week

Health

Invested in new radiation machines so more people can get lifesaving cancer treatment close to home

Children & Family

Delivered the largest ever funding boost to primary maternity services, so kids can have the best start in life

International

Established Aotearoa ki te Ao, a programme of work designed to support Māori trade opportunities

Transport

Made it cheaper for families to switch to low emissions vehicles with the Clean Car Discount

Housing

Extended the bright-line test to 10 years, to crackdown on speculators and tilt the balance towards first home buyers

Climate Change

Invested in climate and agriculture research and science

Children & Family

Indexed main benefits to average wage growth for the first time in New Zealand’s history, to give those most in need a fair go

Economy

Invested significantly in infrastructure to secure our economic recovery

Justice

Made the biggest ever investment in family violence and sexual violence support services

International

Concluded five free trade agreements in the past five years, unlocking new opportunities for Kiwi exporters

Justice

Strengthened counterterrorism laws, ensuring tools are available to intervene early and prevent harm

Environment

Started work to transform recycling and improve rubbish collection

Housing

Phasing out interest deductibility on residential property investments to level the playing field for first home buyers

Climate Change

Overhauled the Emissions Trading Scheme, to more effectively reduce climate-polluting emissions

Justice

Banned military-style semi-automatic weapons, magazines and parts

Education

Building new schools and classrooms for 100,000 students

Health

Launched Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People to improve outcomes for Kiwis with disabilities

Environment

Ramped up pest control and eradication to help make Aotearoa predator-free by 2050

Economy

Cutting costs for businesses by reducing the fees banks charge when customers pay with a credit or debit card

Health

Making it easier for transgender, non-binary and intersex people to change their registered sex on birth certificates

International

Established Aotearoa ki te Ao, a programme of work designed to support Māori trade opportunities

Education

Reinstated the Training Incentive Allowance for higher-skill courses, supporting around 16,000 people to retrain

Regions

Improved rural broadband connectivity, with more than 350 new mobile towers complete and improved access for 80,000 rural homes and businesses

Economy

Delivered low unemployment and rising wages

Transport

Supported businesses to pilot new low emission transport technology – with more to come

Justice

Launched the Better Pathways package to drive down youth crime

Education

Launched and expanded Mana in Mahi, supporting employers to take on more than 5,000 apprentices

International

Led the Christchurch Call, working internationally to eliminate extremist content online

Transport

Funded more public EV chargers around New Zealand

Employment & Business

Created more than 9,200 environmental jobs in our regions through our Jobs for Nature programme

Mental Health

Made it easier for people to start careers in mental health and addiction, by funding extra places for registered nurses to specialise in mental health

Economy

Supported 30,000 small businesses with digital tools and training to help them grow

Education

Made sure New Zealand history will be taught in all schools and kura by 2023

Regions

Boosted funding to help Kiwi growers seize new opportunities and stay ahead of international competitors

Health

Strengthened our health workforce by adding more doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health workers

Children & Family

Increased family support, meaning 346,000 families are better off each week

Environment

Taken action to protect endangered Māui and Hector’s dolphins

Housing

Changed resource consent rules to cut red tape and boost housing supply

Regions

Introduced new regulations to strengthen our animal welfare system

Justice

Increased funding for community law centres

Transport

Rolling out more than 3,300 kilometres of road safety upgrades through the Safe Network Programme to help save lives

Transport

Invested in Te Huia commuter rail service, connecting Waikato and Auckland

Children & Family

Introduced measures to stop predatory lending that often impact low income families

Māori

Made changes to how councils set up local wards to ensure Māori communities have a voice at the table

Health

Made the biggest ever investment in family violence and sexual violence support services

Education

Scrapped National Standards, giving teachers more time with students

Economy

Invested in regional New Zealand through our Provincial Growth Fund and Regional Strategic Partnership Fund

Climate Change

Declared a climate emergency to accelerate efforts to reduce our emissions

Employment & Business

Restored meal and rest breaks for Kiwi workers and strengthened collective bargaining

Environment

Phasing out hard-to-recycle plastic items like food and drink packaging

Education

Funded the removal of school donations to ease the pressure on Kiwi families

Mental Health

Extended mental health and wellbeing tools to small businesses across New Zealand

Children & Family

Lifted abatement thresholds so people on a benefit who are working can keep more of what they earn

Health

Delivered the largest ever funding boost for disability support services

Housing

Made renting fairer by reforming the Residential Tenancies Act

Children & Family

Set measures and targets for reducing child poverty, enshrining the former into law

Regions

Launched the successful Opportunities Grow Here campaign to attract more people to vital food and fibre sector jobs

Housing

Launched the Progressive Home Ownership scheme, supporting between 1,500 and 4,000 whānau to step into home ownership

Education

Made the first year of study fees-free

Economy

Protected against high-cost loans that trapped families in debt

Employment & Business

Established a $300 million venture capital fund to back Kiwi innovation

Education

Supported more than 3,500 rangatahi into employment, education or training through He Poutama Rangatahi

Regions

Protecting New Zealand’s beef and dairy sectors by working collaboratively to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis

Climate Change

Quadrupled the size of our Green Investment Fund to help accelerate the use of low-emissions technologies across the economy

Mental Health

Boosted mental health support for around 80,000 university students

Economy

Made significant business tax changes to reduce cashflow pressure

Employment & Business

Lifted abatement thresholds so people on a benefit who are working can keep more of what they earn

Climate Change

Established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate action

Climate Change

Started upgrading schools and hospitals to ensure they run on clean energy

Education

Delivered pay equity for teacher aides

Regions

Ramped up pest control programmes to protect farmers and our environment while creating jobs

Climate Change

Working with farmers to deliver on a world-first agreement to measure, price and reduce agricultural emissions

Justice

Responded to the March 15 attack with a raft of initiatives to promote inclusion and safety for all New Zealanders

Housing

Started work to regulate the residential property management sector, to protect both renters and landlords

Regions

Upgraded schools, roads and infrastructure in communities across New Zealand

Health

Expanding the Pregnancy and Parenting Programme, so more women and whānau can access support for alcohol and drug issues

Environment

Taken action to protect kauri trees from dieback disease

Housing

Banned unfair letting fees and no-cause tenancy terminations

Mental Health

Funded new kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services

Housing

Repealing and replacing the Resource Management Act to simplify and accelerate planning processes

International

Provided significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Regions

Strengthened our national animal tracing system to help stamp out the spread of disease and protect our primary sector

Justice

Started rolling out the Māori Pathways programme in our prisons, to reduce reoffending and improve outcomes for whānau

Māori

Supported ākonga by growing Māori-medium and kaupapa Māori education

Health

Fast-tracked the consenting process for the much-needed rebuild of Dunedin Hospital

Children & Family

Scrapped the sanction cutting benefit income to women who don’t declare the name of their child’s father

Māori

Improved regional broadband connectivity, with 500 more marae connected

Economy

Restarted contributions to the Super Fund, to help keep superannuation affordable

Employment & Business

Boosted funding to Tupu Aotearoa, helping more than 1,000 Pasifika people into employment

Health

Removed abortion from the Crimes Act, to make sure it’s treated as a health issue

Justice

Introduced the 105 Police non-emergency number, improving service for the public while taking pressure off 111

Regions

Backing more initiatives to boost New Zealand’s food and fibre sector workforce

Health

Boosted funding for suicide prevention and services to support those bereaved by suicide

Climate Change

Started replacing all remaining coal boilers in schools with renewable heating sources, which will reduce carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years

Health

Stepped up the fight against rheumatic fever, helping 142,000 Kiwis stay warmer and healthier through our Healthy Homes Initiative

Climate Change

Stopped issuing new offshore oil and gas permits

Employment & Business

Protected jobs and supported businesses through COVID through the Wage Subsidy, Resurgence Support Payment and Small Business Cashflow Scheme

Māori

Continued our commitment to Māori knowledge in science and innovation through Te Pūnaha Hihiko

Health

Introduced new legislation to put New Zealand on a path to a smokefree future

Children & Family

Expanded Childcare Assistance, so more Kiwi families can access this support

Māori

Boosted support for kōhanga reo, to ensure kaiako and kaimahi are paid fairly and facilities are in good condition

Health

Boosted funding for adult cochlear implants, ensuring more people can access these life-saving devices

Economy

Supported 30,000 small businesses with digital tools and training to help them grow

Economy

Put the wellbeing of New Zealanders at the heart of our economic plan

Mental Health

Invested in targeted mental health support for Rainbow young people

Education

Brought back funding for adult night classes, to give more people opportunities to upskill

Regions

Invested in technology and research to help more farmers reduce on-farm emissions

Employment & Business

Building new rail workshops in Dunedin and Christchurch, creating hundreds of local jobs and supporting apprenticeships

Māori

Boosted funding for Whānau Ora to support more whānau in need

Health

Launched a new initiative to boost the Māori and Pasifika midwifery workforce

Health

Lifted the cap on gender affirming surgeries and increased funding for them

International

Funding a major redevelopment of Scott Base, which will create hundreds of jobs and safeguard our presence in Antarctica

Employment & Business

Improved equal pay legislation to give employees in female-dominated occupations a clearer path to pay equity

Justice

Strengthened laws for addressing family violence by creating new offences and making victim safety the primary consideration in bail decisions

Regions

Passed legislation to stop live exports by sea, to uphold New Zealand’s reputation for high standards of animal welfare

Justice

Laid the foundations for a new firearms registry so Police get better information on who has what firearms where