We are excited to unveil our latest conference format, Ignite Hospo.

This inaugural event, tailored exclusively for Restaurant Association members and New Zealand hospitality business owners, is primed to confront industry challenges head-on in an Auckland waterside venue on Monday, 19 May, 2025.

Ignite Hospo serves as the ultimate gateway to innovation and growth, connecting attendees with respected local and international speakers and mentors, as well as a network of like-minded business owners and operators from across the New Zealand hospitality sector. This immersive event goes beyond passive listening sessions, offering intimate, interactive workshops that provide practical, tangible tools for businesses to thrive.

We’re excited to bring together the best and brightest in the hospitality industry for Ignite Hospo. Our goal is to ignite a passion for innovation and equip attendees with the strategies and insights needed to drive their businesses forward in today’s dynamic landscape.

Pre-registration for Ignite Hospo is now open with tickets going on sale at the end of the month.

Highlights of Ignite Hospo include Lightning Talks, featuring short, focused presentations from industry professionals designed to entertain and inspire, as well as Flash Connect, a unique networking experience where attendees collaborate to solve real-world challenges.

Adding to the experience is a specially curated menu from Chef Nic Watt, aligned to the event’s fire theme, promising attendees both nourishment and inspiration.

At Ignite Hospo we’re dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences fueled by personalisation and connection. That’s why we’re introducing a new approach to attendee segmentation. Each attendee will be invited to complete a short survey ahead of the event to provide invaluable insight into individual preferences, interests, and goals, allowing us to craft a tailored experience for each attendee.

Ignite Hospo isn’t just an event—it’s your gateway to unlocking the potential of your business and igniting a passion for innovation within the heart of New Zealand’s hospitality sector.

Media release

15^th May 2024

The Restaurant Association has expressed deep concern and disappointment over recent revelations regarding Auckland Transport’s unilateral changes to parking charges within the Central City Parking Zone (CCPZ).

“Despite claims by Auckland Transport of attempting to communicate these changes effectively, there has been a lack of direct engagement with impacted stakeholders, including businesses within the CCPZ and their employees which falls far short of acceptable standards,” said Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association.

In a letter addressed to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, the Restaurant Association highlights the need for enhanced transparency and accountability within Auckland Transport. The Association urges the Committee to initiate an inquiry into the role, powers, and accountability of Auckland Transport, citing the organisation’s failure to adequately involve stakeholders in decision-making processes.

“As the largest representative body for restaurants and cafés in New Zealand, we are deeply troubled by Auckland Transport’s disregard for meaningful consultation,” stated Bidois. “This lack of engagement undermines the trust between Auckland Transport and the community it serves.

“The introduction of 24/7 parking charges is expected to increase costs for diners wishing to drive into the city, potentially reducing overall patronage to restaurants and cafés. Additionally, the added financial burden on employees, who often finish work late at night when public transport options are limited, further exacerbates the challenges faced by the industry.

“We foresee a detrimental effect on both businesses and employees within the hospitality sector,” Bidois continued. “The increased costs associated with parking will deter customers and place additional financial strain on employees.”

The Association emphasises the importance of ensuring elected officials and the general public have confidence in Auckland Transport’s operations. An inquiry would provide an opportunity to examine Auckland Transport’s conduct, seek input from a diverse range of stakeholders, and make recommendations to Parliament for improved accountability measures.

“We believe that Auckland Transport has a duty to the community it serves,” Bidois continued. “The current approach is unacceptable, and an inquiry is necessary to address these concerns and restore public trust.”

The Restaurant Association stands ready to provide assistance and further information to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee as it considers whether to launch a formal inquiry. The Association, along with its local member businesses, is committed to ensuring that the interests of the community are upheld in all decisions related to transportation policy and governance.

ENDS

Auckland Transport’s decision to implement new 24-hour parking charges in the central city from July 1 has sparked criticism from all quarters, particularly as the news came out of the blue.

• From 1 July 24-hr parking charges in the inner city will be implemented
• Hourly rates to range from $2-$4 depending on zones and times
• Information on the City Centre parking Zones and charges can found here

Previously free parking on Sundays and outside 8am-6pm will now incur charges in a move to find savings, aligning with Auckland Council’s directives to cut $73 million in expenses over 12 months. The changes, effective July 1, include hourly rates ranging from $2 to $4, depending on zones and times, with one concession being that AT have said that they are looking to delay the introduction of the charges in the Wynyard Quarter area until the bridge is repaired and operating again.

The Restaurant Association is beyond disappointed to be blindsided by the revelations regarding Auckland Transport’s changes to parking charges in the Central City ParkingZone (CCPZ). While officials from Auckland Transport have said they “have been trying their best to communicate” these changes, we submit that this is nowhere near good enough. For that reason the Association has written to Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee asking them to consider initiating an inquiry into the role, powers and accountability of Auckland Transport. We have also advised Minister for Transport, Hon Simeon Brown, MP for Auckland Central, Chloe Swarbrick and the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Hon Matthew Doocey of our request.

As the largest representative body for restaurants and cafés in New Zealand, and one of the multitude of stakeholders let down by this announcement, we submit that Auckland Transport’s approach to this is completely unacceptable and warrants an inquiry to ensure both elected members and the general public can have confidence in the organisation’s operations.

Despite claims of transparent communication, we were not kept across the changes before announcement and we are concerned of the impact this may have for our inner city members.

View the Restaurant Association’s:

• Letter to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee
• Letter to Auckland Transport

May 2024

Executive Summary

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand welcomes the opportunity to set out the importance of continued Council investment into the tourism-related functions carried out by Hawke’s Bay Tourism. We wish to appear before Regional Councillors to speak to our submission. 

While our preference would be to maintain funding for Hawke’s Bay Tourism at its current level, we recognise that this is not an option. We therefore submit that the only viable proposal is the Council’s ‘Option B’ to maintain funding at $1.52 million for 2024-25, and $441,000 per annum for 2025-26 and 2026-27. 

Introduction 

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand (the Restaurant Association) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Three-Year Plan. 

We are strongly opposed to the Council’s preferred ‘Option A’ to phase out funding for Hawke’s Bay Tourism. 

While our preference would be to maintain funding at its current level of $1.52 million for the next three years, we recognise this is not an option. We, therefore, submit the only viable proposal is the Council’s ‘Option B’ – to maintain funding at $1.52 million for 2024-25, and then reduce to $441,000 per annum from 2025-26. 

The Council’s preferred option would force Hawke’s Bay Tourism to shut down in July which would greatly affect the region and New Zealand’s wider economy. As the largest representative body in New Zealand for food and beverage businesses in the Hospitality industry, we are concerned by the significant impacts the proposed funding cuts will have on the region’s tourism and hospitality sectors, the third largest contributor to the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

Key Feedback 

Tourism and hospitality are key contributors to people and place. Our tourism and hospitality industries are integral to our national identity; when they thrive, so does New Zealand. They bring economic diversity and resilience, generate jobs and contribute to regional prosperity while showcasing our cultural richness and timeless experiences, fostering pride and social connectivity both locally and globally. 

We recognise that, across New Zealand, local governments are under immense pressure, and are tasked with making difficult decisions. Funding for tourism, however, is an investment in the economic future of every region that consistently generates a significant return on investment, and any cuts to that funding is simply a short-term solution to capital expenditure restraints with long-term negative impacts.

Destination promotion and stewardship is an important investment with collective benefits that extend beyond individual businesses or organisations. Tourism promotion is a public good that requires collaboration and support from governments, communities, and stakeholders to maximise its positive impact. 

The opportunity for the Hawke’s Bay Region 

After the devastating effects of cyclone Gabrielle, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that local investments are made that help to rebuild our economy. While other investments in the region’s cyclone recovery which are preventative in nature are important (such as stopbanks), investments in visitor attraction help to deliver immediate and ongoing returns which directly support the region’s economic recovery. 

International experience tells us that when visitor attraction funding is cut, market share in the visitor economy is lost and can take decades to recover. We submit that the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has an opportunity to capture a greater share of New Zealand’s national visitor economy. 

While every region is making decisions about their investment in visitor attraction, sustained investment in tourism funding provides the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council with two possible outcomes: 

Should other regions cut their investments in visitor attraction, by maintaining the Council’s current level of investment the Hawke’s Bay region will naturally fill the gaps left by other regions in both domestic and international tourism. 

Should other regions maintain their investments in visitor attraction, the Hawke’s Bay region maintains its market share of the visitor economy and does not lose ground which is notoriously difficult to regain in the future. 

The impact of proposed cuts to regional tourism funding 

The hospitality, tourism and retail industries are often subject to the availability of household discretionary spend, meaning it is the first to be cut during times of economic downturn. The phasing out of funding for Hawke’s Bay Tourism will inevitably result in a restriction of economic activity that disproportionately impacts these industries that are already reeling from the cost of living crisis, by failing to attract the tourism spend which relies heavily on a flourishing domestic and tourism sector.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism estimates that 1 in every 10 jobs (approximately 10,000) in the region come from these industries, which means that as local businesses lose out on the tourism spend that they depend on, businesses will be forced to cut costs, downsize, or close down entirely, resulting in job losses.

On average, 18,000 visitors come to the Hawke’s Bay region every day. Approximately 20% of visitor spend goes toward tourism-related services and 80% going to the broader community¹. If funding for Hawke’s Bay Tourism was phased out, the visitor economy would decrease by at least 20% or $260 million over the next three years². The cost of continuing to fund Option B would be less than 1% of the loss ($2.4 million). 

In the year ended September 2023, the hospitality and tourism industries contributed approximately $1.3 billion both directly and indirectly to the Hawke’s Bay economy. This is 7% of the regional GDP, making these industries the third largest contributors to the region’s GDP behind process manufacturing and agriculture. 

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s current investment in tourism of $1.52 million is approximately 0.1% of the industries’ contribution to the region’s GDP – a return on investment of over 85,000%. The proposed $441,000 annual contribution is 0.03% of the $1.3 billion return to the region. Reducing the Council’s investment in tourism by over 70 percent as is proposed will mean these industries—the third largest contributor to local GDP—are unable to maintain their contribution to local GDP, resulting in a significant blow to the local economy. 

16. It is clear that the negative effects of implementing Option A and phasing out the funding for Hawke’s Bay Tourism far outweigh the costs of continuing funding at a reduced rate. These negative effects reach far beyond the hospitality and tourism industry, impacting the region and wider economy. For this reason, the Restaurant Association encourages Regional Councillors to vote in favour of Option B while maintaining our position that, were it an option being proposed by the Council, the Restaurant Association would instead support retaining funding for Hawke’s Bay Tourism at its current levels. 

Hospitality sector resilience 

While the majority of hospitality expenditure comes from local spending and allows for maintenance of operations, the boost to our sector that comes from tourism spending is what allows our sector to innovate, adapt and address the large-scale issues we face. 

The Hospitality sector has suffered unprecedented levels of disruption to our industry over the past four years—from the global pandemic and its flow-on effects, to the repeated extreme weather events and the cost of living crisis. 

An October 2023 survey by the Restaurant Association, which focused on Hawke’s Bay members’ current operating conditions and future needs, the following points were highlighted: 

Inbound tourism was cited as most critical to the ongoing success of the region’s hospitality businesses. 

Investment in regional marketing was listed as the top priority to support business. 

The primary challenges operators were facing included the impact of the slow economy, the disruptions still in place post-Covid and the weather events, and reduced tourism. 

^[1] According to Hawke’s Bay Tourism estimates. 

^[2] According to Hawke’s Bay Tourism estimates.

Recent research of our members has identified that customer downturn is the number one challenge facing our businesses. Members are reporting a decline in both revenue and patronage numbers. It’s a concerning trend, and it directly reflects the challenges our industry is facing.

During a customer downturn, there is an essential need to get creative and proactive with marketing strategies and product offers to attract and retain customers.

Here are ten marketing ideas to consider:

May 2024

Executive Summary

The Restaurant Association supports the Companies (Address Information) Amendment Bill. We recognise the need for directors who have serious concerns regarding the impact of the availability of address information on their personal safety, or the personal safety of a person the director lives with, to request that their residential address be substituted with an address for service. 

We submit that this Bill could be improved by making it the responsibility of the New Zealand Companies Office to treat a director’s information as private, without requiring a statutory declaration or payment of a fee. This Bill should also include the non-publication of residential addresses on company shareholders. 

As such, the Restaurant Association makes the following recommendations: 

• Recommendation 1: A director’s address information should be kept private unless they have requested their information be publicly available. 
• Recommendation 2: This bill should also cover the non-publication of residential addresses of company shareholders as well as directors. 

Introduction 

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand (the Restaurant Association) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Companies (Address Information) Amendment Bill. 

The Restaurant Association supports this Bill, however we believe that it could be enhanced to further protect company directors and shareholders. 

We submit that it should be the responsibility of the New Zealand Companies Office to treat a director’s information as private, without requiring a statutory declaration or payment of a fee. 

We also submit that this bill should also cover the non-publication of residential addresses of company shareholders as well as directors – which it currently does not. 

Privacy of Director Address Information 

The Restaurant Association supports providing the option for a director’s address information to be kept private, however, we believe this Bill could go further. 

This Bill currently requires a statutory declaration verifying that the public availability of the director’s residential address information is likely to result in physical or mental harm to either the director or a person with whom the director resides, and requires the director to pay a fee for this application. 

The Restaurant Association submits that it should be the responsibility of the New Zealand Companies Office to treat a director’s information as private, without requiring a statutory declaration or payment of a fee. 

• Recommendation 1: A director’s address information should be kept private unless they have requested their information be publicly available. 

Directors should have the right to privacy regardless of whether there are concerns for safety of themselves or others, and if there are safety concerns, there should not be any barriers to removing this information as soon as possible. 

The argument for the need for director’s addresses to be published to prevent phoenix companies can be managed by the Companies Office without publishing personal residential addresses. The addresses can be made available under request. 

Inclusion of Company Shareholders 

For many smaller entities, directors are also the shareholders of those companies. For this reason, the Restaurant Association 

Bill should also cover the non-publication of residential addresses of company shareholders. 

• Recommendation 2: This bill should also cover the non-publication of residential addresses of company shareholders as well as directors. 

If company shareholders are excluded from this Bill, someone searching for the director’s information could simply look under the shareholder’s section and find it. 

In New Zealand, small and micro-businesses, including the self-employed, make up 97 per cent of all companies registered. This is a very large percentage of people who will be unlikely to enjoy the protections of this Bill without the inclusion of shareholders. 

Within the hospitality sector, employers are predominantly owner-operators of their small businesses. Small business owners across our sector have been overloaded with the responsibilities of adapting their businesses to abide by new and changing regulations.

With these changes, this Bill would be a win for small business owners, however shareholder information must be included, otherwise the small business owners will not be able to enjoy the same kinds of protections that their big-business owning counterparts have. 

April 2024

Executive Summary

The Restaurant Association supports the rationale used to determine the weighted fee increases in the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s proposed Alcohol Licensing Fees Bylaw, and commends the Council on taking a risk-based approach to setting alcohol licensing fees. 

Despite this, we submit that the risk weighting used to determine a premises’ cost/risk rating does not reflect that rationale. Currently, the types of premises with an on-licence are weighted against other on-licence venues. The Restaurant Association believes that risk weightings should instead be set against the relative level of risk across all licence types. The Restaurant Association recognises that the setting of cost/risk ratings is not within the control of the Kāpiti Coast District Council, and as such makes the following recommendations: 

• Recommendation 1: That the council should take a more gradual approach to fee increases, spreading the cumulative increase over the full five years instead of such a large increase as proposed in year one. 
• Recommendation 2: That the Kāpiti Coast District Council advocates to the Ministry of Justice for a review of the cost/risk ratings for different types of premises set by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Fees Regulations) to better reflect the risks of on-licence premises as compared to off-licence and club licence premises. 

Introduction 

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand (the Restaurant Association) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s proposed Alcohol Licensing Fees Bylaw. 

We support the rationale used to determine the weighted fee increases in the proposed Bylaw, and commend the Council on taking a risk-based approach to setting alcohol licensing fees. 

Our more than 2,500-strong membership is made up of hospitality businesses where food is the hero of their operations, with alcoholic beverages offered as a supplement to their culinary experience. It is clear that sale of alcohol alongside a meal carries far less risk than businesses where the sale of alcohol is their core offering. 

We recognise the need to ensure the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol is undertaken safely and responsibly, but believe that the greatest risk to this goal is the off-licence sale of alcohol. 

Fee increases proportionate to risk of harm 

The Restaurant Association supports the premise that the greatest fee increases should apply to the higher risk categories of the premises, which allows for a lower increase for smaller operators and/or operators in low-risk environments. 

Whilst we recognise the need to increase licence application fees, annual licensing fees, and special licence application fees to better recover the cost associated with administering both new and existing licences, it is imperative these increases reflect the actual levels of harm caused. 

The proposal that the fee increases would mainly affect medium to high-risk premises like pubs and chain stores or supermarkets, not small daytime cafes, or intimate high-end restaurants is essential to ensuring the actual levels of harm caused is reflected in the fee increases. 

This is especially important for small business owners across our sector who have been overloaded with the responsibilities of adapting their businesses to abide by new and changing regulations, when their focus should be on their recovery from almost three years of hampered trading to ensure their business is rebuilt in a more resilient and sustainable way. 

It is important to recognise, however, that the food and beverage sector of the hospitality industry operates on a very tight profit margin of approximately 4%. 

Expenditure on hospitality is also highly dependent on local and tourism spending, with both of these spends being highly unstable. Local spend is highly discretionary, meaning it is the first to be cut from household budgets in times of economic downturn. 

Given the unprecedented levels of disruption to our industry over the past four years—from the global pandemic and its flow-on effects, to the repeated extreme weather events and the cost of living crisis, we recommend that the council should take a more gradual approach to fee increases, spreading the cumulative increase over the full five years instead of such a large increase as proposed in year one. Our proposed alternative models for application fees and annual licensing fees are at appendix 3 and 4. 

• Recommendation 1: That the council should take a more gradual approach to fee increases, spreading the cumulative increase over the full five years instead of such a large increase as proposed in year one. 

Review of current risk ranking 

While the Restaurant Association recognises that the proposed fee structure must be set in accordance with the framework set out by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, the Local Government Act 2002 and any regulations, we believe there should be a review of the current risk ranking. 

In a practical sense, there are far fewer restrictions and regulations for off-licence holders in terms of the responsible sale and supply of alcohol when compared to on-licence holders. 

For example, when serving alcohol in an on-licence venue, staff are bound by host responsibility requirements and must monitor intake to determine when they must stop service to prevent intoxication. 

Alternatively at an off-licence venue, customers can purchase as much alcohol as they want, to take home and then consume as much as they want without any restriction. There are minimal requirements for an off-licence premises to ensure they are selling and supplying alcohol in line with the objectives of the Act, and this should be better reflected in the licensing fees framework. 

We submit that: 

• An on-licence Class 1 restaurant carries an equivalent risk of harm to an off-licence hotel or tavern. 
• An on-licence Class 2 restaurant carries an equivalent risk of harm to an off-licence Class 1, 2 or 3 club, remote sale premises, other, and 
• An on-licence Class 3 restaurant carries an equivalent risk of harm to an on-licence BYO restaurant, theatres, cinemas, winery cellar doors. 

We therefore believe that a more fulsome review of the cost/risk rating of premises within the regulations to better reflect the actual risk of harm. The Restaurant Association’s proposed cost/risk rating table is available at appendix 2. 

We recognise that the setting of cost/risk ratings is not within the control of the Kāpiti Coast District Council, and therefore recommend that the Kāpiti Coast District Council advocates to the Ministry of Justice for a review of the cost/risk ratings for different types of premises set by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Fees Regulations) to better reflect the risks of on-licence premises as compared to off-licence and club licence premises. 

• Recommendation 2: That the Kāpiti Coast District Council advocates to the Ministry of Justice for a review of the cost/risk ratings for different types of premises set by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Fees Regulations) to better reflect the risks of on-licence premises as compared to off-licence and club licence premises. 

Appendices 

Appendix 1: current cost/risk rating table 

Appendix 2: proposed cost/risk rating table 

Appendix 3: proposed alternative staged fee increases for application fees 

Appendix 4: proposed alternative staged fee increases for annual licensing fees 

Note: the highlighted figures in appendices 3 and 4 do not reflect the figures provided in the proposal document, which appear to be calculation errors.

By Marisa Bidois

Reflecting on the recent closure of Homeland, a distinguished beacon of culinary excellence and education in New Zealand, it’s a poignant moment for our hospitality sector.

Whilst it might not have been rising operational costs or tighter customer budgets that led to it, it’s a clear signal of the rough patch our restaurants and bars are facing.

Our sector is sensitive to shifts in discretionary spending, grappling with a persistent skills shortage, and operates on notoriously narrow margins. Comprised predominantly of small, independently owned businesses, we are still navigating the long road to recovery from the pandemic’s profound impacts.

However, it’s important to recognise the sector’s remarkable resilience, capacity for innovation, and consistent growth over the years, despite such setbacks. Hospitality touches the hearts of our community deeply; the emotional impact of seeing a beloved café or restaurant close its doors cannot be understated.

These establishments are more than just places to eat; they are woven into the fabric of our daily lives, hosting countless memories and moments of connection. The loss of Homeland therefore resonates not just as a business closure but as a reminder of how integral these spaces are to our collective identity and well-being.

In response to these challenges, and especially following the devastating impact of Covid-19, the Restaurant Association of New Zealand has been proactive in charting a strategic roadmap aimed at rebuilding and rejuvenating Aotearoa’s hospitality landscape. This roadmap was designed not just as a reaction to the pandemic but as a forward-thinking blueprint to ensure the long-term prosperity and innovation within our industry.

Three years into the implementation of this plan, we’ve witnessed tangible progress and achievements that highlight our effectiveness in securing governmental recognition and support for the hospitality sector. A notable milestone in this journey has been the appointment of Matt Doocey as the hospitality minister, a role we advocated for vigorously to ensure our sector receives the focused attention and support it deserves from central government.

With the change of government, we are now responding to the Minister of Finance’s call for actionable strategies to drive industry growth, designed to address immediate challenges while laying a robust foundation for the sector’s future.

Our plan focuses on resolving long-standing industry issues, bridging skills and training gaps, simplifying business operations, and fostering stronger partnerships between the industry and government. Each of these steps is crucial for creating a more resilient, innovative, and vibrant hospitality industry.

Our initiatives are about making real, meaningful changes in the hospitality landscape.

For instance, Hospostart, developed alongside the Ministry of Social Development, is a lifeline for those out of work, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to dive into hospitality roles — a sector known for its dynamic and fast-paced environment. The goal? To not just train, but to transform lives by opening doors to stable employment in an industry that’s at the heart of New Zealand’s culture.

HospoCred takes the concept of excellence and embeds it into the fabric of our industry. This unique accreditation scheme is a roadmap for businesses to continually elevate their service, ambience and operational standards setting new benchmarks in hospitality.

These initiatives, many of which are cost-neutral, highlight that substantial improvements are achievable through smarter regulation, better alignment of resources, and closer collaboration between industry and policymakers.

The closure of venues like Homeland is more than the loss of a culinary institution; it serves as a catalyst for our industry to confront the vulnerabilities exposed by such events and to work towards a more secure and dynamic future.

The heart and soul of our industry lie in our incredible resilience, creativity, and united strength. Together, we’re not just ready to tackle the tough times head-on; we’re also setting the stage for a future that’s brighter than ever for New Zealand’s hospitality scene. We’re about breaking new ground, sparking innovation, and creating a world class hospitality scene.

Imagine a future where our hospitality scene isn’t just a big player in the economy but also a shining star in New Zealand’s culture, making life richer for locals and visitors alike. It’s a future we can all get behind, but it’s going to take teamwork — businesses, workers, foodies, and the government, all rolling up their sleeves. Together, we continue to grow a sustainable, welcoming, and cutting-edge industry that everyone can be proud of.

March 2024

Cost recovery proposal to maintain and expand New Zealand Food Safety’s core regulatory services under the Food Act 2014 

Introduction

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand (the Restaurant Association) welcomes the opportunity to submit the cost recovery proposal to maintain and expand New Zealand Food Safety’s core regulatory services under the Food Act 2014. 

While we recognise the need for the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) to recover costs associated with New Zealand Food Safety’s core regulatory services, we propose adjustments to ensure there is a fair balance between the costs paid by micro and small businesses as compared to medium and large. 

With respect to the expansion of NZFS’s core regulatory services, we believe that some of the proposals would be better delivered by industry bodies to ensure the support being delivered is responsive to the needs of businesses in our industry. 

We do not agree with the proposal to allocate costs for domestic food businesses based only on a per-site basis. We think the costs should be allocated based on business size, to better reflect the fact that the majority of food businesses are micro or small businesses and can not afford the large increase in levies as proposed. 

In appendix 1, we have proposed an alternative allocation of cost recovery levies based on business size. The size definition criteria used in these calculations are defined in the table below: 

Cost recovery of oversight services 

While we agree that domestic food businesses benefit from some of the proposed services, we oppose being seen as a default source of funding for those activities that would primarily benefit other sectors—as acknowledged several times over in the consultation document, and as defined by MPI’s Equity cost recovery principle. 

We acknowledge that MPI does not have legal powers to levy Territorial Authorities, however we submit that there are other avenues to recover costs from those who perform registration, verification and enforcement functions—including Territorial Authorities. 

To that end, the Restaurant Association recommends that a licensing fee be introduced for those performing registration, evaluation, verification and enforcement functions, to recover the costs of ‘oversight of co-regulator systems and services’ and ‘oversight of verification systems and services’. 

Appendix 1 outlines our proposed alternative allocation of cost recovery with ‘oversight of co-regulator systems and services’ and ‘oversight of verification systems and services’ separated out, to be recovered from licensing fees. We recommend this model be used to calculate year one and two fees as per the proposal from NZ Food Safety. 

As noted on page 6 of the consultation document, ‘Evaluators’ under the Food Act are specialist service providers with the skills to identify critical hazards and evaluate the effectiveness of control points in food production processes. Likewise, ‘Verification Agencies’ are private companies and Territorial Authorities that provide independent assurance checks that a food business is successfully applying the food safety rules. It would make sense for these actors to pay a fee to be licensed to perform these activities. 

Should those currently performing these duties not be willing to pay a registration fee, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss ways that these services can be undertaken by industry associations, in order to be standardised across the country. 

Business education and support services 

We submit that businesses are more receptive to education and support services delivered by an industry association, rather than by a central regulator. To encourage uptake of these services by food businesses, we recommend that business education and support services as proposed in the consultation instead be delivered by industry associations like the Restaurant Association. 

Partnering with industry associations to deliver business education and support services will contribute to lowering the overall amount that is levied on businesses, as we already have the infrastructure and capability in place to deliver large-scale education and support programmes. We believe that industry associations are able to deliver the proposed outputs for a considerably lower rate than proposed in the consultation document, and would welcome further discussions on how this could work. 

Not only do industry associations like ourselves hold extensive industry knowledge about the challenges faced by our members, but we also hold well-established local and national networks with a team of staff spread across the country. 

In delivering these programmes, we would welcome the opportunity to co-design these training modules with NZ Food Safety, to ensure that regulatory and Ministry requirements are being met, while also servicing the actual needs of businesses in our industry. 

Industry Association referrals 

The regulatory environment for the hospitality industry is fractured and confusing. While industry associations like ourselves navigate that environment and advise our members, many food businesses do not avail themselves of our services. 

We recommend that registration bodies for food businesses—the Ministry of Primary Industries and Territorial Authorities—promote relevant industry associations at the point of registration. For example, when a food business registers with either MPI or their local council, we believe they should be provided information on the relevant industry associations that represent them. 

These referrals would assist with a greater understanding of the hospitality landscape, and ensure food businesses know where they can go for advice and guidance on applying relevant rules, regulations and legislation.

Appendix 

Appendix 1: Proposed cost recovery allocations 2027/28

Media release

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand welcomes the government’s proposal to improve the Holidays Act, marking a significant step forward in addressing long-standing issues that have affected both employees and employers across the country.

The complexities and challenges posed by the current Holidays Act have been widely acknowledged, with Hon van Velden referencing notable cases within the public sector itself such as MBIE, finding themselves inadvertently non-compliant. The result has caused significant legal and financial burdens on businesses striving to navigate the Act’s complexities.

“Reforming the Holidays Act is a relief for both small and large businesses in the hospitality industry, who have been asking for a less complex and a more straight forward way of working out holiday entitlements” said Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association.

“The hospitality sector, known for its diverse and flexible working arrangements, has been particularly disadvantaged under the existing framework, which fails to accommodate the reality of varied work patterns beyond the standard 40-hour work week. We welcome the signal from the Minister to pursue enduring solutions to the Holidays Act that can adapt to the constantly evolving nature of work and business needs.

“We would also like to see less complex and burdensome compliance requirements on business,” added Bidois.

The Association is optimistic that any updates to the legislation will reflect the dynamic needs of the hospitality industry, offering clarity and simplicity to employers.

Hon Van Helden also expressed her commitment to gathering insights from essential stakeholders who will be required to implement the Act. She emphasised the importance of making it practical for all parties involved, ranging from large multinational companies to small, family-operated restaurants in small towns.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with the government alongside our members to review these changes, ensuring they meet the needs of the sector,” concluded Bidois.

Head Chef

We’re seeking a dynamic and energetic chef to run our small kitchen located in Mount Maunganui.

This is an incredible opportunity for a talented, creative chef who is ready to put their unique stamp on our established café.

Responsibilities:

• Overseeing the day-to-day kitchen operations to ensure a smooth workflow and maintain our high-quality standards.
• Developing seasonal & specials menus, ensuring they are aligned with our café’s vision and appeal to our customers.
• Managing inventory and sourcing high-quality, local ingredients.
• Ensuring compliance with food hygiene, and H&S standards.
• Collaborating with the owner to set budgets, optimise costs, and maintain the efficiency of the kitchen.

Qualifications:

• Experience as a Head Chef or similar role, running an all-day menu.
• Experienced in baking (scones, muffins, slices, etc.).
• Up to date with culinary trends and optimised kitchen processes.
• Passionate about making healthy & delicious food.
• Outstanding communication and leadership skills.
• Well organised and works effectively under pressure.
• Ability in dividing responsibilities and monitoring progress.

Immediate start available.

This is a full-time position for 5 days per week. Must work at least one day on weekends, either Saturday or Sunday.

Hours are likely to be 6:00am – 2.30pm weekdays, and 7:00am – 2.30pm weekends. We’re also looking to introduce a Friday dinner service in the future.

Sound like you? We would love to hear from you. Please provide a CV and a short cover letter about yourself.

Contact: Angela at heathstreeteat@gmail.com

Please ONLY apply if you have the Right to Work already. We are not an accredited employer and will not be considering overseas candidates for these roles.

Food prices increased 2.1 percent in the 12 months to February 2024, the smallest increase since May 2021, according to figures released by Stats NZ.

The 2.1 percent increase is noticeably lower when compared with the 12.0 percent increase in the 12 months to February 2023. The lower annual increase was due to cheaper fruit and vegetable prices, down 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Cheaper prices for fresh produce such as tomatoes, broccoli, and lettuce drove the decrease in fruit and vegetable prices,” consumer prices manager Will Bell said.

All other broad food groups increased in the 12 months to February 2024. Price movements, in order of their contribution, were:

• restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices – increased 6.7 percent
• grocery food prices – increased 3.9 percent
• non-alcoholic beverage prices – increased 4.3 percent
• meat, poultry, and fish prices – increased 0.2 percent.