Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Amendment Bill
This bill creates a new system for controlling who can operate ground-based equipment in New Zealand that communicates with satellites or tracks objects in space. Anyone wanting to run this kind of equipment — like a ground station that sends or receives signals to and from satellites — will need to get permission from a government minister first. The minister can say no if they think it poses a risk to New Zealand's security or national interests. People already operating this equipment get a one-year grace period to get their paperwork in order.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it — with the parts of the text it’s based on.
Businesses running satellite ground stations or similar space equipment in New Zealand will need a government licence to keep operating.
A person must not operate ground-based space infrastructure to carry out a regulated activity unless the person has a GBSI activity authorisation for the operation of the GBSI for the activity.
ensuring that the country remains a trusted and secure location for space infrastructure and operations
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.
Write to your MPBill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.