Local Government (Port Companies Accountability) Amendment Bill
Port companies in New Zealand are owned by local councils, meaning the public effectively owns them. But currently, people can't use official information laws to ask port companies for documents or information. This bill would change that. It would make port companies follow the same rules as other council-owned organisations — including letting the public request information from them, requiring them to be good employers, and requiring them to consider the wellbeing of their local communities and environment.
What this affects
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People will be able to officially ask port companies — which are publicly owned — for information about how they operate and spend money
port companies and their subsidiaries are excluded from Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act requests. This limits the ability of the public to hold port companies and subsidiaries accountable
Sections 59, 60A and 74 apply, with any necessary modifications, to a port company as if it were a council-controlled organisation
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 1 July 2026.
Bill 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.