Several new laws - covering everything from road rules, lifejackets, and cholesterol medication to visa applications - will come into force across October.
The changes come after Parliament wrapped up for the term, and range from how drivers pass cyclists to who must wear a flotation device on the water.
What's changing on the roads
Drivers, cyclists and e-scooter riders face several changes to the road rules from Thursday, October 1, covering overtaking, give way rules for buses and where two-wheeled road users can travel.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the changes are intended to clarify the rules and reflect how Kiwis use roads and footpaths.
One of the biggest changes for motorists is a new universal 1.5m gap when passing cyclists, horse riders and other road users. The rule was tweaked from what was originally proposed — a 1m gap in areas under 60km/h and 1.5m above that speed — after officials decided a single distance would be simpler and safer.
Children aged 12 and under will also be legally able to ride their bikes on the footpath with an adult beside them.
Drivers will have a new give-way requirement around buses, having to yield to buses pulling out from bus stops on roads with speed limits of 60km/h or less. Documents show around half of people already believed this was a legal requirement, even though it wasn't previously mandated.
E-scooter riders will also be legally able to use cycle lanes.
Lifejackets now compulsory
Lifejackets will be mandatory on recreational boats up to 6m in length when the vessel is underway, under new legislation coming into effect on Friday, October 9.
The skipper will be responsible for making sure everyone on board is wearing a properly fitted lifejacket, including when the boat is in shallow water or close to shore. The rules do not apply to surfers, sports events or stand-up paddleboard surfing.
Previously, lifejacket requirements varied between regions and were largely left to the skipper's discretion. Officials estimate the new rules could save an average of 10 lives a year, with around 17 people dying annually in recreational boating incidents.
Maritime NZ says the focus will initially be on educating boaties about the new requirements rather than punishment, while Coastguard says the change will give more people a chance of surviving an accident on the water.
Cholesterol drug access widened
Access to rosuvastatin, a medicine used to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, is being widened from October 1, with Pharmac removing eligibility restrictions on the drug.
The change means anyone who needs rosuvastatin will be able to access it without meeting specific criteria or having their clinician apply for prior approval. Pharmac says a lower price secured through its annual tender process has made the move possible.
Around 76,000 people currently use rosuvastatin each year, with Pharmac estimating another 81,000 could access it in the first year and about 108,000 within five years. The medicine is a higher-potency statin, meaning it can lower cholesterol effectively at lower doses than some other options.
Online visas and a parent visa overhaul
From October 1, a range of visitor and transit visa applications will have to be made online as Immigration New Zealand phases out paper.
The change covers transit visas and visitor visas including general, business, group, academic, medical treatment, parent and grandparent, sports events and visiting media categories. Paper applications lodged before that date will still be processed, but later ones will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
INZ said moving online would make it easier for people to "upload documents, track applications and reduce errors and delays".
Four days later, on October 5, the Government will change how parents are picked for the Parent Resident Visa. Around 90% of expressions of interest will be selected in date order and the other 10% by ballot, with the annual cap of 2500 visas unchanged.
Existing expressions of interest will roll into the new system automatically and will no longer expire after two years, as long as applicants keep their details current. The first selection under the new system is due on November 10.
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