Right to Repair In Aotearoa NZ
The Right to Repair (RtR) movement seeks to remove the barriers that prevent New Zealanders from fixing their own goods, primarily by requiring manufacturers to provide fair access to spare parts and repair information. Advocacy for RtR is a critical policy step to combat planned obsolescence, empower consumers, and reduce waste, essential for building a regenerative economy.
Media release by Repair Network Aotearoa Coalition, 31 July 2026
EU Right to Repair Directive leaves New Zealand further behind in the Right to Repair
The EU’s EU Right to Repair Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1799) applies from 31 July 2026 and creates mandatory repairability requirements that will reshape product design, supply chain operations, and after-sales support for manufacturers worldwide.
The Directive is designed to promote sustainable consumption and reduce electronic waste, and extends beyond standard consumer warranties, establishing enforceable rights for consumers and imposing clear compliance duties on brands selling physical goods within the European market.
Relevance to New Zealand
The implementation of the EU Directive starkly demonstrates the growing gap in consumer rights and sustainability policy between the EU and New Zealand, highlighting the urgent need for local right-to-repair legislation.
While Kiwi consumers may indirectly benefit from the global availability of spare parts manufactured to meet EU standards, they remain at a distinct disadvantage. Without enforced regulatory mandates, New Zealanders will still face significant freight delays and limited local repair support, leaving consumers reliant on overseas supply chains to extend the life of their everyday products.
Expanding Obligations for Manufacturers and Importers
The Directive applies to ten core product categories covered by EU Ecodesign rules: household washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigeration appliances, electronic displays, vacuum cleaners, servers, mobile phones, tablets, and light transport batteries (e.g., e-bikes).
Key provisions established by the Directive include:
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Transparent Repair Information: Brands must maintain freely accessible public web pages outlining available repair options, service access, and covered items.
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Mandatory Post-Warranty Repair: Manufacturers must offer repair services at reasonable prices after the legal guarantee period ends, ensuring costs are not intentionally inflated to prevent repair.
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Prohibition of Repair Obstruction: Companies are banned from using software locks, hardware barriers, or restrictive contract terms to block independent repairers or prevent the use second-hand, or 3D-printed spare parts (although this does not mean a free rein for others to 3D print parts).
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Fair Access to Parts & Pricing: Manufacturers must supply necessary spare parts and tools at fair prices throughout the product's required lifespan, which is between 5 - 10 years, depending on the product, after the last unit of the product is placed on the market.
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12-Month Warranty Extension: When consumers choose repair over replacement for a defective product during the standard guarantee period, the seller’s liability is automatically extended by an additional 12 months.
Global Reach Across Supply Chains
The Directive applies to non-EU brands selling into Europe. If a non-EU manufacturer lacks an Authorized Representative (AR) within the EU, legal responsibility for fulfilling repair obligations automatically shifts down the distribution chain to the EU importer or local distributor.
Design and Future Expansion
Product development teams must account for repairability at the early design phase. With the European Commission planning to integrate additional product categories - including apparel, furniture, laptops, and broader consumer electronics - under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), manufacturers are encouraged to adopt modular design principles proactively.
Research on the effect of transparency of repair information
The Right to Repair Aotearoa Coalition has conducted research on the transparency of repair information in the UK, where such information is mandatory, and New Zealand, where it is not.
The research will be released in a webinar on 15 September:
https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/events/15th-september-why-cant-i-fix-my-washing-machine
More than 95% of 1250 submissions supported the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill, yet the majority of the Select Committee considering it, chose to recommend it not proceed further.
The Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee report released today confirmed overwhelming support for the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill. Of 1250 submissions made, more than 95% supported the bill and its general aims. Fewer than 2% of submitters opposed it.
However, despite this support, the Government Coalition parties – National, NZ First and ACT ensured the committee recommended the bill not be passed.
That made it highly unlikely that the Right to Repair Bill would proceed beyond its Second Reading in Parliament, and repairing goods in New Zealand will remain controlled by manufacturers that make it expensive and difficult
Amendments were proposed, but not agreed
The committee reported that
“during our consideration of the bill, we explored possible amendments and instructed the Parliamentary Counsel Office to draft a revision-tracked version of the bill. We were unable to agree on whether to recommend amendments to the bill.”
The revision-tracked version of the Right to Repair Bill considered by the committee is not publicly available – the Government majority of the committee voted against releasing it.
We think it is highly disappointing that members of the committee could not respond positively to the public call for easier and cheaper repair.
Recording their differing view, the New Zealand Labour Party and Green Party of Aotearoa said:
“the opposition members support the Right to Repair Bill. We believe that strengthening consumers’ ability to repair goods, and ensuring repair services and information are accessible, will deliver enduring benefits for households, reduce waste, and support local businesses. We also support amendments that make such legislation cross-partisan so that it endures beyond the term of any single Government, and to improve the effectiveness of the legislation for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.”
Progress halted at the Second Reading
The Second Reading of the Bill was scheduled for 22 October. However, when the Bill was called for its reading, the Green Party MP (Hon Marama Davidson) who is the principal sponsor of the bill was not present in the House. The bill was removed from the Order Paper (the agenda) and effectively discharged, then. This means the bill would need to be pulled from the "biscuit tin" (ballot box) again and is unlikely to progress unless the Green Party is in government.
An opportunity missed, but not gone
The Government has missed an opportunity. Most manufacturers have made it clear through their actions that they do not intend to allow us to repair products we own. So until our Government legislates and forces manufacturers to support minimum levels of repair, we’ll continue to pay the price as too many easily repairable products become landfill.
Public support for the Right to Repair Bill shows the growing strength of the repair movement in Aotearoa. The EU, UK, US and Australia are amongst the countries that have already passed repair legislation, backed by similar levels of public support. Whether some of our politicians like it or not, we’ll keep fighting until we have our right to repair.
Tuesday, 19 August 2025, 8AM - updated Wednesday 17 December 2025