http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.clwaikato.org.nz en-us Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:49:41 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/159223/msd-can-no-longer-chase-for-acc-back-payments/ A landmark High Court ruling has stopped the MSD from retrospectively "clawing back" supplementary assistance after a person receives ACC backpay. This decision provides vital financial certainty for whaanau, ensuring that those receiving back-dated injury compensation aren’t hit with unexpected government debt.Read more here.... Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:05:18 +1300 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post159223 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/142938/gangs-act-2024--the-legal-consequences-written-by-russell-nye-wood-baywide-community-law/ The Government has passed two new laws that aim to reduce the harm caused by gangs, with both new laws taking effect from 21 November 2024.Click the link below to read Baywide Community Law's blog post. Gangs Act 2024 - The Legal Consequences - Written by Russell Nye-Wood for Baywide Community Law... Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:06:17 +1300 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post142938 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/141457/konae-new-website-in-response-to-royal-commission-call-for-records-support/ Kōnae (Crown Response Office /CAB project) is a guide to help you find and access records created by government agencies or other organisations involved in decisions about your guardianship or care.It is for those who want their adoption records, records from time with a foster family, or records from state involvement in their care arrangements with whaanau and kin. Records may include things like social worker notes, medical files, and photos. Some people refer to these records as care record... Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:28:50 +1300 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post141457 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/134619/increased-compensation-limits-for-financial-disputes/ Financial limits for complaints are being raised across the four approved financial dispute resolution schemes, from 18 July 2024, meaning more consumers can have their disputes resolved without going to court.Under law, every financial services company has to be a member of one of the four schemes; the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme, Financial Services Complaints, and the Financial Dispute Resolution Service.From 18 July 2024, the maximum finan... Thu, 12 Sep 2024 07:43:14 +1200 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post134619 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/132314/el-cheapo-cars-ltd-t-a-ezybid-finance-heads-to-district-court-for-disclosure-breaches/ The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against El Cheapo Cars t/a Ezybid Finance for breaches of lending rules - in its third action in the car finance sector this year – alleging borrowers were not provided with key information about their loans.The Commission said El Cheapo has entered guilty pleas and was co-operating with the proceedings."Our investigation into El Cheapo found that borrowers were not provided key information when changes were made to existing loans," its a... Thu, 25 Jul 2024 09:36:44 +1200 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post132314 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/124570/landmark-judgement-about-pokie-machines/ In a decision released on 19 February, the High Court declared that the Department of Internal Affairs may no longer allow pokie venues to relocate under a previous High Court decision, known as the Waikiwi decision.An anti-pokie lobby group says 26 venue relocations over the past decade were illegal and had asked the court to make sure no more happen from now on.  Read more here... Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:51:35 +1300 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post124570 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/116350/90-day-trial-periods-reinstated/ In December last year the Government passed legislation bringing back 90-day trials for all employers.The bill passed with the support of all three governing parties, and was opposed by all three opposition parties.Prior to Saturday 23 December 2023 this has only applied to employers with 19 or fewer employees. 90-day trial provisions allows employers to dismiss employees within their first 90 days of employment, and removes an employee’s right to raise a personal grievance for that dismi... Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:12:57 +1300 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post116350 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/114062/how-much-extra-is-it-costing-you-to-pay-with-your-card/ Some kiwis are paying much more to the retailer, than the retailer is paying to the bank to accept card payments. "Businesses shouldn't charge their customers more than what it costs them to accept a card payment. Unfortunately, as shoppers, we have no way of telling what businesses are getting charged so it's difficult to tell if we're being ripped off," Consumer NZ campaigns manager Jessica Walker said.Read the full story here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/502580/consumer-nz-f... Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:27:54 +1300 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post114062 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/109271/communities-now-have-more-of-a-say-on-liquor-licences-issued-in-their-area/ New alcohol legislation is being dubbed a move in the right direction. The immediate phase aims to make local alcohol licensing processes more accessible and fairer; and improve communities’ abilities to influence alcohol regulation in their area.Until recently community views have been virtually non-existent from alcohol licensing processes under the current law, and only 19 of the 5,197 of the applications that were made in 2022 (less than 0.4%) were declined. “CLCA’s research ... Mon, 28 Aug 2023 08:42:53 +1200 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post109271 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/post/108850/the-fair-trading-act-at-work/ The Commerce Commission has handed One NZ a fine for almost $3.7 million for misleading consumers in the marketing of its FibreX broadband service. Commission chair John Small said the penalty was the highest ever handed down by a court under the Fair Trading Act. The fine was for the company’s conduct between 2016 and 2018 when it mislead consumers into believing its FibreX service was fibre-to-the-home broadband. It was also found guilty of falsely suggesting that FibreX was the on... Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:21:10 +1200 http://www.clwaikato.org.nz/blog/#post108850