ACT Party proposes streamlined consenting for new supermarkets

ACT Party leader David Seymour has proposed a ‘one-stop consenting shop’ to facilitate new entrants into the New Zealand supermarket market. The policy aims to reduce the complexity and high costs that currently act as barriers to competition.

Seymour criticized rival political proposals—such as the Greens’ plan for a state-run ‘KiwiMart’, New Zealand First’s plan to break up the existing duopoly, and National’s proposal for structural separation—arguing they destroy investor confidence. He stated that attacking established businesses as scapegoats for the cost-of-living crisis erodes the certainty required for investment. The ACT proposal focuses on streamlining approvals, including liquor licenses and other necessary consents, to allow new businesses to establish sites in months rather than years.