Higher GP, public transport costs: This is what will change on July 1
Monday, 30 June 2025
As July begins, households across New Zealand are bracing for a wave of policy changes set to affect daily life — including rising GP fees and higher public transport fares, to new rules for rental housing.
Among the most significant shifts are the mandatory Healthy Homes standards, which take full effect this month.
The regulations require all rental properties to meet minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture control, and draught-stopping — a move the government says will lift living conditions for the thousands of tenants living in the roughly 600,000 rentals across the country. Landlords who fail to comply risk penalties, compensation orders, or enforced repairs through the Tenancy Tribunal.
Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.
GP fees to increase
Patients will face a modest increase in costs to visit the GP, after Minister of Health Simeon Brown last week outlined a funding boost for primary care, including a base funding increase of 6.43%, with the possibility of a total increase of up to 9.13% for clinics that agree to limit patient fee rises to no more than 3%.
Some clinics may not accept the full funding deal. In that case, they're still offered a 6.43% capitation boost, with no fee cap, meaning they could raise fees more freely—potentially above 3%.
Capitation is the main way the Government funds general practices. Instead of paying GPs per appointment, it provides clinics with a set amount of money each year for every enrolled patient— regardless of how often that person visits the doctor.
This means practices serving patients with more complex or chronic health needs—often in low-socioeconomic areas—face higher costs than those with generally healthier patients. While funding is weighted to reflect this, many practices still report that it does not fully cover the extra care required.
Public transport fares increase
The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 directed regional councils to increase the “private share” of public transport costs — that’s the part funded by passengers (as well as advertising, and other non-governmental sources).
In response, public transport fares are due to increase from Wednesday.
Metlink, which is overseen by Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), will increase all general fares by 2.2%, and drop the off-peak discount from 50% to 30%.
GWRC worked with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to revise down targets which it said would lead to “significant fare increases”.
The service has also found other ways to cut costs, including reducing the number of new buses it plans to buy over the next three years — from 106 down to just 47, delaying investment into electric vehicles, and stopping or merging 50 bus routes.
The standard adult fare in Christchurch will also increase from $2 to $3.
Healthy Homes standards kick in
Landlords have had six years to meet healthy homes standards, which passed into law in 2019. Compliance was phased across different tenancy types from 2021, but from Wednesday, all have to comply with the rules intended to improve renters' health and living conditions, and prevent damp, mould, and cold homes.
Boarding houses, Kāinga Ora, and community housing providers have already had to comply.
Recalcitrant landlords can face penalties of up to $7200 per breach at the Tenancy Tribunal, which can also award compensation to tenants.
* CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said Auckland transport fares were changing on July 1; the increase was introduced in February. (Amended: June 30, 2025, 9.30am.)