Our Submission to Parliament on the Right to Repair

The Beautification Trust has made a submission in support of the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill, which is currently being considered by Parliament's Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee.

This Bill would give everyday New Zealanders better access to repair parts, tools and information—making it easier and more affordable to fix broken goods, rather than throwing them away.

What the Bill Would Do

If passed, the Bill would:

Require manufacturers to provide repair manuals, spare parts, software and tools for a reasonable time after a product is sold.
Prevent manufacturers from voiding warranties when people use third-party repairers or generic parts.
Give consumers the right to request a repair instead of a replacement or refund under the Consumer Guarantees Act.
Help build a culture of reuse over replacement, reducing waste, saving money, and supporting local repair services.

Why We Support the Right to Repair

At the Beautification Trust, we see the barriers to repair every day through our Manurewa Community Recycling Centre and Repair Cafés. Items like kettles, microwaves, TVs, and even vacuums are often discarded simply because a small part or repair manual isn’t available. In many cases, the item still works—except for one small fault.

We believe that:

The Bill will create local jobs, support independent repairers, and reduce waste going to landfill.
In many cases, repairing is cheaper than replacing, and families should have access to affordable options.
Communities deserve the tools, knowledge, and systems that make repair normal again.

We’ve also recommended some changes to the Bill to make it more effective:

Requiring repair information to be made publicly accessible, not just available “on request”.
Removing a copyright loophole that could let manufacturers withhold manuals and software.
Limiting the Bill to a schedule of common, repairable products that can be updated over time.
Ensuring second-hand goods are excluded from repair obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act.