Fuel Surcharge Guidance and Multiple Regulatory Updates from Commerce Commission NZ
Summary
The Commerce Commission NZ published a collection of regulatory updates on 22 April 2026, including guidance on fuel surcharges, merger review statements, infrastructure approvals, and enforcement actions. The High Court imposed a $2.482 million penalty on Co-operative Bank for breaching the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. The Commission proposed approving Transpower's $1.1386 billion capex allowance for Cook Strait cable replacement and approved Wellington Electricity's substation upgrade for central Wellington power supply protection. Multiple merger reviews remain ongoing.
“The High Court has imposed a $2.482 million penalty on Co-operative Bank for breaching the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA).”
About this source
GovPing monitors Commerce Commission NZ News for new consumer protection regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 3 changes logged to date.
What changed
The Commerce Commission NZ published multiple regulatory updates including a $2.482 million penalty on Co-operative Bank imposed by the High Court for breaching the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003. The Commission proposed approving Transpower's $1.1386 billion capex allowance for Cook Strait undersea cable replacement and approved Wellington Electricity's substation upgrade for central Wellington. Merger review activity included Statements of Unresolved Issues for proposed acquisitions by Rafting JV Co (three Rotorua rafting operators), Mohawk Industries/Bremworth, and Beijer Ref/Refrigeration Specialties. Guidance was issued advising businesses to regularly review fuel surcharges for accuracy and compliance with the Fair Trading Act.
Affected parties include banks (Co-operative Bank penalty), energy companies (Transpower, Wellington Electricity infrastructure approvals), acquirers in merger transactions (Rafting JV Co, Mohawk Industries, Beijer Ref Holdings), and businesses applying fuel surcharges. Companies in sectors under review should engage with the Commission early and follow published guidance to ensure compliance.
Penalties
$2.482 million penalty on Co-operative Bank for breaching the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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Guidance: businesses applying fuel surcharges
We advise businesses to regularly review their surcharges to ensure they remain accurate and justified, and to engage with us early and follow our guidance to ensure compliance with the Fair Trading Act. Read more 15 Apr 2026
SoUI on Rafting JV Co's proposed acquisition of three Rotorua rafting operators
The Commerce Commission has decided to issue a Statement of Unresolved Issues relating to a clearance application from Rafting JV Co seeking clearance to acquire three Rotorua rafting operators. Read more 14 Apr 2026
SoUI released for Godfrey Hirst’s proposed acquisition of Bremworth
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of unresolved issues relating to an application from Mohawk Industries, Inc. seeking clearance for it, or any interconnected body corporate of Mohawk, to acquire 100% of the shares of Bremworth Limited. Read more 02 Apr 2026
ComCom clears substation upgrade to protect power supply for central Wellington
The Commerce Commission has approved Wellington Electricity’s plan to upgrade a critical substation in central Wellington. This will reduce the risk of equipment failure and help protect power supply for homes and businesses in central Wellington. Read more 02 Apr 2026
Co-operative Bank penalised $2.482 million for charging customers unreasonably
The High Court has imposed a $2.482 million penalty on Co-operative Bank for breaching the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA). Read more 02 Apr 2026
Commission to issue SoUI on Godfrey Hirst’s proposed acquisition of Bremworth
The Commerce Commission has decided to issue a Statement of Unresolved Issues relating to a clearance application from Mohawk Industries, Inc. seeking clearance for it, or any interconnected body corporate of Mohawk, to acquire 100% of the shares of Bremworth Limited. Read more 01 Apr 2026
ComCom proposes go ahead for investment to replace critical Cook Strait cables
The Commerce Commission is proposing to approve Transpower’s plans to replace and expand the capacity of the ageing undersea electricity cables that connect the North and South Island electricity networks. The draft decision would see it approve a major capex allowance of $1.1386 billion. Read more 31 Mar 2026
ComCom recommends deregulating fibre landline voice service
The Commerce Commission has recommended deregulating the wholesale fibre landline voice service after finding it has had little uptake and that other ways of making voice calls are more popular. Read more 31 Mar 2026
Statement of Issues released for Beijer Ref to acquire Refrigeration Specialties
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of issues relating to the application from Beijer Ref Holdings Limited to acquire 100% of the shares in Refrigeration Specialties Limited (Refspecs). Read more 31 Mar 2026
'Shaping New Zealand’s energy future’ – Address by Dr John Small at Downstream
Electricity and energy security are at the heart of New Zealand’s most pressing challenges. At this year’s Downstream forum, our Chair Dr John Small delivered a clear message: with the right settings and collective effort, we can transition to an energy system that is more sustainable and secure. Read more Print print
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Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from ComCom NZ.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
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