In 2024, the Government agreed to enhance core food safety services under the Food Act 2014 through the Food Business Levy.
The levy will come into effect from 1 July 2025 and, as a registration authority, Waimakariri District Council is responsible for collecting the levy annually on behalf of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
If your food business is registered with us, you will receive an invoice from us in July each year. Any new food businesses will be charged at the time of their registration and then every July thereafter.
Details about the Government levy collection
The levy will be charged per site if you operate under a Food Control Plan (FCP), or per registered business if you operate under a National Programme (NP) and phased in over three years:
- from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 – $66.13 (incl GST)
- from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027– $99.19 (incl GST)
- from 1 July 2027 – $132.25 (incl GST) per year.
Note: Waimakariri District Council has decided to cover the administration costs per invoice raised.
What your business will get from the Food Business Levy:
- Better education and support to meet food safety and suitability requirements.
- Increased monitoring and taking prompt intervention to ensure the food safety system is working well.
- More support for providing a fair, consistent, and risk-appropriate level of verification, registry, and enforcement services to food businesses that do not follow the rules.
- Regular national campaigns to tackle systemic food safety or suitability issues.
- More effective, efficient, and up-to-date rules and standards with input from businesses.
More information
To learn more about the Food Business Levy, head to the MPI website, or you can view the consultation document.
You can also download the flyer for food businesses.
If you need to contact our Environmental Services Unit at the Council, please email esu.admin@wmk.govt.nz or call the Council on 0800 956 468. If you would like to contact MPI directly, please email foodactlevies@mpi.govt.nz.