NZ workshops point to Australia's right-to-repair scheme as both major parties back reform

Workshops define what access they need

New Zealand's independent workshop leaders have set out what they want from right-to-repair legislation, pointing to Australia's scheme as proof that repair access and manufacturer intellectual property can coexist, AutoTalk Australia reports. The Choice of Repairer Industry Leaders Group met after both of the country's major parties committed to reform ahead of the election, with Labour pledging fair access to repair information and National committing, if re-elected, to progress Northcote MP Dan Bidois' member's bill. ¹²

The ILG says workshops need vehicle-specific specifications, diagnostic information and software access to finish work they are already trained to do. 'The repair skills are already in the workshop. The missing piece is access,' ILG chair Peter Morton says, adding that 'a technician should not have to send a customer elsewhere because the final step in a repair is locked behind a manufacturer's system.' ¹²

Pit Stop managing director Chris Ring says much of the information once found in handbooks and workshop manuals is now digital. 'A technician may need access to a greyed-out diagnostic function, a manufacturer's fault-code information, or a technical service bulletin explaining a known problem and its correction. After a repair, they may need to reinitialise a component or perform the required reset,' he says. ¹²

Ring also rejects the suggestion that access would shift responsibility for workmanship to manufacturers. 'We stand behind our work now. We will continue to stand behind it,' he says, noting that giving workshops access to the correct information does not transfer responsibility for their workmanship to the manufacturer. Midas New Zealand chief executive Jason Wilson adds that technicians are not asking to be taught their trade, but need the manufacturer's information for the particular vehicle in front of them. ¹²

Labour pledges fair access to repair information

Labour announced its right-to-repair policy at Midas Manukau in early October, promising independent mechanics access to the manuals, software and tools needed to fix modern cars, RNZ reported. Consumer affairs spokesperson Arena Williams said workshops were having to turn away work because they could not access that information. 'Your car belongs to you. You should be able to choose who fixes it,' Williams said. ⁶³

Williams told RNZ that Teslas, Jeeps and other cars manufactured after 2021 often had lockout software meaning local mechanics were unable to complete repairs. She said workshops could fix the entire problem, such as with fuelling or a cam belt, but could not turn off the dash warning light, forcing the customer to a manufacturer-approved repairer at a cost of more than $150 for that service alone. ⁶

The pledge sits alongside Labour's wider motoring package, which includes a three-year fuel tax freeze, weekly Commerce Commission fuel price reporting, a ban on secret finance commissions at car yards and 14-day penalty-free cancellation of add-on insurance, AutoTalk Australia reports. The proposed right-to-repair changes would depend on Labour winning government and passing the necessary legislation. ⁴³

Australia's scheme held up as the model

The ILG points out that Australia's Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme, in force since July 2022, excludes trade secrets and software source code and provides paid access to service and repair information with copyright protections and compensation provisions. The group supports credentials and safeguards for restricted safety and security information, drawing on the Australian approach. ¹²

'We want to fix the car, not copy it,' Morton says. 'Access to a wiring diagram, a fault code or a service bulletin is a very different proposition from obtaining the designs or source code to reproduce a vehicle. We are seeking fair access on fair commercial terms.' He says the ILG will work with the next government to turn the commitments into law. ¹²

Australian figures have featured prominently in the New Zealand debate. Williams told RNZ that Australia brought in a right to repair for cars in 2022, making repairs at mechanics 25 per cent cheaper on average than dealerships, and that a review by Australia's Treasury found A$2.5 billion was being saved for motorists. She argued the change could make an even bigger difference in New Zealand because it has an even more complicated fleet of cars, owing to its second-hand imports. ⁶³

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association has welcomed Labour's commitment, calling it 'a significant step forward for Choice of Repairer in New Zealand'. The AAAA says it has supported New Zealand industry representatives advocating for changes modelled on Australia's scheme and looks forward to continuing that work. Williams says a right to repair means the mechanic down the road gets a fair shot at the customer's business. ⁴

Compliance pressure within the Australian scheme

The Australian scheme that New Zealand's workshops are citing is not static. AutoTalk Australia reports that the ACCC is testing compliance with the scheme, having taken Subaru Australia to the Federal Court over alleged breaches, while Kia, BYD and Mazda cut repairer access costs after separate investigations. ¹

Individual brands have also engaged with the scheme on their own terms. Xpeng confirmed in June it is working with the Australian Automotive Service and Repair Authority to support the information-sharing requirements, with technical onboarding expected to be completed in the coming months, AutoTalk New Zealand and Autofile both reported. 'Supporting the right to repair is the right thing to do. Customers should have the freedom to choose where they service their vehicle,' Xpeng ANZ national service development manager Brenton Dalton says. ⁵⁸

A difficult path for earlier reform efforts

The cross-party commitments mark a shift from the fate of an earlier attempt. The Repair Network Aotearoa Coalition has documented that the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill attracted more than 95 per cent support among 1250 submissions, yet the select committee majority recommended the bill not proceed further. Its second reading, scheduled for 22 October 2025, did not occur after principal sponsor Marama Davidson was not present in the House, and the bill was removed from the Order Paper and effectively discharged. ⁷⁸

The coalition's briefing ahead of the 2026 election also points to wider international context, noting that the EU Right to Repair Directive applies from 31 July 2026 and that the US, UK and Australia have already passed repair legislation. Against that backdrop, the ILG's renewed push in July and the major parties' subsequent commitments give New Zealand's automotive right-to-repair campaign its strongest political footing yet, though the shape of any final law will depend on the election outcome and the legislation that follows. ⁷²