NZ modern slavery reporting: still coming, and picking up pace
New Zealand’s Modern Slavery Bill has passed the select committee stage, and the government wants it law before New Zealand’s November 2026 election.
If you read our June article, NZ modern slavery: what's coming, and what it means for you, and you've been holding off, now is a good time to take another look.
Where things stand
The Bill has cleared the select committee stage. The committee has reported back on the Bill and recommended it proceed, with a number of amendments to make it work in practice.
Here's the shape of it, as it stands today:
Who it covers
If your business has consolidated revenue over $100 million (assessed across your group) in each of the last two years, you're in scope.
What you have to do
You'll need to publish a statement showing how you find, manage and act on modern slavery risk in your operations and supply chain. Groups can file one statement covering all their subsidiaries, and if you already report under Australia's Modern Slavery Act, that report can count here too.
Who's responsible
Directors and senior managers stay accountable for this, the same as they are for health and safety or financial reporting. Get it right, and your board can sign the statement with confidence.
Your timeline
Most businesses will have up to two years to publish their first statement. That's a real runway, enough to build something solid, if you start using it now.
Why this matters now
Businesses across New Zealand are already taking action. Some are responding to customer questions. Others have leadership teams pushing for it early.
There's a good business case for getting ahead of this. We now know what the law actually requires. It means you're setting the pace with customers who are already asking questions, instead of playing catch up once everyone else has moved.
The time will go fast, especially if you're starting from scratch. Getting your due diligence right, mapping your supply chain, and building a way to collect evidence all takes real work. Start now, and you'll walk into reporting day with a system you're proud of, built at your own pace. The businesses moving early are the ones setting the standard others get judged against.
What to do about it
You don't need to build a full compliance programme today. But you do need to know where you stand.
Tadpole runs a modern slavery gap analysis. We look at your current supply chain, your existing risk processes and your reporting readiness, and tell you plainly what's missing and what to fix first. You'll walk away with a clear view of your risk and a practical, prioritised plan, so you can start building now while you still have time on your side.
The gap analysis takes a few weeks, not months. Book yours now and you'll have real runway left to act on what we find.
If you want to talk it through, get in touch.
NEW ZEALAND: Allan Birch on +64 21 930 992, allan@tadpole.consulting
AUSTRALIA: Alan Adams on +61 428 783 919, alan.adams@tadpole.consulting