This pages summaries the regulatory changes that took effect from 14 March 2018 and links to relevant documents.
Graphic images and warning messages
A new set of 14 health warning messages and images have been prepared and will feature on the new tobacco packs. Seven of these images will rotated each year:
The timeline to standardised packaging
The Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill had its first reading on 11 February 2014. See statement from Hon Tariana Turia on Beehive website.
It follows a decision in April 2012 by the Government to agree in principle to introduce a plain packaging regime in alignment with Australia pending the outcome of a public consultation process (published online: 23 July 2012). The public consultation closed on 5 October 2012 and Cabinet considered a report on the consultation on 18 February 2013. The Government decided to proceed with legislation (see statement on Beehive website). The resultant bill was lodged in December 2013 (see statement on Beehive website).
Background documents
Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products
- Standardised Tobacco Products Packaging Draft Regulations: Summary of Submissions
- Cabinet paper: Smoke-free Environments Regulations, May 2017 (pdf, 113 KB)
- Cabinet paper: Smoke-free (Standarisation of Tobacco Packaging and Tobacco Products) Regulations, November 2016 (pdf, 1.7 MB)
- Report on Submission Analysis (Word, 560 KB)
- Regulatory Impact Statement (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Cabinet paper – 27 November 2012 (PDF, 1 MB)
- Cabinet minute – CAB Min (13) 4/16 (Word, 48 KB)
Tobacco Plain Packaging: Approval for drafting
- Cabinet paper – 21 August 2013 (PDF, 3.7 MB)
- Cabinet Social Policy Committee minutes – SOC Min (13) 19/6 (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Cabinet minute – CAB Min (13) 30/5 (PDF, 166 KB)
Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill: Approval for introduction
- Cabinet paper – 11 December 2013 (PDF, 1.7 MB)
- Cabinet Legislation Committee minute – LEG Min (13) 28/7 (PDF, 359 KB)
- Cabinet paper – Standardised Tobacco Product Packaging Update & Next Steps (pdf, 40 KB)
- Cabinet Social Policy Committee minutes – Standardised Tobacco Product Packaging Update & Next Steps cabinet, 11 November 2015 (pdf, 241 KB)
Information that is not related to plain packaging has been removed from these documents.
Some information has been withheld under Official Information Act provisions. Where this has occurred it is noted in the papers next to the redaction.