Five Million Voices

Should the government have new powers to regulate ground-based space infrastructure to manage national security and national-interest risks?

The bill amends the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act to create a regulatory regime for ground-based space infrastructure, with permit requirements, ministerial powers, and exemptions, with detail set through regulations. It was passed through all stages under urgency.

⚡ Taken under urgency

Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (committee of whole house, first reading, second reading, third reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.

MPs’ arguments for and against the bill

Why support it
  • Supporters said the regime enables defensive measures against those who would seek to harm New Zealand's national interest through ground-based space infrastructure.
  • Supporters argued the use of all-stages urgency was justified so the protections could be in place as quickly as possible.
  • Supporters said placing detail in regulations rather than primary legislation allows the regime to be updated to keep pace with developing technology rather than being fixed in statute.
Why oppose it
  • Opponents argued that all-stages urgency left no opportunity to engage with people knowledgeable about space infrastructure, and proposed a mandated post-enactment review to catch any mistakes.
  • Opponents said the question of whether substantive content belongs in primary legislation or in regulation would not receive the usual select committee scrutiny under this process.
  • Opponents raised unresolved practical questions, such as how oversight would operate if a permitted operator on-sold the infrastructure to a foreign actor, and how disabling electricity would work for solar or battery-powered sites.

These are claims MPs made in Parliament’s debate — not verified facts.

Full bill summary & link to official bill page

This bill creates a new regulatory regime for "ground-based space infrastructure" (GBSI) — the earth-based equipment that communicates with satellites and spacecraft, such as facilities for tracking and controlling spacecraft, space surveillance, and receiving satellite data. Operators of such infrastructure in New Zealand would need to be regulated (for example, registered and vetted) so the government can guard against foreign interference and protect national security. Everyday consumer devices like satellite phones, TV dishes and home internet receivers are excluded. The regulator would be the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), with penalties for breaches. It affects companies and organisations that operate ground stations and similar space-support facilities.

It amends the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017, extending regulation from rocket launches into the ground-based support systems that had fallen outside the original law. The government said hostile foreign actors had, over recent years, tried to set up or misuse such infrastructure while concealing military affiliations. The argument for is that it closes a national-security gap, deterring foreign interference and protecting New Zealand's interests and its reputation as a trusted space partner. Potential arguments against include the added compliance cost and regulatory burden for a growing commercial space sector, and questions about how broadly "national interest" screening powers might be applied.

See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.

Oppose (No) Support (Yes)

Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Amendment Bill · Third Reading, 22 Jul 2025
Parliament voted 117–5 — it passed.