Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
Farm workers and first‑time farm buyers could soon use their KiwiSaver savings to step onto the property ladder under new legislation introduced this week, a move the Government says will finally recognise the realities of rural life and service tenancies.
The KiwiSaver (First Home or Farm) Amendment Bill, originally drafted by Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne and now adopted by the Government, fixes two long‑standing rules that have kept many rural New Zealanders from using the same first‑home withdrawal available to other KiwiSaver members.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said workers whose jobs come with tied housing—such as farm staff living in service tenancies—have effectively been locked out of their own savings.
“If your job comes with a roof over your head, you should not be locked out of your own savings,” Willis said. “That rule was written with a suburban street in mind, not a farm gate. Rural New Zealand has been wearing the cost of it, and we are fixing that.”
Under the Bill, eligible workers in service tenancies will be able to use KiwiSaver for a first‑home withdrawal even if they cannot immediately move into the property, while first‑time farm buyers will be able to use KiwiSaver towards farmland purchased through a company, trust or partnership they majority own and control, provided the farm is their main home.
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer said the change reflects how farm ownership actually works.
“A farm is a business and a home at the same time, which is why almost nobody buys one in their own name,” he said. “This change means new farm owners start out with less debt around their necks.”
Rural adviser Sarah McKenzie said the proposal could be “a game‑changer” for young couples who have spent years working on farms but felt ownership was out of reach.
“At the moment, they milk someone else’s cows and watch house prices run away from them,” she said. “Giving them access to their own KiwiSaver is basic fairness.”
A farm worker near Te Awamutu, who asked not to be named, said the Bill recognises the contribution of those who keep the rural economy running.
“We look after the land and the stock,” he said. “It’s good to see someone finally looking at how we can own a bit of it too.”
The Bill will now go through the parliamentary process, with ministers framing it as part of a wider effort to “fix the basics and build the future” for those who work the land.
