On the necessity of Right to Repair legislation

 

Austin, G., Blumhardt, H., Pritchett, S., Smith P. (2022) “My Product, My Right to Repair It/Taku Hua, Taku Motika ki te Tapi” in Prendergrast, A. and Prendergrast, K. (eds.) More Zeros and Ones: Digital Technology, Maintenance and Equity in Aotearoa New Zealand (Wellington: Bridget Williams Books Ltd.).  

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Consumer NZ. (2021, Apr 28). Spare parts not available: Why the Consumer Guarantees Act needs repair. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/spare-parts-and-your-right-to-repair

 

Driver, G. (n.d.). Our Tech Tipping Problem. North & South. https://northandsouth.co.nz/2024/05/06/our-tech-tipping-problem/

 

Pritchett, S., Blumhardt, H., Austin, G. & Smith, P. (2022, Oct 13). What happened to No 8 wire? Give us back our right to repair. Newsroom. https://newsroom.co.nz/2022/10/13/what-happened-to-number-8-wire-give-us-back-our-right-to-repair/

 

Sims, A., & O’Sullivan T. (2024). A right to repair in New Zealand? 30 Competition and Consumer Law Journal. 30 pp. 239-268. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4604098

 

Sims, A. (2024, Jun 14). NZ’s right to fix things edges closer. Newsroom. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/06/14/nzs-right-to-fix-things-edges-closer/

 

Sims, A., & O’Sullivan T. (2023, Oct 26). Too Many Products are Easier to Throw Away than Fix NZ Consumers Deserve a Right to Repair. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/too-many-products-are-easier-to-throw-away-than-fix-nz-consumers-deserve-a-right-to-repair-216334

 

Sims, A. (2023, Nov 1). Consumers deserve a ‘right to repair’. The University of Auckland. https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/11/01/right-to-repair-appliances-university-auckland-study.html

 

Sims, A. (2021, Nov 22). The right to repair: good for consumers and the environment. The University of Auckland. https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/11/22/right-to-repair-consumers-and-environment.html

 

Sims, A. (2021, Nov 18). Do we need a right to repair?. The University of Auckland. https://www.thebigq.org/2021/11/18/do-we-need-a-right-to-repair/

 

Smith, P. (2021, Jul 16). Why the Right to Repair is big news. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/right-to-repair-why-you-should-care

 

Smith, P. (2024, May 24). WasteMINZ Keynote. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NHAiqGUCmUqdWECyHd2cQpu921t5nKRU/edit#slide=id.p2

 

Zaw, W. T. (2024, May 29). How long should everyday appliances last? Why NZ needs a minimum product lifespan law. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-long-should-everyday-appliances-last-why-nz-needs-a-minimum-product-lifespan-law-229494

 

On planned obsolescence 

 

Higgins, G. (2023, Oct 3). Why is it so difficult to limit e-waste in New Zealand?. 1 News. https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/10/03/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-limit-e-waste-in-new-zealand/

 

O’Shea, R. (2023, Jul 26). Built to break: Watch out for this environmentally destructive practice. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/built-to-break-watch-out-for-this-environmentally-destructive-practice

 

Sims, A. (2024, Jul 15). Designed to fail: a short history of planned obsolescence. Newsroom. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/07/15/designed-to-fail-a-short-history-of-planned-obsolescence/

 

Smith, P. (2020, Jun 18). Why you should repair your broken appliances. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/opinion-three-repairs-and-a-funeral

 

Smith, P. (2021, Dec). About Consumer NZ's product lifetime scoring. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/with-lifetime-scoring-we-will-only-recommend-appliances-that-last

 

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Academic articles / Reports

 

Blumhardt, H. (2023, Mar). Working Paper: Regulating products, production, and consumption for a circular economy in Aotearoa New Zealand. (pp. 43-51). https://www.waikato.ac.nz/assets/Uploads/Research/Research-Projects/Amiomio-Aotearoa/20.03.2023_Regulating-products-production-and-consumption-for-a-circular-economy_Blumhardt.pdf

 

Hanley, D. A., Kelloway, C. & Vaheesan, S. (2020, Apr). Fixing America: Breaking Manufacturers’ Aftermarket Monopoly and Restoring Consumers’ Right to Repair. Open Markets. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e449c8c3ef68d752f3e70dc/t/5ea8a6d93b485d0feb9b5d6b/1588111098207/Report_RightToRepair_HanleyKellowayVaheesan-1.pdf

 

Ozanne, L. K., Prayag, G., & Sistig, B. (2025). Understanding repair in Aotearoa New Zealand: Attitudes, experiences, and the right to repair. University of Canterbury & Repair Network Aotearoa.

https://www.repaircafeaotearoa.co.nz/_files/ugd/a5ef56_577217d26df846bf8f8d29dece4baa34.pdf

 

Pritchett, S., Austin, G., Blake, V., Blumhardt, H., Driver, K., Smith, P. & Thorne, P. (n.d.). Pathways for Right to Repair in Aotearoa New Zealand. WasteMINZ. https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/files/Product%20Stewardship/Pathways%20for%20right%20to%20repair%20in%20Aotearoa%20New%20Zealand-1--1.pdf

 

Sims, A. & O’Sullivan, T. (2024). A Right to Repair in New Zealand? Competition and Consumer Law Journal. 30 pp. 239-268. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4604098 

 

Zaw, W. T. (2021). Right to Repair: Legal measures to promote the right to repair elements under the New Zealand regulatory framework. The University of Waikato. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OzuBewy7wWXzmhOxMgbhLAMyamRnh3Ct/view?usp=sharing

 

Zaw, W. T. (2022, Jun). The right to repair. New Zealand Law Journal. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cb_Fn6Hf7tXKrPwkmjFNlnQgr-DrJfbL/view?usp=sharing

 

Zaw, W. T. (2022, Jul). The right to repair: How to design new laws. New Zealand Law Journal. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZA22wPtzsjEavadprNiAQpWSxWOQEWQh/view?usp=sharing

 

International best practice

 

European Parliament. (2024, Apr 23). European Parliament legislative resolution of 23 April 2024 on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules promoting the repair of goods… https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0308_EN.html#title2

 

Howard, S. (2024, Jun 16). The great DIY revival: meet the people who’ll try to fix anything. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jun/16/the-great-diy-revival-meet-the-people-wholl-try-to-fix-anything

 

Proctor, N. (2024, Apr 5). 30 states considering Right to Repair so far in 2024. PIRG. https://pirg.org/articles/30-states-considering-right-to-repair-so-far-in-2024/

 

Investigations

 

Duffy, J. (Host). (2022, Jun 9). Cut & Chuck: Where Faulty Goods Go To Die - Part 1 (No. 4) [Audio podcast episode]. In Consume This. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/transcript-consume-this-podcast-episode-4-cut-chuck-where-faulty-goods-go-to-die-part-1

 

Duffy, J. (Host). (2022, Jun 16). Cut & Chuck: Where Faulty Goods Go To Die - Part 2 (No. 4) [Audio podcast episode]. In Consume This. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/transcript-consume-this-podcast-episode-4-cut-chuck-where-faulty-goods-go-to-die-part-2

 

Smith, P. (2022, Jun 14). Broken appliances: are they repaired or dumped?. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/broken-appliances-are-they-repaired-or-dumped

 

Smith, P. (2022, Jun 23). We can’t afford to keep making cheap appliances. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/we-can-t-afford-to-keep-making-cheap-appliances

 

Styles, R. (2022, Nov 17). Right to Repair mystery shop: repair and reliability information lacking. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/right-to-repair-mystery-shop-repair-and-reliability-information-lacking

 

Styles, R. (2022, Nov 29). Right to repair mystery shop part 2: The barriers and solution to tech repairs. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/right-to-repair-mystery-shop-part-2-the-barriers-and-solution-to-tech-repairs

 

On specific products or categories

 

Consumer NZ. (2020, Sep 9). Stick vac convenience comes at a cost. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/stick-vac-convenience-comes-at-a-cost

 

Consumer NZ. (2023, Sep 8). Consumer NZ reveals how long your appliances should last. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/consumer-nz-reveals-how-long-your-appliances-should-last

 

Le Page, J. (2024, Feb 12). Can YouTube and a cheap repair kit save a dying line trimmer?. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/can-youtube-and-a-cheap-repair-kit-save-a-dying-line-trimmer

 

Pratley, V. (2023, Feb 23). Repair cafes: The key to a more sustainable fashion industry. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/repair-cafes-the-key-to-a-more-sustainable-fashion-industry

 

Smith, P. (2019, Aug 9). Faulty kettles: what can you do?. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/faulty-kettles-what-can-you-do

 

Smith, P. (2020, Feb 13). Buying a "greener" vacuum cleaner. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/buying-a-greener-vacuum-cleaner

 

Smith, P. (2023, Sep 4). How long should an appliance last?. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/appliance-life-expectancy

 

Celebrity endorsements of RtR

 

BBC. (2021, Jul 8). Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57763037

 

Guidance on repairs

 

Bennett, E. (2023, May 2). Sucky stick vacuum? Try these simple tips to keep it running longer. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/sucky-stick-vacuum-try-these-simple-tips-to-keep-it-running-longer

 

Gelling, N. (2021, May). We’re making it easier to choose a repairable phone. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/we-re-making-it-easier-to-choose-a-repairable-phone

 

Smith, P. (2023, Jun 13). 5 tips for repairing your appliances. Consumer NZ. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/5-tips-for-repairing-your-appliances

 

Radio/TV interviews

 

Blumhardt, H. & Smith, P. (2023) Why don't Kiwis have the 'right to repair' faulty goods? (1news.co.nz) Fair Go, TVNZ.

 

Liefting, A. (2022) https://www.facebook.com/share/v/seKxzPWaD3mttEmc/ Seven Sharp

 

Pritchett, S. (2022) "Right to Repair" campaign in full swing | RNZ. Afternoons with Jesse, RNZ.

 

Sistig, B. & Pritchett, S. (2021) Bringing a right to repair to our waste minimisation legislation | RNZ Nine to Noon, RNZ.

 

Smith, P. (2018) Obsolescence in appliances and no repairers | RNZ Sunday Morning, RNZ