Wellington, August 9, 2025 — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand convened in Wellington for their annual bilateral summit, underscoring the enduring strength of the trans-Tasman alliance.
The leaders celebrated the deep-rooted ties between their nations, highlighting shared values, mutual trust, and the seamless movement of people that fuels economic, cultural, and community integration. Both acknowledged the foundational role of Indigenous communities—Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and New Zealand’s Māori—in shaping national identity and cultural heritage.
Amid rising global uncertainty, the two leaders pledged to intensify cooperation on regional peace and security. They reaffirmed their commitment to the Trans-Tasman Roadmap to 2035, a strategic framework guiding joint efforts in economic reform, regulatory alignment, and resilience-building.
Key outcomes included:
- Advancing the Single Economic Market (SEM) to boost innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.
- Harmonizing standards and removing trade barriers through a new partnership between national standards bodies.
- Coordinating economic reform agendas, including New Zealand’s Going for Growth and Australia’s productivity initiatives.
- Strengthening collaboration on housing affordability, skills development, and business compliance.
Senior officials were tasked with identifying high-impact areas for future reform ahead of the Central Agency Heads’ meeting later this year.