New Zealand accident rates for smaller aircraft and helicopters were on average five times higher than in the US
The report might mean something if it actually compares apples with apples.
From what I can understand some incidents/accidents that are recorded here in NZ are not recorded as such in the US, this skews the figures for a start.
I suspect that the relatively small number of flying hours here in NZ also skews the accident rate per 100,000 flying hours.
Probably the most accurate indicator of accident rates is what we pay for insurance and I know we don't pay 5 times as much as they do in the US.
All said and done there is always room for improvement.