We’re a central agency responsible for helping other government agencies to make their rules and regulations easier for New Zealanders to navigate.
The Ministry for Regulation is a small Government agency with a big job to do.
The Ministry was established on 1 March 2024, to strengthen New Zealand’s regulatory management system and to improve regulatory quality, including the experience that New Zealanders have of complying with regulation.
We are focused on lifting quality across all regulatory systems and supporting agencies with regulatory responsibilities to align with good practice. It is important New Zealand has sound regulatory settings to support a modern, open market economy.
The Ministry has four key functions:
- Ensure the quality of new regulation
- Improve the functioning of existing regulatory systems
- Raise the capability of those who design and operate regulatory systems
- Provide continuous and enduring improvements to the regulatory management system
Good regulation benefits us all – we all drive on the left side of the road, we can trust that our food is safe to eat, and our innovators can get legal protections for their ideas. But poorly designed and implemented regulation makes it difficult for businesses to innovate and grow and adds cost to our economy.
In recent years, we’ve seen more businesses reporting that government regulation is a barrier to innovation and growing their businesses.[1]
The Ministry works with regulators across government to improve the quality of what they do and how they do it – and in turn, support an improvement in outcomes and the lives of all New Zealanders.
We want rules and regulations to enable New Zealanders to do more - leading to more productive use of people’s time, and better outcomes for those who want to get things done. We want it to be easier for businesses to innovate, grow and comply – while still knowing that the benefits from regulation that we take for granted, won’t change.
The Ministry is one of five current central public service agencies, alongside the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission, the Treasury and the Social Investment Agency.
Central agencies guide the wider public service. For us, our responsibility is to help other government agencies with the rules and regulations that they create and use.
Existing functions
The Cabinet decision to establish the Ministry for Regulation in January 2024 included that two functions, one from the Treasury and one from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) would shift to the new Ministry. On 1 May 2024, 16 roles from these teams came over to become the first permanent staff members of the Ministry.
Regulatory reviews
Regulatory reviews are a new, core function of the Ministry for Regulation. Visit the webpage for more information:
Information releases
The Ministry publishes information considered to be of interest to the public, including Cabinet papers and minutes we proactively release, responses to Official Information Act (OIA) requests and the Chief Executive’s expenses.
Corporate publications
The Ministry publishes corporate publications about our plans and performance, and how we’re meeting our statutory obligations.
Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA)
As of 1 May 2024, the Treasury’s regulatory functions, including responsibility for the Regulatory Management System, have transferred to the Ministry for Regulation.
Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA)
The Ministry for Regulation | Te Manatū Waeture: our bilingual name
The Ministry for Regulation has worked with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – The Māori Language Commission to develop a te reo Māori name that will sit alongside our English name. The name suggested by Te Taura Whiri is Te Manatū Waeture.
The name, as suggested by Te Taura Whiri, defines the Ministry’s core purpose – to elevate the quality of regulatory systems and ensure that agencies align with best practice. Manatū asserts the Ministry’s authoritative and guiding role. Waeture is the translation of the word regulation. The word also infers the clearing of pathways, the breaking down of complexity, and the elimination of barriers to enhance efficiency.
The Ministry has updated our logo to reflect the introduction of our te reo Māori name.
The name clearly outlines the function of the Ministry to Māori language speakers, follows the Guidelines for Māori Language Orthography (by the inclusion of ‘Te’) and established naming practice of Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori.
Te Manatū Waeture is a definitive statement and commitment to leading agencies, promoting exemplary practices, and ensuring that regulatory systems are both healthy and forward-thinking.
The use of te reo Māori, bilingual signage and te reo Māori names of Ministries and Departments signal that te reo Māori is valued. As a government ministry, it is quite normal to have a bilingual name, and for Māori speakers to use it.