As of 1 May 2024, the Treasury’s regulatory functions, including responsibility for the Regulatory Management System, have transferred to the Ministry for Regulation.

Information relating to these functions will be available on both the Treasury and Ministry websites until all information shifts to this website over the next few months.

Cabinet's requirements for regulatory proposals

Cabinet's requirements are designed to encourage systematic and evidence-informed policy development.  The requirements are set out in more detail in a Cabinet circular, and incorporate the Government Expectations for Good Regulatory Practice.  

The Government expects robust analysis and advice to go to Ministers before decisions are taken on regulatory change. This helps support high quality regulation.  

A regulatory impact statement (RIS) is a necessary part of the analysis process – this is a document summarising the best impact analysis and advice for a regulatory proposal.  

Links to guidance on Cabinet's impact analysis requirements are below.

Regulatory Impact Analysis Online (RIA Online) 

RIA Online is the system for administering Cabinet’s impact analysis requirements. 

RIA Online is designed for content that is unclassified or in-confidence. For regulatory proposals involving sensitive content or with a national security classification, please contact the RIA team: RIA.Team@regulation.govt.nz

While RIA Online is currently hosted by the Treasury, it will soon shift to the Ministry and will be accessible through this website. In the meantime, you can access RIA Online via the Treasury website: Impact Analysis Requirements for Regulatory Proposals | The Treasury New Zealand

Regulatory impact statements (RISs)

RISs are done to support the consideration of regulatory proposals by Cabinet.

RISs provide an assessment of:

  • the problem being addressed
  • the options and their associated costs and benefits
  • the consultation undertaken and the views of stakeholders
  • the proposed arrangements for implementation and review.   

 

To ensure an open and transparent regulatory process, RISs are then published at the time the relevant bill is introduced to Parliament or the regulation is gazetted, or at the time of Ministerial release. 

Treasury stopped publishing RISs on their website on Monday 30 September 2024. From 1 October 2024, all new RISs will be published on our Regulatory impact statements (RISs) webpage.

All existing RISs published before 1 October 2024 will remain on the Treasury website for the meantime.

Contact us 

Contact the Regulatory Impact Analysis team at  RIA.Team@regulation.govt.nz if you need advice or information on:

  • RISs
  • Cabinet's impact analysis requirements
  • RIA Online.

Links to guidance and templates 

RIS templates and guidance documents are available on the Treasury website.