The Ministry for Regulation is a New Zealand public service department that advises the

New Zealand Government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...

on policies and issues regarding

regulation Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...

. The Ministry identifies rules and regulations that are superfluous, not working or could be improved, and prepares implementable policies to reform them. It is also responsible for the quality of policy analysis relative to new initiatives across government. It was established on 1 March 2024. The minister responsible is

David Seymour David Breen Seymour (born 24 June 1983) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its ...

Leadership and structure

The Ministry for Regulation is the fourth central agency within the

alongside the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,

Public Service Commission Public Service Commission may refer to: * Public utilities commission ** Alabama Public Service Commission ** Public Service Commission (Indiana) ** Public Service Commission of Utah ** Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ** Public Utilities Com ...

, and the

New Zealand Treasury The New Zealand Treasury () is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the New Zealand Government, Government on economic policy, assisting with improving the performance of Economy of New Zealand, New Zealand' ...

. The Ministry falls under the portfolio of

Minister for Regulation The Minister for Regulation is a minister in the New Zealand Government heading the Ministry for Regulation and responsible for regulation within New Zealand. The current minister is David Seymour, the leader of the ACT Party. History In ...

David Seymour and is headed by chief executive Gráinne Moss.

History

The Ministry for Regulation was created through funding redirected from the former

New Zealand Productivity Commission The New Zealand Productivity Commission (''Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa'') was an independent Crown entity whose purpose was "to provide advice to the Government on improving productivity in a way that is directed to supporting the overal ...

, which was disestablished by the National-led coalition government in late January 2024. The

David Seymour stated that the new ministry would be tasked with assessing the quality of existing and new regulation. The Ministry for Regulation was established on 1 March 2024. On 7 March Gráinne Moss, who had previously been the inaugural chief executive at

Oranga Tamariki (OT), also known as the Ministry for Children and previously the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, is a government department in New Zealand responsible for the well-being of children, specifically children at risk of harm, youth offenders and ...

, was appointed as the first Secretary for Regulation and chief executive of the new Ministry.

Regulatory reviews

On 5 June, the Ministry started its first sector review in

early childhood education Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of Education sciences, education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is ...

. The report, released in December, found New Zealand's early childhood education sector had exposed children to an "unacceptable risk of harm" due to excessive, confusing regulations and unclear oversight responsibilities divided between the Education Ministry and the Education Review Office. The report highlighted rules like specific door handle heights and water temperature controls as poor rule-making. It proposes simplifying around 74% of the 98 licensing criteria, including more flexible teacher qualifications to combat shortages caused by low pay and burnout. Recommendations include unannounced visits for at-risk providers and new compliance mechanisms. Minister David Seymour accepted all 15 suggestions. On 1 August, the Ministry started a review into agricultural and horticultural products. It will focus on the approvals needed for any products used to manage plants and animals. The review was completed in December 2024 and in February 2025 the Government accepted all 16 recommendations from the Review. On 12 December, the Ministry started a review into the hairdressing and barbering industry. The Hairdressing and Barbering Industry Regulatory Review assessed New Zealand’s current regulations for the sector, highlighting that the Health (Hairdressers) Regulations 1980 are outdated and ineffective. The review identified risks such as hygiene concerns, chemical exposure, and workplace hazards, exacerbated by market failures like information asymmetry and external costs. It recommended revoking these regulations, providing updated health and hygiene guidance, and monitoring industry practices for two years to determine if risk-based regulations are needed. Emphasis was placed on aligning the regulatory approach with the relatively low risks of the industry compared to other appearance services like tattooing. The review also noted significant industry trends, including a shift to home-based businesses and a rise in barbering.

References

{{Sixth National Government of New Zealand 2024 establishments in New Zealand Ministries established in 2024

Regulation Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...

Sixth National Government of New Zealand