Ministry for Regulation news – December 2025

Kia ora

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to thank you for your support and engagement with the Ministry for Regulation. It’s been a year of real progress towards smarter, more responsive regulation that works for people and businesses.

One of the biggest milestones is the passing of the Regulatory Standards Act, which sets a benchmark for good regulation and will come into force early next year. This is a significant step in lifting the quality of regulation across New Zealand and making it clear where rules meet responsible standards. We’re already working on guidance and tools to help agencies implement the Act effectively.

We’re also proud of the recognition we received at the HRNZ Awards, which reflects the capability and commitment of our small but mighty Ministry. And, as our summer interns join us, we’re excited to help grow the next generation of regulatory leaders. Their fresh perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the system.

Looking ahead, we’ll keep building on this momentum. From implementing the Act to progressing sector reviews and sharing insights from our Red Tape Tipline, these efforts are all about clearing away rules that don’t serve people or the economy and enabling innovation. Our recent Industrial Hemp review is a great example of proportionate regulation delivering real benefits.

From all of us at the Ministry, best wishes for the holiday season. We’ll be taking a short break from 25 December and reopening on 5 January, ready to continue delivering better outcomes for everyone. 

Ngā mihi nui,
Gráinne Moss
Secretary for Regulation and Chief Executive
Ministry for Regulation

The impact of better regulation

Since March 2024, we’ve been assessing the impact of our proposed regulatory changes, from quick fixes to major reviews and the results speak for themselves:

• $223–$337 million in estimated net public benefit over 10 years.
• Every $1 invested projected to deliver $11–$17 in public benefit over 10 years.
• Regulatory changes already made worth between $19 and $61 million over 10 years.

There’s more to come. We are currently reviewing NZ’s telco, hospitality, and product labelling sectors to find where we can fix outdated, overlapping and confusing rules that could be holding back growth. 

Read more

Setting the standard: The Regulatory Standards Act 2025

The Regulatory Standards Act 2025 was passed on 18 November 2025, setting new standards for good regulation through principles based on sound law-making and economic efficiency. Its goal is to improve regulatory quality and reduce unnecessary or poor regulation by making it transparent where regulation meets, or falls short of, responsible standards.

What's next?

We’re progressing the significant work needed to implement the Act, including developing statutory guidance, resources, and tools to support agencies in assessing legislation against the principles.

Requirements for agencies will come into force by Order in Council in the first half of 2026, or by 1 July 2026 at the latest. The Act also establishes a Regulatory Standards Board, and recruitment for the chair and members is now underway. 

See board vacanciesopen_in_new

From red tape to green growth

Last week, Minister Seymour announced the outcome of our Industrial Hemp Review. By removing licences for growing and handling hemp and setting a clear THC threshold (less than 1%), we’ve replaced complexity with common sense.

The benefits are significant: our analysis shows $7.5m in net benefits over 10 years and around $41m over 20 years, with wider gains as the market grows. That’s productivity unlocked and innovation enabled – exactly what good regulation should deliver.

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Serving up change

Submissions on our Hospitality Regulatory Review closed in November with more than 180 cafes, restaurants, bars, industry groups and regulators from across the country taking time to tell us what regulation they would like fixed. We are reviewing this feedback to identify key regulatory issues for next year. Keep an eye on our website for further updates. 

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Building smarter regulation together

Regulatory problem solving workshops

Earlier this month, we created space for a highly interactive workshop in Wellington with Australian experts Adam Beaumont and Dr Grant Pink. The sessions were attended by 45 regulatorsopen_in_new across 13 central and regional agencies and focused on precision problem definition, team diversity, and embedding regulatory culture into everyday practice. 

CLEAR 8th International Congress

Gráinne Moss and Kevin Counsel (our Chief Economist) took centre stage at CLEAR’s conference in Wellington earlier this month. Gráinne examined evolving government expectations and the broader regulatory narrative, while Kevin shared insights into the microeconomic underpinnings of occupational regulation including disclosure, licensing, competition dynamics and public protection.
See his recap, including slides, on LinkedInopen_in_new

Trans Tasman regulatory insights

In November, Alex McMinn (Head of our Regulatory Systems Capability team) was featured in Allen + Clarke’s Navigating Shifting Regulatory Landscapes: Trans Tasman insights webinar. The conversation highlighted shared pressures like fast-moving risks, legislative lag, and budget constraints. Alex emphasised the value of a system-wide view, the systemic issues flagged by regulators, and how the Ministry is supporting leaders to build capability and respond adaptively.

Watch the discussionopen_in_new (Alex is featured from 36 minutes).

As we look ahead, our focus remains on sector collaboration, boosting capability, and developing new regulatory problem-solving tools. Keep an eye out for our upcoming events and resources on our website and if you have system topics you think would be good as a future event to get in touch with us directly at systemcapability@regulation.govt.nz.

New RSAB guidance released

We’re pleased to announce the release of new guidance for developing Regulatory Systems Amendment Bills (RSABs). RSABs are omnibus bills that make small fixes across multiple Acts. They are designed to improve, repair and maintain legislation. RSABs are a key tool for regulatory stewardship, helping agencies keep their regulatory systems fit for purpose.

The guidance provides:

• An explanation of what RSABs are and why they matter
• Step-by-step instructions for developing an RSAB
• Advice on stakeholder engagement and parliamentary processes

A special thanks to the RSAB inter-agency group and especially MBIE and PCO for their valuable input.

Read the guidanceopen_in_new

Strengthen your regulatory practice

Almost 1000 NZ regulatory professionals are already upskilling their regulatory practice with RegRoom. Are you on board yet?

As the year wraps up, it’s a great time to invest in your professional growth. RegRoom is our online space for New Zealand regulators to learn, collaborate, and strengthen regulatory practice. RegRoom includes:

• Free, practical resources tailored for NZ regulators
• Courses, tools, and a community focused on better regulation
• Flexible learning at your own pace.

Find out more

The road cone problem: Why traffic management needs a rethink

Dr Isabelle Sin, our Lead Economic Advisor, challenges New Zealand’s approach to temporary traffic management. For years, a 567-page code has driven excessive caution, frustration, and inefficiency. A new guide is progress, but without deeper reforms, expect more cones, more costs, and more disruption. 

Read more