Ministry for Regulation news – July 2025

Looking after the system, not just the parts 

A note from Andrew Royle
Acting Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive, Policy

A defining part of our purpose at the Ministry for Regulation is our central stewardship role. We’re here to help the whole regulatory system work better. That sometimes means lifting our sights from individual pieces of legislation or agency responsibilities and taking a broader view of how regulation functions across government and the economy.  

That’s the heart of system stewardship – looking after the whole car, not just the parts. It’s not enough for the engine to be finely tuned if the wheels aren’t aligned. Good regulation depends on all parts working together, across agencies, regimes and sectors to deliver real results for New Zealanders as they go about their days.  

This approach helps us tackle the big issues: ensuring regulatory benefits outweigh costs; agency capability is strong; and markets can deliver the outcomes New Zealanders deserve. We’re not just working within the system – we’re actively working to improve it overall, so that it better serves both ministers and the public. That includes supporting efforts to build capability, helping agencies to lift their regulatory practice and navigate complex, cross-cutting challenges more effectively, and ensuring agencies have the tools to deal with out-dated or unnecessary regulation. 

We’ve seen this play out in areas like agricultural and horticultural product regulation, where a tangle of overlapping rules across agencies was slowing down innovation. Or in the hairdressing and barbering space, where outdated regulations were no longer fit for purpose and were creating unnecessary compliance costs. In each case, our role has been to work alongside regulators, industry and other agencies to map the system, identify pain points, and explore smarter, more coherent ways of regulating. 

System stewardship also means taking a longer view. What does good regulation look like in five, ten or twenty years? How do we ensure our frameworks are flexible, future-focused and ready for the next wave of challenges? 

Excitingly, some of our work is starting to gain international attention – a sign that what we’re building here is not only useful for New Zealand but has broader relevance for modern regulatory systems globally. 

Our mission to improve regulatory practice

Our System Capability team leads the Ministry’s work to identify, define, and share good practice in regulation. This includes developing guidance and setting expectations for regulatory agencies across the sector. Over the past year, our focus has been on building foundational resources — such as the Regulatory Practice Essentials learning modules in RegRoom and our quick guidesopen_in_new — to support a consistent understanding of good regulatory practice.

Looking ahead, we’ll also be helping agencies connect more directly — including facilitating one-on-one conversations on specific or sensitive regulatory issues, enabling targeted, peer-to-peer support. 

We’re also receiving more direct requests from agencies for support or advice. Recent examples include helping with:

• Reviewing a regulatory approach document.
• Determining how to arrange roles and responsibilities within and between regulatory agencies.
• Defining what an engaging regulatory strategy process could look like.
• Reviewing a draft regulatory strategy.
• Sitting on a steering group for a project.

Our approach 

We meet with the right people, listen to the issues they’re facing, and then work out the best way we can support them. That might be connecting them to existing resources like RegRoom modules or our quick guides, linking to useful work by other agencies, reviewing draft material, attending a workshop, or brokering conversations with others in government or academia.

Of course, with 91 regulators in central government alone (and over 250 across the wider sector), it’s not possible to respond in depth to every query we receive. So, we prioritise engagements that align with areas already in our work programme, especially where advice or input can help improve the impact of the Ministry’s guidance and expectations. 

As the System Capability team continues to analyse regulatory systems and work across the sector, we're committed to developing new ways for agencies to deepen their understanding of good regulatory practice. We welcome your ideas, questions, and opportunities to work together. Contact us at systemcapability@regulation.govt.nz

Have you signed up to RegRoom?

RegRoom is our online learning and collaboration platform for people working to develop and administer government regulation in New Zealand. It’s a space for the regulatory community to meet, share ideas, and build their capability. 

There are currently six Regulatory Practice Essentials modules available with another four in development. These modules teach the fundamentals of regulatory practice and are intended to give you a better understanding of the regulatory environment in New Zealand. They provide practical tips and learnings and walk you through the kind of real-life scenarios you could face in your everyday work in regulation.

To register for RegRoom click the link below and use your agency credentials to sign up. You will need to complete the multi-factor authentication, so please keep your device handy for this.

RegRoom signup

Spotlight on our sector reviews

Telecommunications regulatory review

In our last newsletter we shared that the Ministers for Regulation, and Media and Communications had just announced that our fourth regulatory review would look at the telecommunications sector.

The review was prompted by concerns raised by the sector – particularly that while telecommunication services are essential, some existing regulations are outdated and are hampering innovation and investment. 

The review focusses on the key regulatory issues raised by the sector and complements current work by MBIE and the Commerce Commission.  Both agencies are working closely with us to provide information and advice on the regulatory system they are responsible for.

The review began formally with the release of its terms of reference on 3 June.  

Since then, we have finished direct engagement with stakeholders to gather information to help inform a set of options. The review team met with broadband retail service providers, local fibre companies, satellite providers, wireless internet service providers, mobile virtual network operators, industry bodies, consumer and user groups, and dispute resolution organisations. The review team is also engaging with overseas telecommunications regulators to look at good practice in other countries.
 
The set of options will be publicly consulted on through our engagement hubopen_in_new towards the end of August. Following this, we'll deliver a final report with findings and recommendations to the Ministers for Regulation and Media and Communications for their consideration before the end of the year.

Hairdressing and barbering regulatory review

Since our last update, Cabinet has agreed to the recommendations made following our review of the hairdressing and barbering sector. These changes were announced by Regulation Minister Seymour in late May. 

The review found that the current rules were outdated, inconsistently applied, and did not contribute meaningfully to public health or safety outcomes. It also concluded that general health and safety, building, and public health regulations already provide sufficient oversight. 

Key changes as a result of the review include:

• On 31 July 2025, the Health (Hairdressers) Regulations 1980 will be revoked. This means that hairdressers and barbers will no longer have to meet certain requirements in relation to their premises and processes prior to opening and will no longer be required to continue to meet these requirements and/or to pay annual licensing fees to local authorities. 
• The Ministry of Health is developing public health guidance for hairdressers and barbers, which will be available before the end of July.
• Local authorities will no longer have to carry out tasks related to implementing the regulations (such as Environmental Health Officers conducting visits, and customer service staff processing payments). They will no longer receive payments from hairdressers and barbers for annual licensing. 
• All other regulatory and legislative requirements – such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, and the Health Act 1956 – will continue to apply for hairdressers and barbers. 

For more information, see the final report of the review.

Rapid reviews

Our regulatory response team is tackling regulatory issues across the country that are holding back people and businesses from getting on with getting things done. Many of these issues are reported through the Red Tape portal on our website.open_in_new

Relief for grieving families

We responded to concerns about outdated probate thresholds that were causing unnecessary legal burdens for grieving families. Our rapid review found the threshold hadn’t been updated since 2009, despite a 48% rise in inflation. The Ministry recommended raising the threshold to better reflect today’s economic reality, making it easier to distribute smaller estates without court involvement.

Minister Seymour supported the change and has formally recommended it to the Minister of Justice. The proposed update aims to reduce stress and administrative costs for families during an already difficult time. Read more

Reducing Compliance Burden for Gift Cards

We recently completed a rapid review of AML/CFT rules affecting gift cards, prompted by concerns from a major retailer. The review found that current regulations were unclear and burdensome, despite gift cards posing low money laundering risk. The Department of Internal Affairs has since published best practice guidance to help businesses comply more effectively. These changes aim to reduce unnecessary compliance costs while maintaining appropriate safeguards – a win for businesses and consumers. Read more