Ministry for Regulation news – September 2025

Kia ora 

I am delighted to share that this month we officially launched RegRoom, our new online platform designed to foster regulatory learning and connection across the government. At the launch event, I had the honour of acknowledging the dedication and hard work of many of our regulatory colleagues over the years, which has brought us to this exciting milestone.

As a central agency, our role is to support and enhance regulatory practices throughout the public service. The creation of RegRoom represents a significant step in that direction. This platform is tailored for everyone involved in regulation, whether you are leading a regulatory agency, shaping policy, or advising on implementation. RegRoom aims to build a shared understanding, elevate capabilities, and facilitate better regulatory decisions.

I encourage you to dive into RegRoom, share it with your teams, and consider how it can be integrated into your learning and development programs. Whether you are new to the field of regulation or a seasoned expert, RegRoom has something valuable to offer you.

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

RegRoom is live

RegRoom is the first cross-government space dedicated to regulatory learning and collaboration — built by regulators, for regulators.

What’s inside? 
At the heart of RegRoom is the Regulatory Practice Essentials (RPE) series — ten plain-language, scenario-based modules that bring regulatory practice to life.
They’re designed to be snackable, interactive, and rich in content and will help you develop the knowledge, skills and mindset to do your job better.

Learn anytime, anywhere
Each module is flexible, self-paced, and can be completed in as little as 20 minutes. Your progress is tracked as you go, so you can pick up right where you’ve left off.

Build good practice across the sector
Each module helps you apply consistent tools, terms, and methods. So, whether you're in fisheries, finance, or food safety, you're speaking the same language of good regulatory practice.

Interactive activities
These include drag-and-drop matching, flip cards, and short quizzes. They aren’t just for fun — they help you check your understanding of key terms and issues in real time.

Infographics and animations
Complex concepts are broken down into simple, visual explanations. You’ll find “day in the life” stories, animations, and interactive diagrams.

Agency examples and carousels
Real-world examples of challenges regulators face and how to handle them. You’ll see how good practice plays out across different domains — not just your own.

Expert videos
Hear directly from senior regulatory leaders about what good practice looks like in the real world.

Learning checks and next steps
Every module ends with a quick comprehension check and links to dive deeper into the topics.

The 10 topics covered by the modules are:

1. Regulation in New Zealand
2. Regulatory compliance activities
3. Regulatory systems and stewardship
4. Professional conduct
5. Engaging as a regulator
6. Communicating with regulated parties
7. Regulatory approaches, models and tools
8. The judiciary and the law
9. Evidence-based regulatory practice (coming soon)
10. Regulatory investigations and evidence (coming soon)

Coming soon: Communities of practice
Later this year we will launch our Communities of Practice in RegRoom. These are online spaces where regulators can connect, problem-solve, and exchange insights across domains.

Get started now
RegRoom is free for people working in regulation in New Zealand. Log in with Single Sign-On and start exploring the modules that fit your role. Guidance is coming soon for L&D teams on how to integrate the modules into your learning pathways.

Go to RegRoom

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the following regulatory professionals who contributed their time and expertise to the development of the RegRoom modules: Pelin Fantham, WorkSafe; David Rauscher, LINZ; Jane Turner, CAA; Warwick Smith, IRD; Anita Murrell, DoC; Lisa Docherty, Maritime NZ; and Andrew Walker, Customs.

These members of our reference and working groups have helped shape the content to ensure it reflects real-world regulatory practice. RegRoom is a true cross-agency effort, made stronger through their generous contributions.

Stepping into leadership

We have published a series of short videos featuring personal reflections from senior leaders in regulation. They offer practical insights for anyone stepping into leadership, growing in their role, or navigating complex situations. The first series features distinguished regulator Keith Manch who talks about relationships, leading people, and driving innovation in regulation.

Check out the series

Room for improvement in regulatory impact analysis

We have released a report assessing how well ministerial portfolios are meeting Cabinet’s requirements for regulatory impact analysis (RIA).
What we found:
Most portfolios are meeting the requirements, but there’s room for improvement in the quality of analysis and reducing the number of proposals missing analysis.
Why it matters:
Regulatory impact analysis helps Ministers and Cabinet make informed decisions by setting out:

• The scope of the issue being addressed, and why government action is needed
• Options, costs, and benefits of the proposal
• Who was consulted
• How changes will be implemented, monitored and reviewed.

Read the report

Webinar series

The art of good regulation: Regulatory Stewardship – fit for purpose in a changing world

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) and the Ministry for Regulation invite you to a new webinar in The art of regulation series.

Erin King, Manager Regulatory Stewardship at the Ministry for Regulation, will explain the key concepts behind regulatory system stewardship, government expectations in this area, and ideas for how to get started.

Todd Krieble and Christina Leung will comment, drawing on their experience working with government, industry and civil society to highlight the importance of good regulatory system stewardship for New Zealand’s social and economic prosperity.

Register nowopen_in_new

This is the third webinar in a three-part series, if you missed the first two you can find them here:

Webinar 1: Practical insights for better outcomesopen_in_new
Webinar 2: Why strong institutions and good systems matteropen_in_new