Delegations to Associate Ministers

Roles/Responsibilities

ACC operations relating to individual client and levy payer matters;

Matters relating to ACC’s work to achieve improved experiences and outcomes for Māori;

ACC’s operations relating to injury prevention activity relevant to the road safety portfolio, including the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council;

Attending events, as requested by the Minister for ACC;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Functions and responsibilities within the Agriculture portfolio relating to:

• animal welfare;
• Māori agribusiness;
• rural women;
• walking access, including matters relating to the New Zealand Walking Access Commission;
• residential and trades training for the food and fibre sector, including Te Pūkena, Workforce Development Councils, and dedicated campuses and training facilities, excluding the development of ongoing education at the Taratahi and Telford campuses;
• the development of youth awareness of the wide-ranging career opportunities within the food and fibre sector;
• the making of Orders under the Commodity Levies Act;
• progressing changes to the Horticulture Export Authority Regulations;
• working with the Minister of Rural Communities on issues of farmer health;
• other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters within the portfolio relating to:

• Pukeahu War Memorial Park, including responsibilities under the National War Memorial Act 1992;
• Oversight and funding of Creative NZ, Te Matatini, Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga and Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision, and matters within the portfolio relating to the National Library and Archives New Zealand;
• Statutory responsibility for the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981 (with the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage retaining responsibility for any policy and legislative changes);
• Statutory functions concerning the Protected Objects Act 1975 and National Historic Landmarks (with the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage retaining responsibility for any policy and legislative changes);
• Matters relating to the Regional Culture and Heritage Fund, and Heritage EQUIP Fund (in conjunction with the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage if there are significant changes to the policy settings of the Funds);
• Digital publishing, including Te Tai Treaty Settlement Stories;
• National monuments (excluding the creation of new national monuments), historic graves and war graves, including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission;
• Policy responsibility for the strengthening heritage protection workstream;
• Providing comments on the Minister’s behalf to the Minister for the Environment and/or expert consenting panels on applications made through the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 process;
• Policy responsibility for the work programme to equip Māori to achieve their aspirations for toi Māori through authentic partnership and whanaungatanga, including the strengthening kapa haka infrastructure workstream;
• Leading matters relating to Matariki;
• Oversight of the time-limited Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kotuku programme;
• Policy responsibilities for, and the oversight and funding of, the Pukaki ki Rotorua Charitable Trust;
• Policy oversight of the Ministry for Arts, Culture and Heritage’s Whakaaetanga Tiaki Taonga (cultural redress agreements) with iwi/hapu through Treaty of Waitangi settlements and Manatu Taonga’s contribution to the whole-of-government response to the WAI262 report;

Attending cultural sector events, as requested by the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Assistance in liaising with Members of Parliament;

Assistance in liaising with the Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce;

Assistance with matters relating to insurance;

Assistance with developing extreme weather-related legislation;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Ka Hikitia Ka Hāpaitia / Tau Mai Te Reo implementation;

Māori-Medium and Kaupapa Māori Pathways and Mātauranga Māori;

Māori-Medium and Kaupapa Māori schooling network;

Te Reo Māori in education;

Working to address systemic racism, discrimination and bullying to build teacher and system competence and to support Māori learner wellbeing and success (specifically the implementation of Te Hurihanganui);

Leading work on the government’s response to post-Treaty settlements where they relate to education, including the Kaupapa Inquiry Programme and the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust’s Waitangi Tribunal claim and subsequent recommendations;

Responsibility for the functions of the Minister of Education under the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Act 1945, including Board appointments;

Responsibility for the functions of the Minister of Education under the Ōtaki and Porirua Trusts Act 1943, including Board appointments;

Leading the relationship with Māori and Māori organisations;

Responsibilities of the Minister of Education relating to Wānanga, under the Education and Training Act 2020 as amended in 2023;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Responsibility for Early Childhood Education policy and operations, including network planning and approval;

Developing good working relationships with the Early Childhood Advisory Committee;

Monitoring progress on the implementation of the Early Learning Action Plan, and prioritising actions in consultation with the sector;

Investigating and reporting back to the Minister on how funding models for Early Childhood Education can continue to contribute to government priorities to improve choice, equity and quality;

Working with officials and providers on strategies to improve the quality of and access to Pacific Early Childhood Education;

Responsibility for Pacific Education, including the implementation of the Pacific Implementation Plan;

Responsibility for the work undertaken by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO;

Responsibility for the work undertaken by the Education Review Office in its role as New Zealand's education review office, including Ministerial oversight of the Office;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Working with the Minister for the Environment on the implementation of resource management reform on matters related to Māori rights and interests;

Matters within the Environment portfolio relating to Treaty/Crown-Iwi Accords (the Minister for the Environment retains responsibility for any statutory functions and powers relating to these matters);

Responsibility for policy development and other matters within the Environment portfolio relating to air quality, including responsibility for matters relating to the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Air Quality) Regulations 2004;

Matters relating to the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water) Regulations 2007 (the Minister for the Environment retains responsibility for overall freshwater policy);

Operational oversight of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), including assisting the Minister for the Environment in setting the strategic direction of the EPA but excluding specified statutory functions of the Minister for the Environment under environmental legislation;

Working with the Minister for the Environment on policy development and other matters relating to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996;

Responsibility for the administration of the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Telecommunications Facilities) Regulations 2016, and assistance on matters relating to telecommunications policy from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Responsibility for policy development and other matters relating to biodiversity, specifically:

• the proposed National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity, including responsibility for exercising the Ministerial functions and powers to develop national direction and other regulations under the Resource Management Act 1991 (and any successor legislation);
• working with the Minister of Conservation on matters within the Environment portfolio relevant to the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, including policy development and implementation;
• responsibility for the Resource Management (Exemption) Regulations 2017;
   

Responsibilities in respect of the Environmental Reporting Act 2015, including policy responsibility for any amendments to or reform of the Act;

Working with the Minister for the Environment on the review of the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters within the portfolio relating to waste minimisation, waste management and circular economy initiatives;

Assisting the Minister for the Environment on the implementation of resource management reform;

Assisting the Minister for the Environment on marine mining issues.

Roles/Responsibilities

Assistance with work relating to Māori access to capital;

Assistance with work relating to the wellbeing approach, including the development and application of the Living Standards Framework and He Ara Waiora;

Responsibility for the Enabling Good Lives system transformation at Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People, including a work programme on fiscal sustainability;

All responsibilities, functions and powers of the Minister of Finance under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to:

• grant, decline, and impose conditions on, applications for consent;
• revoke consents and vary conditions of consent;
• grant, decline, and impose conditions on, individual exemptions under the Act;

All responsibilities, functions and powers of the Minister of Finance in relation to community trusts under the Community Trusts Act 1999, and responsibility for policy relating to community trusts and the Community Trusts Act 1999;

Day-to-day responsibilities, functions and powers of the Minister of Finance relating to the Public Trust (this delegation is subject to specified exclusions, eg relating to board appointments, providing Crown funding or advancing money to the Public Trust, requirements to pay a profit or surplus funds to the Crown, consent to borrowing, and determinations about amounts of reserves);

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Responsibilities relating to proposals made by the Minister of Finance in relation to those appropriations in Vote Finance for which he is responsible;

Responsibilities of the Minister of Finance in relation to appropriations in Vote Sport and Recreation for which the Minister for Sport and Recreation is responsible;

Assistance with work relating to Budgets and fiscal management;

Assistance with work on expenditure control;

All responsibilities, functions and powers of the Minister of Finance in relation to Greater Christchurch Regeneration (other than any relating to Ōtākaro Ltd);

Day-to-day responsibilities, functions and powers as a shareholder in the following Crown-owned companies: Airways Corporation of NZ Ltd, Animal Control Products Ltd, AsureQuality Ltd, Kordia Group Ltd, Meteorological Service of NZ Ltd, Quotable Value Ltd, Education Payroll Ltd, Health Benefits Ltd, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, AgResearch Ltd, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science Ltd, Landcare Research NZ Ltd, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, NZ Forest Research Institute Ltd, the NZ Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (this delegation is subject to specified exclusions, eg, relating to appointment and remuneration of directors, approval of major transactions, changes to the companies’ constitutions, and requirements to pay a dividend or net surplus to the Crown);

Assistance with oversight and all related issues regarding New Zealand Green Investment Finance Ltd;

Assistance with work relating to public sector carbon neutrality, including the State Sector Decarbonisation Fund;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Assistance with policy work relating to monetary policy and the review of the Reserve Bank Act 1989;

Assistance on tax policy;

Policy work on the Venture Capital Fund;

Specified responsibilities, functions and powers of the Minister of Finance under the Overseas Investment Act 2005;

Day-to-day responsibilities, functions and powers as a shareholder in the following Crown-owned companies: Electricity Corporation of NZ Ltd, Landcorp Farming Ltd, NZ Post Ltd, Transpower NZ Ltd, REANZ Ltd, The Network for Learning Ltd and NZ Growth Capital Partners Ltd (this delegation is subject to specified exclusions, e.g., relating to appointment and remuneration of directors, approval of major transactions, changes to the companies’ constitutions, and requirements to pay a dividend or net surplus to the Crown);

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Providing strategic leadership on a number of thematic issues for Aotearoa
New Zealand’s engagement in the Pacific Islands region, including:

• Pacific arts, culture and heritage, including connections with Pacific diasporas;
• Education, including the University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships programme in the Pacific;
• Pacific Oceans and Fisheries, including the US Tuna Treaty negotiations and, in co-operation with the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and the sustainable blue economy;
• Labour mobility development cooperation (noting that the Minister of Immigration is responsible for the domestic policies that facilitate labour mobility);

Advocating for Small Island Developing States’ interests in international fora (United Nations, OECD), including at the UN Small Island Developing States Conference and as Aotearoa New Zealand’s advocacy champion for small States under the United Nations – Commonwealth Small States Advocacy Strategy;

Representing Aotearoa New Zealand as agreed on a case-by-case basis at internationally focused events and meetings at home or abroad;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Overall responsibility for Te Aka Whai Ora, in consultation with the Minister of Health, comprising matters relating to:

• Māori health;
• Māori mental wellbeing;
• Māori workforce development;
• The New Zealand Blood Service and organ donation;
• Rongoā Māori;
• Injury prevention;

Appointments to the following Ethics Committees:

• Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology;
• Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology;
• Health and Disability Ethics Committees;
• National Ethics Advisory Committee;

All matters within the portfolio relating to:

• Pacific health;
• Development of the Pacific Health Strategy;
• Pacific Peoples health workforce development;
• Pacific Peoples mental wellbeing;
• The relationship with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples;
• Pacific providers;

Embedding the 'health in all policies' approach in the reformed health system with respect to:

• Nutrition and physical activity;
• Obesity and diabetes;

All matters within the portfolio relating to:

• Polynesian Health Coridor;
• Burials and cremations (other than responsibility for the statistics that are collected under the Burial and Cremation Act 1964);

All matters relating to Older Person's Health, including:

• Aged care;
• Palliative care;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters relating to Women’s Health that encompass:

• Maternity, including newborn screening and Kahu Taurima;
• Abortion services;
• Surgical mesh;
• Women’s cancer screening, including breast and cervical cancers;

All matters within the Health portfolio relating to:

• Eating disorders;
• Perinatal and maternal mental health;
• Drinking water, including fluoridation
• Environmental health;
• Rural health and the development of the rural health strategy’
• Youth health, including mental health;
• Children’s health as it pertains to Well Child/Tamariki Ora;
• Rheumatic fever;

Embedding the 'health in all policies' approach in the reformed health system with respect to family and sexual violence;

Responsibilities for decisions about special patients, restricted patients and special care recipients;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

The ongoing progression and implementation of Te Maihi o te Whare Māori – the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation (MAIHI) Framework for Action, and leadership through MAIHI Whare Wananga;

The application of MAIHI to the Homelessness Action Plan;

Providing a leadership role to ensure there is a cohesive Crown approach to housing and urban systems to ensure they deliver housing solutions that meet Māori needs and aspirations;

Supporting Māori access to, and involvement and investment in, government funded and supported housing initiatives and partnership opportunities;

Ensuring that housing for Māori whanau is appropriately catered for, and Māori needs and aspirations are taken into account in Kainga Ora – Homes and Communities initiatives;

Papakainga and Māori community housing developments, and other appropriate housing for whanau Māori;

Leadership, in conjunction with the Minister of Housing, regarding the local government interface with Māori and iwi regarding the housing and urban systems;

Procurement policies to enhance Māori community development and participation in housing and urban development opportunities;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Homelessness Action Plan:

Within the Aotearoa/New Zealand Homelessness Action Plan (Phase One 2020 – 2023), oversight of:

Progress on the support and prevention pillars for individuals, families and whanau experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with a particular focus on: Housing First, Sustaining Tenancies, expanding housing support for people leaving the care of Oranga Tamariki, improving transitions from acute mental health and addiction inpatient units, supporting women who are leaving prison, supporting returned overseas offenders who are homeless, piloting a rapid rehousing approach, better preparing people for private rental, and helping shape the long-term actions with relevant Ministers;

Work to include the voices of individuals, families and whanau with lived experiences of homelessness in the development, design and delivery of changes;

Progress against initiatives funded through the Local Innovation and Partnership Fund;
The framework for reviewing, monitoring and evaluating the changes made, and enhancing data on homelessness;

Transitional housing and other supported housing:

Responsibility for operational policy relating to transitional housing, Housing First, Rapid Rehousing and Sustaining Tenancies, including the Code of Practice to be developed for transitional housing (noting that the Minister of Housing will retain direct responsibility for funding settings and responsibility for the delivery of new supply of transitional housing);

Relationship management with transitional housing providers, including Housing First providers, as well as local government in respect of transitional housing;

Other matters:

Responsibility for the resolution of operational issues relating to the COVID-19 housing response;

Working closely with the Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) to embed bespoke kaupapa Māori support for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and with the Minister of Housing and Minister for Social Development and Employment on the government’s work to prevent and end homelessness;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time by us.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters relating to residential tenancies, including:

• Policy leadership of the government’s commitments to regulate property managers;
• Any ongoing issues regarding reform of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986;
• Any ongoing issues regarding implementing, monitoring and evaluation of the Healthy Homes Regulations 2019 and the Insulation and Smoke Alarms Regulations 2016;
• Any other policy or operation issues related to the Act and associate regulations, including tenancy dispute resolution;

Housing for Pacific people, including:

• Responsibility for housing responses for Pacific people, including tailored housing responses to meet the particular needs of Pacific people;
• Responsibility for the implementation of Fale mo Aiga – Pacific Housing Strategy, in particular the Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities and Te Tūāpapa Kura Kainga targets within the Strategy;

Other areas, including:

• Responsibility for the Unit Titles Act 2010 and the development of relevant regulations;
• Responsibility for the review of the Retirement Villages Act 2003 and policy and operational issued relating to the Act;
• Responsibility for representing the Crown at governance meetings for the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee, alongside local authority and mana whenua representatives, including making decisions, where relevant, on regional issues;
• Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Residence appeals referred by the Immigration and Protection Tribunal for consideration of the grant of residence as exceptions to government residence instructions;

Requests for exceptions to government residence instructions;

Requests for special directions made by an individual;

Requests to reconsider temporary entry class visa applications;

Requests for visas under section 61 of the Immigration Act 2009 from people who are not entitled to apply for a visa because they are in New Zealand unlawfully;

Requests under section 61A(1) of the Immigration Act to grant a visa to a person who is outside New Zealand or is in New Zealand and holds a temporary entry class visa;

Reconsideration of cases after court action;

Requests for children born as a result of international surrogacy arrangements;

Individual decisions on the deportation of a residence class visa holder;

Requests under the Parole Act 2002 for early release for the purpose of deportation.

Within the above responsibilities, the Minister of Immigration will retain responsibility for individual cases pertaining to groups and individuals who are connected to the victims and those impacted by the terrorist attack on the Christchurch mosques or have had applications for a Christchurch Response (2019) - permanent resident visa application declined.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters relating to Justices to the Peace, with the exception of appointments of Justices of the Peace in the Associate Minister’s electorate;

Appointments to, and monitoring of, the Public Trust and the Real Estate Agents Authority;

Appointments to, and monitoring, a number of specified Ministry of Justice-administered tribunals and statutory bodies;

Occupational regulation policy, statutes and tribunals relating to real estate agents, pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers, and private investigators and security guards;

The development and passage of Statutes Amendment Bills;

Ministerial exemptions under section 157 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009, and under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008;

The provision of protective fiduciary services by the Public Trust;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time. 

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters relating to Te Pokai Ao, International Indigenous Collaboration Agreements;

All matters within the portfolio relating to New Zealand Māori tourism;

Leading the coordination of the whole-of-government response to Te Pae Tawhiti that responds to the WAI 262 Waitangi Tribunal report;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters within the portfolio relating to:

• The Taxation Principles Reporting Bill;
• Annual amendments to regulations;
• The remedial work programme;
• The Child Support Scheme (excluding matters relating to the Child Support pass-on changes announced in Budget 2022);
• The Student Loan Scheme;
• The KiwiSaver Scheme;
• The Working for Families Scheme;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters relating to the Māori Trades Training Fund, He Poutama Rangatahi, Te Mahere Whai Mahi Māori – the Māori Employment Action Plan and Māori Future of Work;

Attending events, as requested by the Minister for Social Development and Employment;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters within the Social Development and Employment portfolio relating to:

• Family violence, sexual violence and elder abuse, including working with other relevant portfolio Ministers, including the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, on the whole of government response to these issues;
• Migrant and refugee employment initiatives, including the employment action plan for refugees and new migrants;
• Social inclusion matters, including working with other relevant portfolio Ministers, including the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities;
• Matters relating to emergency housing, social housing and related payments for housing support purposes (other than responsibilities related to the Accommodation Supplement, which will continue to be the responsibility of the Minister for Social Development and Employment);
• Aspects of the disability and carers related responsibilities within the portfolio, including Community Participation Services, the Carers’ Strategy including Mahi Aroha Carers’ Strategy Action Plan 2019-2023, and replacing the Minimum Wage Exemption permit, and the New Zealand Artificial Limb Service (the Minister for Social Development and Employment will retain responsibilities for matters within core income support and employment);

Attending events, as requested by the Minister for Social Development and Employment;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

Matters relating to the Mana Ōrite Relationship Agreement and its agreed work programmes, including Māori Data Governance;

The relationship with the Data Iwi Leaders Group, including meetings with the Data Iwi Leaders Group Chairperson, Iwi leaders, and Lead Technician, as detailed in the Mana Ōrite Relationship Agreement;

The relationships and engagement with other Iwi and key Māori data partners beyond the Data Iwi Leaders Group, including proactive engagement with national and local Māori interest organisations;

Oversight and leadership of Māori statistical standards, including:

• the Māori Descent and Iwi Affiliation (MDIA) standard;
• Tatauranga Umanga Māori - Statistics on Māori businesses;

Oversight and leadership on the review of Iwi-led collections and other efforts to reach Māori for Census 2023 and the design of future efforts to collect data about Māori;

Oversight and leadership of current and future initiatives within the Stats NZ work programme that are primarily focused on delivering improved outcomes for iwi and Maori;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters within the portfolio relating to:

• The Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Bill and any matters concerning fleeting drivers;
• Roadside drug testing and the drug driving regime;
• The Maritime sector, including maritime security and oversight of Maritime New Zealand, but excluding any concurrence or other functions under the Marine Reserves Act 1971;
• Oversight of Search and Rescue (SAR);
• Initiatives and policy concerning the Chatham Islands;
• Management of the Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill No. 2, and responsibility for its implementation;
• Initiatives relating to bilingual signage;
• The towage and storage policy review;
• Overseeing speed limits on local roads;
• Driver licensing;

Assisting the Minister with work on the Milford Opportunities Project, including matters relating to the Milford Aerodrome;

Assisting the Minister to develop and communicate the government's transport policy for and to regional communities and councils, including:

• Working with the Minister on plans to make the regional roading network more resilient;
• Working with the Minister to ensure there is a strong regional perspective in GPS 2024-27 (the Minister of Transport retains overall responsibility for the content of the GPS);
• Engaging with regional and district councils and communities about the government's transport policies and projects, both to communicate the policies and hear their views;

Attending transport sector events on the Minister's behalf and/or at his request;

Engaging with the Minister and officials on Budget initiatives relevant to the above responsibilities;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters relating to the implementation of the Takutai Moana strategy;

All matters relating to the Relativity Mechanism process;

Dealing with fast-track consenting applications;

Dealing with aspects of historical claims under negotiation where there is a portfolio conflict of interest with any of the Minister’s other portfolios;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.

Roles/Responsibilities

All matters within the Workplace Relations and Safety portfolio relating to:

• Migrant exploitation, including engaging with migrant communities on workplace health and safety matters, the Migrant Exploitation Strategy, and responsibility for the Worker Protection (Migrant and Other Employees) Bill and its implementation (with the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety retaining responsibility for policy work and legislation relating to modern slavery);
• Pay transparency and work to promote pay equity in workplaces (in conjunction with the Minister for Women);
• Oversight of the coordinated all-of-government response to matters arising from Gloriavale;

Other initiatives as agreed from time to time.