Ministry for Regulation - Official information compliance and practice

Introduction

In September 2025, we commenced an investigation into the Ministry for Regulation | Te Manatū Waeture (the Ministry) as part of our regular program of proactive investigations into Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) compliance and practice. The Ministry is one of five agencies selected – we also examined the Civil Aviation Authority, Inland Revenue, the Ministry for Primary Industries, and the Ministry for the Environment.

This report sets out our observations on how the Ministry meets the requirements and purposes of the OIA against our indicators of good practice. Our investigation focussed on the dimensions of leadership, culture, performing monitoring and learning.

An agency’s culture around transparency, openness, and the strength of its OIA practices flows from the attitudes, messaging, as well as actions of its senior leaders – particularly those of the Chief Executive. It is our expectation that leaders make clear, regular statements to staff and to the public in support of the principle and purposes of official information legislation, and of the importance of openness more generally.

Accurate performance reporting is also crucial for responding to demands and reprioritising when required. Through regular reporting, senior leaders can oversee the agency’s practice and compliance with the OIA, the effectiveness of its structures, resources, capacity and capability. Any issues identified that risk the agency’s ability to comply with the OIA should be actively considered, addressed and, in effect, create a feedback loop.