Have you got a red tape issue you want to tell us about?

Overview

Report a red tape issue

The Ministry for Regulation is a small central agency responsible for helping other government agencies to make their rules and regulations easier for New Zealanders to navigate.

Governments have a finite set of tools they can use to influence outcomes. One of these tools is creating, implementing, and amending regulations.

The Government uses regulation to protect the community from harm and to improve standards of living. The rules, organisations and their practices – the whole regulatory system – work together to shape people’s behaviour and interactions and improve the lives, work and businesses of all New Zealanders.

Good regulation benefits us all – we all drive on the left side of the road, we can trust that our food is safe to eat, and our innovators can get legal protections for their ideas. But poorly designed and implemented regulation makes it difficult for businesses to innovate and grow and adds cost to our economy. In a world of continual change and innovation, regulation should be dynamic. We need to keep reviewing, adjusting, and improving regulation, so it stays effective and avoids imposing unnecessary costs or restrictions on people’s rights.

We want rules and regulations to enable New Zealanders to do more – leading to more productive use of people’s time, and better outcomes for those who want to get things done.

If you want to find out more about regulation in New Zealand, read our quick guide.

Getting in touch with us

Sometimes regulation can get in the way of getting things done. Sometimes, there are areas that need more or better regulation. We are interested in hearing from people who have noticed or experienced red tape issues. We may not be able to resolve every red tape issue that’s brought to our attention, but we are keen to understand more about people’s experiences with the regulatory system. 

New Zealand has about 200 different regulatory regimes operating within the broader system. If you know exactly which government agency is responsible for the issue you wish to raise with us, we encourage you to contact the agency directly to outline your feedback. It is also worth checking if the relevant agency is undertaking engagement or consultation on the issue you wish to raise, as you may have the opportunity to provide your feedback directly to them.  

Read questions and answers about red tape issues

What happens next?

The more information you give us, the better we can understand the regulatory issue you have raised. We may be in contact with you directly to clarify or seek more information. 

If we consider that another government agency could assist with the regulatory issue you have raised with us, we may pass your contact details to them. We will only be able to do this if you give us your consent.

Even if you don't consent to us passing on your details to another government agency, we will still look into the regulatory issue you raise.

It may take us some time to review your issue, but we will be back in touch to let you know the outcome.

Your feedback may help us identify regulatory system trends, prioritise future regulatory reviews, recommend updates to guidance, seek legislative change, or we may refer certain issues to other government agencies to consider.