Face of the Day

> A massive data mapping project by the Ministry for Regulation has revealed New Zealand has at least 267 regulatory organisations, with a landscape that is heavily fragmented, unevenly resourced, and increasingly complex. > > The final report on the state of New Zealand’s regulatory systems, made public on Wednesday, brings together hidden or dispersed datasets from across government agencies for the first time. > > Regulation Minister David Seymour said the mapping exposed decades of overlap and complexity, revealing a “twisted spaghetti of regulators” that drives up costs, creates long delays, and weakens accountability. > > “In New Zealand there are over 260 regulators. This includes 95 in central government, 79 in local government, and 57 statutory bodies, committees, or tribunals,” Seymour said. > > “Whether you want to build a home, start a business, or own a dog, you’re navigating a system that has gathered layer upon layer of bad regulation, for over 25 years. No one knew the scale of the problem, let alone set about fixing it.” > > Stuff Read More