Regulatory systems and stewardship

Regulation and regulatory stewardship

MBIE delivers a range of regulatory activity to support good social and economic outcomes. We design and shape the rules according to Parliament’s intentions, provide information and education to help people follow the rules, carry out checks to make sure people are doing what they need to and take enforcement action in certain cases when there is non-compliance with the rules. We also provide dispute resolution services to help people resolve issues early.

It is important that these functions work well together to deliver regulation that is:

• clear and easy to understand,
• delivered fairly, consistently and equitably, and 
• proportionate, balancing the costs and burdens against the risk of harm.

Ineffective or poor regulation can result in unnecessary costs, missed opportunities, financial losses, significant social or economic harms and injuries or loss of life.

The Government expects agencies to make sure that the regulatory systems they are responsible for are working well for New Zealanders and the people who interact with those systems now and in the future.

Government expectations for good regulatory practice(external link) — Ministry for Regulation

A regulatory system consists of rules, expectations and sanctions. It includes everyone involved — those who must comply with the rules and those who create and enforce them.

We use the term regulatory stewardship to describe the ongoing monitoring and care of our regulatory systems. Regulatory stewardship ensures that all parts of a regulatory system work together efficiently and effectively, helping it achieve its goals and stay relevant over time.

Regulatory systems and stewardship quick guide-[PDF 262KB](external link) — Ministry for Regulation

Our regulatory stewardship work

MBIE is responsible for 17 regulatory systems. We work to create and maintain regulatory systems that prevent harm and enable people, businesses and future generations to thrive.
We do this by:

• providing guidance for regulatory systems on putting stewardship into practice,
• implementing system governance to help all the regulatory functions within a system work together to deliver the best possible outcomes,
• advising and reporting to senior leadership on regulatory system stewardship,
• participating in legislative stewardship activities such as Regulatory Systems Amendment Bills, and
• promoting good regulatory design and investing in regulatory capability to ensure MBIE is an effective regulator.

We work closely with the Ministry for Regulation to deliver MBIE’s contributions to the wider regulatory management system which influences the quality of new and existing regulation.

The Ministry for Regulation is the central agency responsible for the regulatory management system. More information about their role and the components of the regulatory management system is available on their website.

The regulatory management system(external link) — Ministry of Regulation

Our regulatory systems

These links provide information about our regulatory systems, including objectives, key statutes, regulatory agencies and their roles, regulated parties and the main stakeholders.

• Accident compensation
• Building
• Communications markets
• Competition
• Consumer and commercial
• Corporate governance
• Employment relations and standards
• Energy markets
• Financial markets conduct
• Health and safety at work
• Housing and tenancy
• Immigration
• Intellectual property
• Outer space and high altitude activities
• Petroleum and minerals
• Standards and conformance
• Trade

MBIE also administers statutes that guide work in the following areas:

• Economic development
• Research, science and innovation
• Tourism