11 May 2021
Ref: OIA0124
John Luke
[FYI request #15169 email]
Dear John
Thank you for your request of 14 April 2021 for the following information:
I would like to request a list of vacancy (ministerial appointment only, e.g. board member,
Lay member, Trustee etc) that the nomination period has been closed but still under
consideration by the Minister or Department.
In your list, can you please included the date that vacancy been advertised and when the
vacancy been closed as well.
Also, I would like to know if you have any future opening in 2021. e.g. the position that will
call for nomination in the year of 2021.
Further, can you please let me know the list of all ministerial appointments that Hon Chris
manage and appoint?
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
As the Minister of Education, I have the authority to appoint to the three education Crown
agents, the two education Crown companies and up to a specified number of members for
education sector statutory bodies. I also have the authority to appoint up to a specified number
of members to a select number of school boards and tertiary education organisation governing
councils in line with legislated constitutions. A full list of these is provided as
Annex 1 to this
response.
There are currently two vacancies on the Education Payroll Limited (EPL) board that the
nomination period has concluded and the recommendations for appointments are still to be
considered by myself and the Minister of Finance, Hon Grant Robertson. The vacancies were
advertised on 15 January 2021 and closed on 1 February 2021. The call for nominations was
made on our behalf by the Treasury. There are no further vacancies to be advertised for the
EPL board in 2021.
On my behalf, the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) will gazette a call for nominations for a
vacancy on the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and also shortly seek applicants
for a vacancy on the Tertiary Education Commission’s Board.
The Crown appointments are made in accordance with the guiding legislation and the
constitutions of the companies, which stipulate that the shareholders may, at any time, appoint
or reappoint directors to the board. Directors are also appointed in accordance with the
Cabinet-approved appointment process.
The process for appointing members to the Boards of the New Zealand Qualifications
Authority (NZQA) and Education New Zealand (ENZ) is under way and the Ministry has
consulted the sector on my behalf for NZQA and will consult the sector for ENZ appointments
shortly. I am not required to advertise for these positions.
I am due to consider appointments for the school boards listed in Annex 1 during 2021. As
these boards remain constitutional without the members appointed by me, there may be
circumstances where I exercise my discretion not to appoint members and I am not required
to advertise for these appointments. The capabilities I seek for school board appointments will
vary depending on the characteristics and needs of the school community. I am particularly
interested in candidates from those that reflect the diversity within their school community.
The Ministry is also managing this process on my behalf.
For tertiary education institutions, I am due to consider appointments at six of the eight
universities during 2021. The two universities with no appointments expiring this year are the
University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology. The Tertiary Education
Commission (TEC) manages the process of these appointments on my behalf. I am not
required to advertise for these appointments, but I have a statutory obligation to consult the
relevant council. The capabilities I am seeking are former governance experience, financial
and/ or business acumen, effective links to the stakeholders of the university and to the
community it serves. I am particularly interested in nominations from those traditionally
unrepresented on university governing councils including Māori and Pasifika.
For the sake of completeness, I am including the Workforce Development Councils (WDCs),
which I expect to be established in June this year. The WDCs have a key role in the reform of
vocational education, and the first governing councils of three WDCs will require Ministerial
appointments. The TEC called for expressions of interest in all appointments to the WDCs in
a process that launched on 30 March 2021 and closed on 16 April 2021. The applications will
be considered by nominations committees and, closer to the date of establishment, those
committees will make their recommendations to me about the Ministerial appointments.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review this
decision. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or Office of the
Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Yours sincerely
Chris Hipkins
Minister of Education
Annex 1 – List of Ministerial appointments under the responsibility of the
Minister of Education
As the Minister of Education, I appoint members for the following education Crown agents and
statutory bodies:
New Zealand Qualifications Authority (8-10 members)
Education New Zealand (5-7 members)
Tertiary Education Commission (6-9 members)
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (6 of 13 members)
Pacific Education Foundation (5 members jointly appointed with the Minister for Pacific
Peoples)
Music Teacher’s Registration Board (1 of 6 members)
Jointly with the Minister of Finance I am also responsible for appointments for:
Education Payroll Ltd (appointed under the Public Finance Act Schedule 4A)
The Network for Learning Ltd (appointed under the Public Finance Act Schedule 4A)
I appoint four members to the 12-member governing councils of:
The University of Auckland
Auckland University of Technology
Lincoln University
Massey University
University of Canterbury
University of Otago
University of Waikato
Victoria University of Wellington
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
I also appoint three members to the 9-member councils of:
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Te Wānanga o Raukawa
I also appoint nine members to the 12-member council of:
Te Pūkenga/ New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
Most appointments are made for the maximum of four years but may be made for shorter
terms, general of two or three years.
I also have the authority to appoint up to a specified number of members to the below School
Boards in line with their approved constitutions:
School
Number of members that can be
appointed by the Minister of Education
Barrytown School
up to two
Central Regional Health School
up to 5
Combined board for Halswell Residential
up to 5 for combined board
College and Westbridge Residential School
Kaikoura High School
up to 2
Kaitaia Abundant Life School
up to 3
Kakatahi School
up to three
Kingslea School
up to 2
Makoura College
up to 3
School
Number of members that can be
appointed by the Minister of Education
Moerewa School
up to four
Ngamatapouri School
up to two
Northern Health School
up to 5
Northland College
up to three
Opononi Area School
up to four
Southern Health School
up to 5
Tai Wānanga
up to 3
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu
Chair and up to 6
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Wairarapa
up to one
Te Wainui a Rua School
up to 2
Document Outline
