23 June 2025
Ref: DOIA-REQ-0015204
John Armstrong
Email:
[FYI request #31101 email]
Tēnā koe John
Thank you for your email of 26 May 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA), information regarding the Electrical
Workers Registration Board’s (EWRB) decision to no longer provide electrical workers (EWs) with a
physical ID card.
We have responded to your questions using the numbering in your initial request and grouped questions
where appropriate.
1/ Can you please supply any documentation/information and consent of my opting-in to digital ID.
2/ Can you please supply any details of process for opting-out of digital ID.
As of 1 September 2024, the EWRB transitioned to issuing digital licenses to all EWs as evidence of a
practising licence. When an EW’s practising licence is approved, they can download a digital licence in a
PDF format from the EW Portal. The PDF file shows an EW’s registration details and a QR code that leads
users to the public register so that an EW’s licence details can be verified. In this way, members of the
public can access up-to-date information about an EW, including their licence status. If an EW requests a
physical copy of their practising licence, MBIE prints and posts a copy of this PDF file to them to use as
evidence of their practising licence.
Digital licences are available to all EWs and there is no formal function to ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’. As such, no
information exists in relation to this part of your request has been refused under section 18(e) of the OIA,
as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable
efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
3/ Can you please supply the Constitution granting powers to the EWRB Board and/or the MBIE Board
requiring the use of digital ID only.
The Electricity Act 1992 (the EA) requires the EWRB to establish and maintain a register of electrical
workers (see sections 124 to 140 of the EA) and to enter the details of the practising licence in the public
register (see sections 102 and 106 of the EA). Section 149 of the EA also empowers the Board to do things
necessary for the effective administration of the EA. You can view the relevant sections of the EA here:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1992/0122/latest/DLM281858.html
4/ Can you please supply the Risk Assessments including Conflict of Interest Management, Security
measures, Privacy compliance and meeting minutes requiring digital ID including any applicable
legislation changes / Government Gazette notices to this effect.
7/ Can you please supply documentation/information of any consultation and feedback process with all
Registered Electrical Workers affected by these changes.
8/ Can you please supply documentation/information for any 3rd party Consultants used,
their Risk Assessments and full costs for their services.
On 21 May 2024, the Stepped Licensing Steering Group, comprised of EWRB representatives and MBIE
staff, supported changing from physical licence cards to digital licensing as part of other changes to the
registration and licensing framework required to introduce stepped licencing. Please find enclosed the
relevant extract of the meeting minutes from this meeting.
The transition to digital licences did not involve a risk assessment, consultation with EWs or the
engagement of consultant services. MBIE is therefore refusing this part of your request under section
18(e) of the OIA, as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite
reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
Information about collection and sharing of information is available in the privacy policy, available here:
https://www.ewrb.govt.nz/about-us/privacy-policy/.
5/ Can you please supply the Data collection, Software and Service Storage (incl country of storage)
Contractor/Supplier details and the financial costs involved.
6/ Can you please supply documentation/information on who is paying for the digital ID infrastructure
costs and operating running costs and where these funds originate from?
Digital licences are issued through the existing EW portal and the public register. The supplier for this
service is Datacom.
Digital licensing was an additional feature that was added to the existing information technology (IT)
system that supports the administration of the EW scheme. The total cost for the digital licensing feature
is $36,901.51. As EW scheme costs are fully recovered from scheme participants, this cost was met by
registration and licensing fees charged to EWs. You can find more information on the use of fees to
support the EW Scheme in the Cost Recovery Impact Statement prepared by MBIE in 2018 to support
proposed adjustments to electrical worker fees, available here:
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/3265-ris-electrical-workers-fees-review-2018-cost-recovery-
pdf.
Information on data collection and storage is available in the EWRB privacy policy available here:
https://www.ewrb.govt.nz/about-us/privacy-policy/. This information collected is stored in New Zealand.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please con
tact [email address].
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
Nāku noa, nā
Duncan Connor
Registrar, Electrical Workers
