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18 August 2025
Simon Green
[FYI request #31630 email]
Official information request
Our ref: R001148
Tēnā koe Simon
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request received by the Ministry for
Regulation (Ministry) on 22 July 2025. You requested:
It is being widely reported that the RSB will cost up to $60M a year
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/567120/ministry-feared-costs-of-60m-a-year-to-review-
laws-under-regulatory-standards-bill
I request copies of all documents or communications listing the expected savings benefits.
In particular, a full cost-benefit analysis of this bill.
Response The Regulatory Standards Bill (Bill) seeks to bring the same discipline of regulatory management
that New Zealand has for fiscal management. Whilst the Bill will have financial implications for the
governmen
t1, some of these costs may be offset by longer-term savings or broader benefits,
particularly where the Bill leads to the removal or improvement of inefficient regulation.
Additionally, by preventing the development of poor-quality regulatory proposals, the Bill has the
potential to reduce unnecessary expenditure.
It is important to note that the estimated cost to departments in implementing the Bill at $50m-
$60m per year was based on earlier versions of policy proposals.
Your request for a cost-benefit analysis is refused under section 18(d) of the OIA on the basis that
the information is publicly available in two locations in the Ministry’s website:
•
Publications and resources page - please see the material,
Information Release - Policy
Approvals for Progressing a Regulatory Standards Bill May 20252 (refer to page 111 of
Annex 2 Regulatory Impact Statement: proposed Regulatory Standards Bill); or
1 For example, the Ministry for Regulation has estimated its agency costs of between $1.04m and $1.15m per year for the
establishment and ongoing operation of the Regulatory Standards Board, including member fees and secretariat
support. These costs are expected to be managed within baseline funding.
2 https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-us/our-publications/information-release-policy-approvals-for-progressing-a-
regulatory-standards-bill-may-2025/
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link to page 2
•
Regulatory Impact Statements (RISs) page - refer to pages 38-49 of the
Regulatory
Impact Statement proposed Regulatory Standards Bill3.
Some information in the material listed above has been redacted consistent with the provisions for
withholding information under the OIA. Where this is the case, the relevant sections of the OIA that
would apply have been identified and where information was withheld, no public interest
considerations were identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding the information.
I have considered the grounds under which information has been redacted in the proactively
released documents which you have requested, and I consider they continue to apply in the same
ways under this request. I therefore withhold the same parts of these documents, under the same
grounds as listed in the published versions. As required by section 9(1) of the OIA, I do not believe
any public interest reasons for releasing the information outweigh the reasons for withholding the
information.
Right of review
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please contac
t [Ministry for Regulation request email].
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 a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that we may publish this response (with your details removed) on the Ministry for
Regulation website.
Ngā mihi
Aisling Risdon
Head of Ministerial Services
Ministry for Regulation
3 https://www.regulation.govt.nz/our-work/regulatory-impact-statements/regulatory-impact-statement-proposed-
regulatory-standards-bill/
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