Dear Ministry of Justice,

I noted your recent reply- Our ref: OIA 124577

"Members – section 19(2) of the Act provides that: Every Land Valuation Tribunal shall consist of— (a) 1 member, being a District Court Judge, who shall be appointed as Chairman of the Tribunal: (b) 2 other members, one or both of whom shall be valuers registered under the Valuers Act 1948. "

How many of your current members are registered valuers under the Valuers Act 1948, and how many are not?

"Deputy Members – section 19(9) of the Act provides that: The Governor-General may from time to time appoint any person to be the deputy of any member of any Land Valuation Tribunal"

How many deputy members do you currently have, and could you please provide their names and terms of appointment? May I also request to view the sample warrant of appointment for deputy member.

"Since the Ministry’s letter to you of 5 August 2025, no progression has been made, as a shortlist has not yet been confirmed and interviews have not taken place"

Could you please provide an update on this for now, given that it will be a few more months?

"Appointments are currently being sought for the following Tribunals: • Hawke’s Bay Land Valuation Tribunal • Marlborough Land Valuation Tribunal • Palmerston North Land Valuation Tribunal • Waikato No. 1 Land Valuation Tribunal • Waikato No. 2 Land Valuation Tribunal • Whanganui Land Valuation Tribunal "

I noticed that you have only received two applications, which suggests there may be a shortage of applicants for the positions you require. How do you plan to handle this situation? Would you consider calling for another expression of interest? I would like to understand your process and procedures in such cases. If there are insufficient applicants, would you simply reappoint the existing member for another term? Also, do the two applicants automatically get the positions, given the high demand and low supply?

Yours faithfully,

john luke