Regulation ministry launches tipline in search of ‘red tape horror stories’

A red tape tipline allowing the public to report their regulation “horror stories” has gone live amid the Government’s focus on what it claims are over-regulated industries.

Regulations Minister David Seymour, who is set to discuss the tipline in his speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce today, told the Herald the new ministry had received a flurry of reports from people about what he described as “rapid regulatory problems”, which had informed the development of the new tool.

He cited examples including the requirement to service fax machines despite their minimal use and the need to detect flour dust at bakeries “at a level that no machinery can actually detect”.

“These are just examples of things that people have come to us with, that we’ve been able to have some influence on fixing,” Seymour said.

Regulations Minister David Seymour is encouraging people to use the new tipline. Photo / Ben Dickens

“We’ve now got behind this a rapid response team of people at the Ministry for Regulation who beaver around trying to basically cut red tape.”

Seymour’s Regulations Ministry, a priority of the Act Party, was charged with conducting industry-wide regulatory reviews in which staff interrogated rules within sectors and assessed which ones were necessary.

Reviews were currently ongoing in the early childhood education and agriculture sectors. The ministry was expected to report back early next year.

Seymour, also the Act Party leader, accepted not every report would be resolved but still encouraged anyone to use the tipline, which could be found on the Ministry of Regulation’s website.

“We want to hear from the tradies, farmers, teachers, chefs, engineers, you name it. If there’s red tape in your industry that needs cutting, we want to know about it.

“Your feedback will help flush out bad regulations that need to be removed, prioritise future regulatory reviews, recommend updates to guidance, seek legislative change. Certain issues might be referred to other government agencies to consider.”

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.