NZ government agencies urged to adopt AI to fix records gap
A report from New Zealand's Chief Archivist has found significant non-compliance among government agencies with the Public Records Act 2005.
The 2023/24 Annual Report, issued by Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga (Archives New Zealand), indicates that a substantial majority of government agencies are struggling to meet statutory requirements for recordkeeping. According to the report, two-thirds of surveyed agencies are categorised at early stages of maturity with only seven agencies achieving compliance levels of 50 percent or above.
The report draws attention to enduring challenges such as reliance on manual processes, inadequate visibility of information, and insufficient integration between digital systems. These issues are exacerbated by a decrease in information governance capability, with the number of records team personnel falling by more than 15 percent over the last two years.
Rachael Greaves, Chief Executive Officer at Castlepoint Systems, commented that the report data highlights systemic problems that have yet to be addressed. "Agencies are expected to meet increasing regulatory and ethical obligations, but are often left without the tools or resources to do so effectively. Automation is now essential to reduce risk, protect citizens, and uphold trust."
The consequences of inadequate recordkeeping have been most pronounced for vulnerable groups, particularly those in State and faith-based care. The Annual Report states that these failings are a core concern in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, cautioning that recordkeeping gaps can impede efforts for redress and exacerbate harm for affected individuals.
In response to these challenges, some New Zealand government agencies have turned to automated tools with the aim of boosting information transparency and meeting compliance obligations without increasing workloads. Central and regional agencies are reportedly implementing AI-based solutions to classify and manage records across disparate systems, which is contributing to more efficient and accountable public service operations.
These emerging tools, including Castlepoint's AI platform, are in accordance with Archives New Zealand's published AI guidance and aid compliance with regulatory requirements such as the Temporary Care Records Protection Instruction. They are also being deployed to identify and administer sensitive records, including those concerning iwi, hapū, marae, and historic abuse in care.
Castlepoint's technology, which carries Tier 2 information security endorsement from the New Zealand Government and ISO 27001 certification, is being used to integrate compliance processes into agencies' everyday operations, reducing the reliance on resource-heavy, standalone efforts.
Greaves emphasised that the need for responsible information management goes beyond public agencies. "Any organisation that handles sensitive or regulated information needs to think seriously about how they manage and preserve records. The longer the gaps persist, the greater the risk of harm."
The report signals a growing call within New Zealand's public sector for responsible adoption of automation and AI to address compliance weaknesses and safeguard public trust.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Techday NZ
23-05-2025
- Techday NZ
NZ government agencies urged to adopt AI to fix records gap
A report from New Zealand's Chief Archivist has found significant non-compliance among government agencies with the Public Records Act 2005. The 2023/24 Annual Report, issued by Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga (Archives New Zealand), indicates that a substantial majority of government agencies are struggling to meet statutory requirements for recordkeeping. According to the report, two-thirds of surveyed agencies are categorised at early stages of maturity with only seven agencies achieving compliance levels of 50 percent or above. The report draws attention to enduring challenges such as reliance on manual processes, inadequate visibility of information, and insufficient integration between digital systems. These issues are exacerbated by a decrease in information governance capability, with the number of records team personnel falling by more than 15 percent over the last two years. Rachael Greaves, Chief Executive Officer at Castlepoint Systems, commented that the report data highlights systemic problems that have yet to be addressed. "Agencies are expected to meet increasing regulatory and ethical obligations, but are often left without the tools or resources to do so effectively. Automation is now essential to reduce risk, protect citizens, and uphold trust." The consequences of inadequate recordkeeping have been most pronounced for vulnerable groups, particularly those in State and faith-based care. The Annual Report states that these failings are a core concern in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, cautioning that recordkeeping gaps can impede efforts for redress and exacerbate harm for affected individuals. In response to these challenges, some New Zealand government agencies have turned to automated tools with the aim of boosting information transparency and meeting compliance obligations without increasing workloads. Central and regional agencies are reportedly implementing AI-based solutions to classify and manage records across disparate systems, which is contributing to more efficient and accountable public service operations. These emerging tools, including Castlepoint's AI platform, are in accordance with Archives New Zealand's published AI guidance and aid compliance with regulatory requirements such as the Temporary Care Records Protection Instruction. They are also being deployed to identify and administer sensitive records, including those concerning iwi, hapū, marae, and historic abuse in care. Castlepoint's technology, which carries Tier 2 information security endorsement from the New Zealand Government and ISO 27001 certification, is being used to integrate compliance processes into agencies' everyday operations, reducing the reliance on resource-heavy, standalone efforts. Greaves emphasised that the need for responsible information management goes beyond public agencies. "Any organisation that handles sensitive or regulated information needs to think seriously about how they manage and preserve records. The longer the gaps persist, the greater the risk of harm." The report signals a growing call within New Zealand's public sector for responsible adoption of automation and AI to address compliance weaknesses and safeguard public trust.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Scoop
Budget Fails To Support Costs Of Social Service Delivery
Press Release – Presbyterian Support Northern We would have liked to see more focus on adequate funding and support of the NGO and charity sectors that deliver the bulk of social service contracts. Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN) welcomes some of the new investment announcements in today's Budget 2025, but is concerned about rising costs for social service providers. 'PSN is pleased to see updates to the Accommodation Supplement boundaries, Working for Families abatement threshold increases, and continued food bank funding,' says PSN CEO Shaun Greaves. 'However, we would have liked to see more focus on adequate funding and support of the NGO and charity sectors that deliver the bulk of social service contracts. 'In the case of PSN, we have seen a consistent year on year reduction in Government funding in real terms, and each year this reduction in support impacts the level of services we can undertake for our clients. 'While we acknowledge that the Government needs to reduce costs, spending restraint should not be at a cost to social service organisations who take up the responsibility of caring for vulnerable New Zealanders hardest hit by a faltering economy.' Greaves says the Government's launch of the Social Investment Fund last week was an encouraging sign, but it's equally important to invest in ensuring organisations are able to continue delivering on existing social service contracts. 'One of our concerns from Budget 2025 is the lack of support for community providers in delivering the increases in Kiwisaver employer contributions. 'This is an extra cost, which although is good for our employees, will take money away from our frontline service delivery.' While Greaves acknowledges the Budget 2025 investment in overhauling the way emergency services respond to 111 mental health call outs, he says it falls short of supporting critical services like Lifeline, a major mental health helpline. 'Lifeline is an important national suicide and mental health helpline delivered by PSN,' he says. We receive nearly 90,000 calls and 240,000 texts a year, but receive no Government funding. We would have liked to see more in the budget to support Lifeline as we're often the first point of call for people in mental distress.' Greaves says that while the increase in the abatement threshold for Working for Families will help more families, the downside is that the first year of the Best Start payment will be income tested. 'This is a concern for us as it's critical for first time parents to have that extra payment to help them give their child the best possible start in life. 'At PSN, we deliver many Government contracts across a wide range of social services, as well as disability support and aged care services. 'Budget 2025 is a missed opportunity to truly support children and families doing it tough, and invest in a better future for our country. 'As a valued partner (with 140 years of service) PSN will continue to work constructively with government and communities to deliver impactful, value-for-money solutions to the issues our country is grappling with.'
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Scoop
Budget Fails To Support Costs Of Social Service Delivery
Press Release – Presbyterian Support Northern We would have liked to see more focus on adequate funding and support of the NGO and charity sectors that deliver the bulk of social service contracts. Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN) welcomes some of the new investment announcements in today's Budget 2025, but is concerned about rising costs for social service providers. 'PSN is pleased to see updates to the Accommodation Supplement boundaries, Working for Families abatement threshold increases, and continued food bank funding,' says PSN CEO Shaun Greaves. 'However, we would have liked to see more focus on adequate funding and support of the NGO and charity sectors that deliver the bulk of social service contracts. 'In the case of PSN, we have seen a consistent year on year reduction in Government funding in real terms, and each year this reduction in support impacts the level of services we can undertake for our clients. 'While we acknowledge that the Government needs to reduce costs, spending restraint should not be at a cost to social service organisations who take up the responsibility of caring for vulnerable New Zealanders hardest hit by a faltering economy.' Greaves says the Government's launch of the Social Investment Fund last week was an encouraging sign, but it's equally important to invest in ensuring organisations are able to continue delivering on existing social service contracts. 'One of our concerns from Budget 2025 is the lack of support for community providers in delivering the increases in Kiwisaver employer contributions. 'This is an extra cost, which although is good for our employees, will take money away from our frontline service delivery.' While Greaves acknowledges the Budget 2025 investment in overhauling the way emergency services respond to 111 mental health call outs, he says it falls short of supporting critical services like Lifeline, a major mental health helpline. 'Lifeline is an important national suicide and mental health helpline delivered by PSN,' he says. We receive nearly 90,000 calls and 240,000 texts a year, but receive no Government funding. We would have liked to see more in the budget to support Lifeline as we're often the first point of call for people in mental distress.' Greaves says that while the increase in the abatement threshold for Working for Families will help more families, the downside is that the first year of the Best Start payment will be income tested. 'This is a concern for us as it's critical for first time parents to have that extra payment to help them give their child the best possible start in life. 'At PSN, we deliver many Government contracts across a wide range of social services, as well as disability support and aged care services. 'Budget 2025 is a missed opportunity to truly support children and families doing it tough, and invest in a better future for our country. 'As a valued partner (with 140 years of service) PSN will continue to work constructively with government and communities to deliver impactful, value-for-money solutions to the issues our country is grappling with.'
