Latest news with #MinistryofRegulation
1News
4 days ago
- Business
- 1News
Change coming to rules for residential sheds, garages
Homeowners will soon be able to build small structures like garden sheds, sleepouts and garages closer to their property boundaries without requiring building consent following regulatory changes announced by the Government today. Cabinet agreed to remove the minimum distance required between single-storey buildings under 10sqm and a property boundary or other residential building, and reduce it to one metre for buildings between 10 and 30 square metres. Previously, these structures needed to be set back from boundaries by at least their own height unless a building consent was obtained. The changes, which would be made by amending Schedule 1 of the Building Act, were expected to take effect later this year. All building work must still comply with the Building Code and local district plans. ADVERTISEMENT Regulation Minister David Seymour said shrinking section sizes and the cost of living meant forcing people to put sheds in the middle of their lawn or pay for consent to store tools "doesn't make sense". "There is no justification for such generous setback distances on private property," he said. "Today's housing market means space is tight and building costs are high. These types of property developments are practical and affordable improvements. We want people to be able to utilise them without hassle." Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the Government did not believe Kiwis should be "bogged down in bureaucracy" when making use of their backyard. "That's a real win for anyone short on space, giving them more freedom to add a bike shed, protect their tools, cover a vehicle, or even create a small sleepout for guests – all without extra paperwork." Seymour said the regulation change had come about due to the Ministry of Regulation's red tape tipline, an online resource where the public could make submissions on regulations that affect them. Larger granny flats able to be built without consent ADVERTISEMENT A granny flat (file image). (Source: The Government also announced earlier this year it would ease rules around granny flats and increase the maximum size that could be built without consent to 70 square metres. An increase to 60 square metres was a National-NZ First coalition agreement, but Housing Minister Chris Bishop said "huge support" meant the Government would go even further. "It's currently far too hard to build the homes New Zealanders need, with even the simplest dwellings tangling up homeowners and builders in red tape." Under the proposal, granny flats could be built without consent if they had a simple design, met the Building Code, were built by authorised builders, and if the council was notified before and after construction. The amendment bill passed its first reading and was currently at the select committee stage, with the report due back next month.
Otago Daily Times
25-07-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Some ECE rule changes ‘dangerous'
Early Childhood Education Parents' Council spokeswoman Michelle De Bono is worried about some regulatory changes coming for ECE centres. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Unreported broken bones, a child being thrown in the bin and staff openly contemplating suicide are among the complaints being highlighted by a Dunedin early childhood education campaigner. ECE Parents' Council spokeswoman Michelle De Bono said the complaints were made by parents using a form on the organisation's website. The complaints showed the situation was already concerning enough, but she was worried changes the government was introducing to the sector could make it even worse. The changes — which have come from the Ministry of Regulation — that will be implemented over the coming months would no longer require Early Childhood Education (ECE) services to prominently display information about how to make a complaint to the ministry. ECE centres would also not have to display a copy of the regulations, the current licence certification, and the names and qualifications of staff. "They're literally gutting the licensing criteria." She said while many in Dunedin and nationwide were spoilt for choice when it came to "quality" ECE centres, many others were not so lucky. This was made clear in the 80 complaints her organisation had received and passed on to the Ministry of Education. Mrs De Bono said one parent made a complaint to the ECE centre their child attended when a head teacher put her child in a rubbish bin for swearing. The parent said the centre then shared her identity to the head teacher, leaving them feeling "vulnerable and distressed". A father also reported his son's arm being broken twice within the span of eight weeks while attending their ECE centre. The child's parents requested the CCTV footage, but were told they would not be able to see anything in the video anyway. The father said he felt "that they have neglected my son in taking care of him". A teacher at an ECE centre reported other staff working at their centre had talked about killing themselves on the floor. They said the staff member said "f ... this" and talked about drugs and rape in front of the children. Vapes would fall out of a colleague's pocket while she was working and the woman made obscene gestures at children and told them to shut up, the teacher said. Mrs De Bono said removal of signage meant parents would not be able to easily find out how to go about filing a complaint, and sometimes it would not be appropriate to ask the ECE centre directly for that information. "Those who are fortunate enough to be sending their babies and children to quality centres should be also advocating against these changes because it could all just change with this current government." She said there were "a whole heap of Kiwi parents out there" who were not satisfied and happy, and many others who were afraid to come forward. She said parents should know that sleep checks were going to be changed to every 15 minutes, and there would be no requirement for an adult to be present in the sleep room at all times. "The report has been accepted by Cabinet, and this is happening, and this involves your children and babies." "It's pretty significant, and dangerous — and it seems to be flying under the radar." Mrs De Bono said she encouraged caregivers who were unhappy with the standard of care or education at their children's ECE centre to complain using MyECE's online form. "Complaining about poor-quality practice can help raise the bar for ECE services for all whānau and tamariki," she said. The Ministry of Regulation did not respond to a request for comment.
Otago Daily Times
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
The efficacy of a submission is dubious in this Bill's case
David Seymour. File photo: Gregor Richardson We can now see on the Ministry of Regulation website a "summary of submissions" as a result of a consultation on the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. The summary is dated May 2025, so we cannot be sure as to when it was published. We do know that the Bill itself was given its first reading on May 19 and is now before the select committee. The minister in charge of the Bill would have us believe that there is both widespread support for a grave need to legislate a prescriptive standard for our laws and regulations to comply with, and also that his, or the Act New Zealand party's, formula for such legislation is that which the public was asked to make a submission on, in December 2024. On closer examination, the minister's pronouncements would appear to be somewhat of a stretch, or perhaps he is not familiar with the summary of the submissions made on the proposal and now published by his own ministry. The executive summary contained in the document records the receipt of "approximately 23,000 submissions" (1) and that "analysis showed that 20,108 submissions (around 88%) opposed the Bill, 76 submissions (0.33%) supported or partially supported it, and the remaining 2637 submissions (about 12%) did not have a clear position". It does not take a genius to conclude that by a huge majority of those that responded to the consultation, this Bill is not wanted nor seen as necessary. Less than a third of 1% of those citizens who knew or cared enough about this important issue expressed support for it. A summary of reasons for opposing the proposed Bill included that it would "attempt to solve a problem that doesn't exist"; "result in duplication and increase complexity in lawmaking"; "undermine future Parliaments and democracy"; "lack recognition and provision for the Treaty of Waitangi"; "prioritise individual property rights over the collective"; and "lead to worse social, environmental and economic outcomes". Notwithstanding this overwhelming expression of opposition to the proposed Bill, we find it introduced to the House with none of these matters having been addressed, the minister in charge (David Seymour) stating with confidence that it will be passed in the current session of Parliament and come into effect on January 1, 2026. That the minister, with the support of his coalition partners, can bring this Bill into law is not questioned. The question is whether it is in the interest of his major coalition partner to continue to support this Bill without, at least, addressing the issues that have been raised by an overwhelming majority of submissions in its consultation stage. These will no doubt be mirrored in the submissions to the select committee, charged with considering the Bill, as was the case with the Treaty Principles Bill. The potential negative effects of this Bill arguably outweigh those of the Treaty Principles Bill, which both National and New Zealand First did not support past the first reading. Historically, two National party-led governments have rejected legislation in the same form as now presented for very sound constitutional and political reasons. These reasons remain as sound and as pressing as ever. Our prime minister will be treading a very narrow path should he choose to overlook the historical rejections of this Bill by earlier National Party-led governments and enact legislation contrived and promoted by the founders of Act, which blatantly tips the balance in favour of the protection and enhancement of property rights over those of good governance and preservation of the common good. Such a step, in combination with the negative response to the recent unseemly passage of the Fair Pay Amendment Act 2025 and the excessive response by the coalition parties to the performance of Ka Mate in the House, could see dark clouds gather over the prospects of this coalition retaining the Treasury benches come November 2026. • Noel O'Malley is a Balclutha lawyer. He is a past president of the Otago District Law Society.
NZ Herald
22-04-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Early childhood education licensing criteria may be cut after Government review
They included criteria that ensured a service's curriculum 'acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua' and 'respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture'. The proposed changes would also remove the need for centres to provide hygienic facilities designed to help prepare or clean up paint materials, a 'tempering valve' for hot water taps and an adult-suitable toilet. Seymour, in a statement, advocated for changes that would remove the requirement for centres to maintain a constant indoor temperature of 18C 'when common sense says a minor deviation from 18 degrees won't hurt anyone'. He also supported centres no longer holding immunisation records for children over 15 months of age, given the Ministry of Health already did so. Ministry of Regulation officials agreed, encouraging the Government to 'revoke it at the earliest opportunity'. 'The regulation's primary purpose was for outbreak management; however, an alternative non-regulatory mechanism now exists for that purpose that does not rely on ECE service providers holding immunisation records,' the review said. Seymour, also the Act Party leader and a long-time campaigner for deregulation, said 'graduated enforcement tools' would be used from mid-2026 to respond to breaches of the remaining criteria. 'The only enforcement tools previously available were the granting or removal of ECE licences, which is too blunt a tool for managing minor breaches and enabling early intervention. 'Graduated enforcement will give the regulator a range of enforcement measures. They will be able to respond proportionately to breaches, changing the sector's culture from a punitive approach to promoting quality.' He promised the proposed changes would 'reduce unnecessary compliance costs, remove duplication and streamline operational requirements'. To make the changes, the Government would introduce the Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Bill. Seymour expected the bill, likely to land in the House in July, would be passed by the end of the year.
