New Zealand's regulatory system is in a mess, according to The Productivity Commission. Our large and complex regulatory system sports around 200 different regimes, a large number of regulatory agencies and more than 10,000 people employed to administer our regulations. It's a major piece of government infrastructure that is as significant as the nation's taxation and spending activities.
Regulation is an inescapable fact of life. It impacts almost everything we do at home and at work. And given the untidy state of things, New Zealand’s regulations are in danger of becoming obsolete and failing to keep up with technology or public expectations. Almost two-thirds of regulator chief executives surveyed by The Commission reported that agencies often work with legislation that is outdated or unfit-for-purpose
The Commission has released a draft report called Regulatory Institutions and Practices which makes interesting executive reading but, a four page “cut to the chase” summary is a good place to start getting to the grips with the economic and social significance of this nasty mess: http://www.productivity.govt.nz
