The Minister for Regulation and the Attorney-General have issued statutory guidance to support consistent application of the Regulatory Standards Act 2025 across government agencies, with mandatory Consistency Accountability Statements and shorter Regulatory Analysis Summaries required from July 2026.
Guidance Targets Transparency on Regulatory Costs
The joint guidance from Regulation Minister David Seymour and Attorney-General Chris Bishop outlines how agencies must meet the Act's principles of responsible regulation. It was developed with the Parliamentary Counsel Office and Crown Law Office.
From July 2026, any Minister introducing a Bill must publish a Consistency Accountability Statement. The statement will assess whether the proposal meets the Act's nine principles and explain any deviations.
"We're showing voters who is responsible for putting costs on them and why. Better information means more informed choices at the voting booth. That's important for the future of New Zealand," Mr Seymour says.
Shift from RIS to RAS
The guidance also replaces Regulatory Impact Statements with Regulatory Analysis Summaries. RAS documents must stay under 20 pages and focus on cost-benefit analysis, with quality checks by an independent panel.
"From July we are also replacing Regulatory Impact Statements (RIS) with shorter and sharper Regulatory Analysis Summaries (RAS). RISs could be over 100 pages of fluff. RASs will be less than 20 pages and more focussed on cost benefit analysis. To ensure the quality of the analyses, RASs will be quality assured by an independent panel," Mr Seymour says.
"Bad regulations have real consequences for real people. People work hard to earn their livelihood. Now there is scrutiny for people who ruin it with bad regulations."
Background and Timeline
The Regulatory Standards Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 November 2025 after passing 68 votes to 55. It commenced on 1 January 2026, with key transparency rules applying from July 2026.
A Regulatory Standards Board was appointed in April 2026 and is chaired by Paul Ridley-Smith. The board will review CAS documents and existing legislation against the principles.
Agency Requirements
Agencies must now produce publicly available CAS documents for new legislation and specified secondary rules. Ministers must justify any inconsistency with principles covering the rule of law, personal liberties, property rights, taxation, and regulatory oversight.
The guidance states that regulation should be necessary, proportionate, and effective.
"Good regulation should be necessary, proportionate, and effective. The guidance helps agencies apply those principles in practice," Attorney-General Chris Bishop says.
Business and Household Impact
The changes will affect every government agency preparing regulatory proposals. Businesses in sectors such as agriculture, exports, and financial services may face reduced compliance costs if unnecessary rules are identified and removed.
The Ministry for Regulation will host the guidance and manage RAS processes from 1 July 2026.
Forward Outlook
The framework creates new accountability channels through public CAS documents and board scrutiny. Over the 2026–2028 period, improved cost-benefit analysis could accelerate deregulation in areas that currently impose heavy burdens on exporters and small firms.
