Annex Two: Quality Regulation Review - Achievements
Achievements to April 2007
- A new framework for strengthening Regulatory Impact Analysis requirements has been agreed by Cabinet and came into force on 1 April 2007;
- The Department of Internal Affairs undertook a targeted information provision campaign to the gaming industry on how to deal with problem gamblers in March 2007;
- An on-line tool to assist businesses with entitlement calculations under the Holidays Act was released in March 2007;
- The Customs and Excise Amendment Bill was passed in February 2007, aligning the due dates for excise levies and Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) levies paid by the wine industry;
- Regulations have been amended to address problems arising from a legal technicality that removed the eligibility of certain vehicle dealers (primarily boat and trailer dealers) to hold trade plates;
- The definition of what constitutes a "goods service" vehicle, and therefore requires a goods service licence, has been reviewed to remove the requirement for all vehicles with a gross laden weight of less than 6000kg to have a goods service licence, regardless of whether they are being used for "hire and reward" or not.
Future Deliverables to 31 July 2007
- A Business Cost Calculator, that determines the compliance cost of proposed regulation on business, will be ready for application within government departments in the first half of 2007 for a two year trial;
- Cabinet has agreed to a detailed work programme to be undertaken during 2007/2008 by the Department of Building and Housing, Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry for the Environment, and Local Government New Zealand to help resolve issues around the interface of the Resource Management Act and the Building Act, including possible legislative amendment;
- The Ministry of Health is undertaking a review of the contractual and legislative requirements for audits of health and disability service providers. A qualitative survey has been completed and possible solutions will be reported by July 2007;
- An on-line Hazard Builder for SMEs, aligning Health and Safety in Employment Act requirements with the ACC Workplace Safety Discount programme information, will be completed by June 2007;
- Preliminary consultation has been undertaken with business on the interaction of Health and Safety in Employment, Hazardous Substances and New Organisms, and ACC legislation. A feedback document testing solutions with business will be released in April 2007 by the Department of Labour;
- The Department of Labour (DOL) is developing a new Health and Safety Enforcement Strategy that sets out the role that DOL staff play across the information – enforcement continuum under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act and Employment Relations Act - to be completed by 30 June 2007, for implementation starting 2007/2008;
- The Department of Labour is undertaking a number of initiatives in the first half of 2007 to improve the information and guidance provided to business on a range of issues, including use of probationary periods, how to manage the parental leave process and returning to work, managing the health and safety of contractors, and a review of current publications on managing employment relationship problems to respond to employers feedback, for example, to provide explicit guidance targeted at employers on "how to fire";
- The Department of Labour is undertaking research into the costs and benefits of settling/resolving employment disputes under the Employment Relations Act - to be completed by July 2007;
- Cabinet has agreed that the Immigration Bill, due for introduction in mid-2007, will allow employers to seek information on the immigration status of prospective or current employees without their explicit consent, addressing concerns about risks to business from employing people working illegally;
- Cabinet has agreed, as part of the Immigration Bill, to provide for "interim" visas for applicants who would otherwise become unlawful while a further application is considered;
- The Department of Labour is reviewing the temporary work policy for low/unskilled labour occupations, and Working Holiday schemes, to address perceived inflexibility, and will report to Cabinet by May 2007 for work policy and late 2007 for Working Holiday schemes;
- The Department of Labour is implementing a Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE) policy for the horticulture and wine sectors, to facilitate the employment of seasonal workers - due to start in April 2007. Cabinet agreement included additional funding for compliance officers and labour inspectors. This will allow for a greater emphasis on education, ensuring employers fully understand their obligations and are well supported;
- ACC is providing more understandable and accessible information to businesses about its services and how it sets levies, and will ensure that new levy invoices will provide clearer information, by June 2007;
- Cabinet has agreed to strengthen the offence provision for non-notification of vehicle ownership change and create an offence for this, enforceable by Police, local authorities and Land Transport New Zealand - for introduction mid 2007.
Proposed Legislative Amendments for Inclusion in Omnibus Bill
The amendments proposed to date for the Omnibus Bill relate to:
- the process for renewing design registrations under the Designs Act 1953;
- the ability to update material incorporated by reference within the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO);
- combining inspections under the HSNO Act and the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
- the revocation of outdated health and safety regulations;
- the co-regulatory arrangements under the Gas Act 1992 as applies to gas used for feedstock;
- the treatment of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) under both the Weights and Measures Act 1987 and Gas Act 1992; and
- the audit requirements for certain classes of New Zealand subsidiaries of overseas-incorporated companies and companies that have 25% or more overseas ownership under the Companies Act 1993.
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