Tourism, Events and Consumer Affairs Branch
[ Last Updated 26 October 2006 ]
Deputy Secretary: Liz MacPherson
Overview
The Government has set a long-term goal of growing the economy to delivery greater prosperity, security and opportunities to all New Zealanders.
The purpose of the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) is to support this goal by "fostering economic development and prosperity for all New Zealanders".
The Ministry’s focus in pursuing this purpose is dependent on the priorities set by our Ministers. Current priorities include:
- helping businesses to survive the economic downturn and raise their productivity
- reducing the regulatory and compliance demands that can burden businesses and get in the way of their growth
- achieving a step up in infrastructure investment to reduce bottlenecks and improve economic productivity, and
- improving value for money from public spending so that government resources can be moved to where they are most needed.
The Tourism, Events and Consumer Affairs (TECA) branch, which encompasses the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, contributes to the achievement of these goals and to the business and regulatory priorities in particular. It undertakes research and provides policy advice on matters relating to major events, tourism and consumer issues.
In addition TECA provides information for consumers, consumer agencies and businesses on consumer issues and manages New Zealand’s trade measurement environment. It seeks, variously, both to ensure New Zealand’s consumers can transact with confidence and to ensure New Zealand’s tourism sector is prosperous and attracts ongoing investment.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs (http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/) includes Consumer Policy, Consumer Capability and Information, and Measurement and Product Safety Service.
Consumer Policy Team
The Consumer Policy Team’s work concerns promoting markets that work for consumers and businesses, leading to more globally competitive firms and an environment in which consumers and businesses are able to transact with confidence. Confident, demanding consumers are a critical part to achieving a dynamic, competitive and innovative economy.
Consumer Capability and Information Team
The CCI Team supports a national consumer enquiries infrastructure whereby community based organisations deliver consumer information to consumers and business and provide input back to the Ministry on consumer issues. This enables the group to monitor and evaluate the impacts of specific legislation to build an understanding of consumer and business behaviour and emerging issues in order to facilitate more effective market design and implementation.
The group undertakes capability building activities, including developing relationships with community agencies and supporting the participation of consumers in decision-making where the outcomes are likely to impact on them. Such stakeholder engagement is fed into improving consumer policy and programmes.
The group also develops and manages consumer information, education and awareness programmes, including the delivery of online and print information about consumer and business rights, responsibilities and avenues for redress and remedies.
Measurement and Product Safety Service (MAPSS)
The Measurement and Product Safety Service undertakes enforcement and conformance operational activity designed to ensure that goods that are traded by weight and measure are traded accurately and that products sold are safe.
The Service undertakes three major functions: trade measurement, product safety and fuel quality monitoring.
MAPSS has a significant leadership role within the MED, the New Zealand Infrastructure and internationally in relation to its core functional areas and is representative on a number fora including: The International Organisation of Legal Metrology, Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum, International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organisation, Standards Committees and Trans-Tasman Officials Committees.
Trade Measurement
MAPSS administers and enforces the Weights and Measures Act and works to make sure traders, manufacturers and packers are aware of, and comply with, the laws regarding weight and measurement.
MAPSS role involves:
- carrying out pattern approval examinations to ensure that new types of weighing and measuring equipment will not facilitate fraud
- auditing applications from private sector organisations seeking to be accredited as private sector verifiers (accredited persons) of trade measuring equipment
- ensuring the traceability of physical measurement standards used in trade to the New Zealand Primary Standards
- conducting investigations of consumer complaints in regard to breaches of the Weights and Measures Act
- carrying out spot checks of weighing and measuring equipment, and
- checking the weight of packaged goods
Product Safety
MAPSS seeks to support and promote an environment that ensures safe goods are supplied in the market and that consumers use them safely.
MAPSS role involves:
- investigating complaints regarding unsafe products
- responding to recall notifications
- working with traders and manufacturers and suggesting modifications to make a product safe
- requesting that unsafe products be removed from sale
- giving advice to companies recalling unsafe products, and
- helping develop self-regulation options.
Where circumstances require this, MAPSS can recommend that the Minister of Consumer Affairs:
- recall unsafe products
- ban an unsafe product, and
- make mandatory standards.
Fuel Quality Monitoring
The MAPSS team are also responsible for monitoring the quality of New Zealand’s retail fuel supply to promote and enforce compliance with the Engine Fuel Specifications Regulations through administration of a national fuel quality monitoring programme that samples and tests retail fuel.
Ministry of Tourism
The Ministry of Tourism is a Ministry within the Ministry of Economic Development, and is part of the TECA branch. It provides independent policy advice to the Minister of Tourism and works closely with the policy branches.
The Ministry is divided primarily into two teams – policy and research. In addition the Ministry has taken on the role of the New Zealand Cycleway.
The major projects within the policy team work programme are covered on the Ministry of Tourism website - Our Work.
The extensive research programme has its own stand alone tourism research website. An overview of the research team’s work programme can be found in the publication, Accessing New Zealand’s Tourism Data.
The Ministry of Tourism works to maximise the benefits to New Zealand from the sustainable development of the tourism industry. It provides tourism policy advice to the Minister of Tourism, works with other government departments on key tourism policy issues and provides tourism research and statistics to the government and industry.
The Ministry provides advice to government on Tourism New Zealand board appointments, roles and functions, and the overall contribution of the Crown Entity to the government's policy objectives. Tourism New Zealand is the Crown Entity tasked with marketing New Zealand to international visitors.
The Ministry of Tourism works to achieve implementation of the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 (NZTS 2015). The strategy has as its vision, tourism being valued as the leading contributor to a sustainable New Zealand economy by 2015.
The outcomes from the NZTS 2015 are the guiding principles behind the Ministry’s work programme. These outcomes are:
- New Zealand delivers a world-class visitor experience.
- New Zealand’s tourism sector is prosperous and attracts ongoing investment.
- The tourism sector takes a leading role in protecting and enhancing the environment.
- The tourism sector and communities work together for mutual benefit. Major priorities for the Ministry of Tourism include:
- Ensuring that tourism provides a high level of economic returns to the New Zealand economy to combat the current financial challenges.
- Ensuring that as a nation, New Zealand continues to deliver on the quality promises made by our tourism marketing and that we meet visitor expectations.
- Improving tourism yield.
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) Office is located within the TECA Branch of the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and is part of a ‘Major Events and the RWC Office’ directorate. This directorate plays a leadership and brokerage role in coordinating the Government’s investment, support and leverage of major events, which is aimed at building New Zealand’s capability and reputation as a major events destination and maximising the wider benefits to be gained from hosting major events.
The Rugby World Cup 2011 Government Coordination Office (RWC Office) is responsible for the coordination of Government’s support and involvement in the RWC. We are the central point of contact for the wide range of government departments involved in the RWC, and other key stakeholders, including tournament organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011 Limited (RNZ 2011).
The role of the RWC Office is to act as a single point of contact for all matters relating to the RWC and to provide some coordination and leadership to the government’s involvement in the tournament, which includes supporting the successful delivery of the tournament as well as maximising the benefits to be gained from hosting the RWC.
More information about the RWC Office and its work is on the New Zealand Economic Development section of this website.
New Zealand Major Events
New Zealand Major Events is a unit within the TECA Branch. The unit is responsible for administering the Major Events Development Fund, providing secretariat support to the Inter Agency Events Group and developing a new National Events Strategy. It also runs the New Zealand Major Events website.
New Zealand Major Events has been established to undertake the following tasks:
- provide financial support of events in line with specific criteria
- assess events for economic, social and cultural and international exposure benefits
- research events for suitability for New Zealand infrastructure, event management capabilities
- develop and maintain events industry databases, including events infrastructure, management and events calendar
- provide government liaison for events of large scale
- develop and implement the National Events Strategy.
Back to Top