Bill to Improve Access to Secondary Legislation Passes Final Reading

A new law aimed at improving public access to government regulations and supporting the digitisation of government services has passed its final reading in Parliament, Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced.

The Legislation Amendment Bill introduces changes designed to make it easier for New Zealanders to find, understand, and comply with the laws that apply to them.

Improving Public Access to the Law

Collins said the reforms address long-standing challenges in accessing secondary legislation, which includes various forms of legally binding rules issued under Acts of Parliament.

"Secondary legislation includes a range of regulations, orders, rules, and notices," Collins said.

Currently, such material can be difficult to locate because it may be published across multiple platforms—or in some cases not publicly available in a centralised location.

"This makes it harder for businesses and individuals to understand their obligations, increases compliance costs, and works against our goals for a modern digital government," she said.

Standardising Publication Requirements

The new law introduces a requirement for all government agencies to publish secondary legislation online, either on their own website or on another approved platform.

The aim is to ensure consistent and reliable access to regulations and other legal instruments that affect individuals, businesses, and organisations.

Standardising publication practices is expected to improve transparency and reduce the complexity associated with navigating regulatory information.

Single Online Hub for Legislation

As part of the reform, the redeveloped New Zealand Legislation website will serve as a centralised access point for secondary legislation.

The updated platform will bring together rules and regulations published by multiple government agencies in a single location.

"The redeveloped New Zealand Legislation website will provide a single point of access to all this secondary legislation, no matter who publishes it," Collins said.

The new system is intended to make it faster and easier for the public to locate relevant laws and understand their legal responsibilities.

"This one-stop shop for legislation will make it simpler and faster for the New Zealand public to access the law."

New Website Now Live

Collins also confirmed that the updated New Zealand Legislation website is now live, allowing users to begin accessing the improved digital service immediately.

"I'm excited to share that the new website is now live for all New Zealanders to use," she said.

The reform is part of the government's broader push to modernise digital public services and improve transparency and accessibility across New Zealand's legal and regulatory systems.