- Hon David Seymour
Regulation Minister David Seymour is urging businesses, fuel users, freight operators, and the wider public to report any regulatory barriers that might be hindering our response to global fuel uncertainty.
Submissions should be made to the Ministry for Regulation's Red Tape Tipline (the Tipline). Submissions can be made here.
"New Zealand's fuel supply is stable. We're focussed on keeping it that way. This Government has responded well to the potential of conflict in the Middle East leading to shortages," Mr Seymour says.
"We can't control what happens in the Middle East. We can control how we get fuel flowing through New Zealand pumps. If red tape is getting in the way of that goal, we want to hear it."
Earlier this week the Government set out updates to the National Fuel Plan to make sure New Zealand is prepared if international disruption puts pressure on fuel supply.
"The Government's first responsibility is to keep the economy moving and ensure essential services, freight, and families aren't disrupted any more than necessary," Mr Seymour says.
"While the Government's response has been strong, we don't want a repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and we don't want to miss something which could lead to negative effects down the line. That's why we want to hear from people affected by edicts from Wellington; what regulatory barriers do you see getting in the way of fuel supply?
"This Government listens to the people in tough times. Taiwan took a similar approach during the COVID outbreak. Through public feedback they were able to develop tools that improved their response.
"In a disruption every unnecessary delay matters. If there are regulations that make it harder to import, store, distribute, or use fuel efficiently, they need to be identified now. Not when the pressure is at its peak.
"Examples of things which people might submit to the Tipline are regulations that could be reviewed, suspended, simplified, or better coordinated to support New Zealand's fuel resilience. This could include barriers affecting fuel transport, storage, distribution, local delivery, freight movements, business operations, or the ability of firms to adapt quickly to changing supply conditions.
"Not all issues identified will fall within the scope of regulation. Where submissions are non-regulatory they will be referred to the appropriate authority or organisation best placed to address them.
"The Tipline has already fixed many things that matter to Kiwis. It's fixed dumb rules to allow Kiwis to build sheds on their property, allow home based baking businesses to get on with business, and got rid of draconian rules preventing medical conferences taking place in New Zealand.
"We are particularly interested in hearing from businesses on the front line. Fuel companies, freight operators, contractors, primary producers, retailers, and others whose day-to-day experience tells them where the bottlenecks are."
