OIA24-0234
22 August 2024
Al an Walker
[FYI request #26377 email]
Dear Al an Walker
Thank you for your email of 9 April 2024, requesting information relating to
Tier 3 roles within
the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Your request has been considered under the
Of icial Information Act 1982 (OIA).
MPI has changed significantly in recent years to better support the primary sector’s significant
growth, with export revenue increasing about 50 percent since 2016 to $57.4 bil ion. The sector
continues to contribute significantly to New Zealand’s economy as our largest export earner.
In 2018 and 2019 MPI established focused business units, each offering specialised services and
requiring strengthened leadership and expertise. These business units are sector and customer
facing with a focus on providing help for complex challenges. Those five core business units are:
• Biosecurity New Zealand
• New Zealand Food Safety
• Fisheries New Zealand
• Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Forest Service
• Agriculture and Investment Service.
These changes have also enabled MPI to help the sector overcome a number of significant
challenges such as large-scale biosecurity responses (
Mycoplasma bovis/fruit flies) and adverse
events (Cyclone Gabrielle and COVID-19).
We have also supported the sector on a number of significant work programmes to increase the
sector’s success such as:
• increasing environmental sustainability (supporting catchment groups and different farming
practices)
• helping establish new trade deals (EU and UK)
• improving fisheries management (greater protections and the introduction of cameras on
commercial fishing boats)
• adapting to climate change (developing new tools and practices to reduce emissions).
Al of this work requires co-ordination with the many leaders and experts from across the primary
sector, such as sector groups, New Zealand’s biggest companies, community organisations, non-
government organisations, overseas counterparts, and Māori agribusinesses, who expect a high
degree of knowledge and experience.
As of 1 July 2019, there were 42 Tier three roles, compared to 60 roles as of 1 July 2024. As part
of MPI’s recent efficiency programme, the number of directors has reduced from 76 in 2023 to 60
as at 1 July 2024, which is a 21 percent decrease.
Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen Street
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
mpi.govt.nz
You requested:
1: Can you please specify the number of Tier 3 roles within the Ministry as at 1 July 2019
and compare this to the number on 1 July 2023.
As part of the Budget 2024/25 programme, MPI was asked by the Government to find savings of
7.5 percent per annum starting from the financial year starting 1 July 2024.
The total number of disestablished positions across MPI is slightly higher than the original proposal
at 391 compared with 384 in March.
Importantly, MPI has not made any reductions to frontline services and statutory roles, such as
veterinarians, animal welfare, fishery and food compliance officers, or biosecurity teams at the
border. MPI has reduced the impact on affected staff through holding vacancies, offering early
redundancy, and retaining additional roles in some business units.
As noted above, there were 42 Tier three roles as of 1 July 2019, 76 Tier three roles as of 1 July
2023 and 60 as of 1 July 2024. The number of directors has reduced from 76 in 2023, to 60 in
2024, which is a 21 percent decrease.
2: Can you please outline the job title of any Tier 3 roles with less than 30 staff reporting to
them or less than 30 in their span of control. Alongside these roles can you please specify
if the position was established after 1 July 2019.
Please find attached as Appendix One the information requested, which provides you with the
number tier three roles at 1 July 2019, 1 July 2023 and 1 July 2024, with job title, and whether the
role was established after 2019.
Please note that all Directors have less than 30 direct reports. For the purposes of this response a
direct report is an individual who reports directly to a person in a leadership role. We note that it
would be inappropriate for a Tier three role to have more than 30 direct reports. This would impact
the ability for individuals to receive required direction and support while also compromising the
leader’s ability to fulfil their own responsibilities and everyday functions.
Should you have any concerns with this response, I would encourage you to raise these with
the Ministry for Primary Industries at
[email address]. Alternatively, you
are advised of your right to also raise any concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman.
Contact details are: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143 or at
[email address].
Yours sincerely
Kaye Ryan
Director, People and Capability
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