State Services Minister Tony Ryall has confirmed the merger of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with the Ministry of Fisheries to give one voice for primary industries.
“Ministers have agreed that the merger of these two organisations will deliver better results for New Zealanders by reducing back-office bureaucracy and lowering the cost of delivering government services.
“The merger is planned for 1 February 2012 to allow adequate time to engage with stakeholders, consult with staff and make the necessary planning and legislative changes.
“This merger is part of the Government’s ongoing programme to improve public services during times of increasing financial restraint and rising public expectation of service delivery.
“It will reduce duplicated and overlapping functions between the two organisations – and it will create an agency with better abilities to give support to primary industries.
It is expected that the annual savings from the merger will be at least $10 million, with further savings expected over time through merging corporate administration processes and rationalising accommodation. One-off costs of transition will be met from within existing baselines without impacting on service delivery.
Agriculture Minister David Carter says the move will give an efficient and co-ordinated voice for primary industries.
“Most importantly, it will provide integrated policy advice to better support the Government’s agenda for long-term economic growth from our primary producers. New Zealand’s future prosperity relies on the strength and productivity of our primary industries.
“The new agency will be better equipped to work with primary sector stakeholders, including iwi, local Government and international trading partners on regulatory, food and biosecurity issues.
“The merger will also reduce duplication and operational costs, and I expect a proportion of these savings will be shared with the sectors the agency works with to reduce the costs of doing business,” says Mr Carter.
Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley says the merger will lower costs and create an agency with greater capacity and capability.
One voice, improved capacity, lower costs – what’s not to like?
The only question is, who will be the Minister?
Homepaddock 
The critical thing is that when they are drafting staff structures that there are no places for any ETS or climate change staff. The whole thing should be suspended for at least 5 years while we pay for the current mess. This would remove a major part of the inflationary issues that the Guvn’r has and fuel would be cheaper..
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National split them up, now they’re joining them together.
Brilliant!
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I am moved by your praise for National, Rg.
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“National split them up, now they’re joining them together.”
Better to rectify a mistake made by a previous government – even if it was your own party – than to let two ministries carry on when you’re one would be better.
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There’s no natural law that says govt depts must never be tampered with, despite what the denizens thereof, and lefties might think.
In fact, you could argue that increasing the size of the govt depts by more than 50% in a decade is a radical change and needs a significant prune.
On combining ministries, the Forest Service is a good example..
1840-1919, a unit within Land and Survey.
1919.. State Forest Service
1949.. NZ Forest Service
1987.. Ministry of Forestry
1998.. policy division within MAF
The changes simply represent changes in responsibilities and functions.. from player to referee.
Sometimes these changes are made to save money or to “punish” a stroppy dept, but always the politicians and bureaucrats dress it up with a change of mission and function and very quickly the dept adjusts to the new role and starts the subterranean business of growing all over again.
The whole business is like smashing a 4X2 over a large blob of mercury. It splats into thousands of tiny blobs but within seconds it starts to amalgamate with something else of like mind. You’ve smashed the large blob, but now you need a gangers hammer to put a dent in the amalgams.
JC
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Now JC, you will have a watermelon charging in to protest the mercury entering a waterway and hence the food chain.
I would hope that the PM takes the new ministry and hands it to someone with the vision to make real change, I dont think that person is David Carter, a bit like a dogeared book, or Phil Heatly, my pick would be Amy Adams but that might be just a little biased as she continues to impress.
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GD,
Bureaucrat mercury has an additional property which only allows it to bind with other bureaucrats.. so the fish are safe from poisoning but may well choke on the additional numbers of MAF bureaucrats that will now take an interest in their welfare.
JC
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