New Zealand Scraps 70-Year-Old ‘Offensive Trades’ Rules

New Zealand businesses involved in activities historically classified as "offensive trades" will no longer need to complete annual registrations under rules dating back to 1956, with the Government estimating the change could save businesses and councils as much as $2.26 million over the next decade.

Regulation Minister David Seymour said the Government is removing the registration requirement under the Health Act after the issue was raised through the Ministry for Regulation's Red Tape Tipline. The change affects hundreds of businesses and is intended to eliminate paperwork and fees that the Government believes are no longer needed under today's regulatory system.

The "offensive trades" classification covers activities including fish curing, leather tanning, flax pulping and nightsoil collection, reflecting terminology and public health concerns that were incorporated into legislation around 70 years ago.

Businesses will no longer face annual registration costs

Under the existing regime, businesses carrying out activities covered by the list have been required to register annually, creating administrative work for operators while requiring local councils to process and manage those registrations.

Removing the requirement means affected businesses will no longer have to submit the associated registration paperwork or pay registration fees. Councils will also be freed from administering this part of the Health Act regime, reducing work linked to requirements the Government considers outdated.

Seymour said unnecessary compliance costs can take money and staff time away from productive business activities, particularly when older regulatory requirements duplicate protections that are now provided through other systems.

The Government estimates that ending the registration system could generate savings of up to $2.26 million across a 10-year period when the reduced costs for businesses and administration are taken into account.

Other rules will continue to manage health and environmental risks

Health Minister Simeon Brown said removing the "offensive trades" registration requirement does not mean activities such as fish curing and leather tanning will operate without oversight, as relevant risks can now be addressed through environmental regulations, industry-specific systems and local government requirements.

Councils also retain other powers under the Health Act, providing additional ways to respond when business activities create legitimate public health concerns.

The Government's position is that requiring a separate annual registration simply because a business falls within a decades-old category adds another layer of compliance without providing enough additional benefit to justify the cost.

Brown said the terminology itself also sits awkwardly with modern businesses, noting that an activity labelled an "offensive trade" under old legislation can represent an ordinary source of income and employment for the people involved.

Red Tape Tipline prompts regulatory change

The decision also provides an example of how the Government intends to use the Red Tape Tipline, which allows individuals and businesses to raise regulations they consider unnecessary, outdated or excessively costly.

Seymour said the Ministry for Regulation can examine requirements spread across different government agencies and work with those departments to remove rules where the costs are no longer justified.

For the businesses affected by the latest decision, the practical impact will be the end of an annual administrative requirement rather than a removal of wider health or environmental responsibilities.

The change marks the retirement of a regulatory system created in a very different business environment in 1956, while leaving modern environmental, council and public health protections in place to manage the activities involved.