Appointments to statutory bodies
The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for administering appointments to approximately 50 statutory bodies. For a complete list of these organisations, see: Statutory Bodies
About appointments to statutory bodies
See Recent announcements (updated April 2019)
The Department collects nominations, undertakes a short-listing of candidates and recommends suitable
candidate(s) to the relevant Minister who will select their preferred appointee(s). Final decisions are approved by Cabinet.
If you are interested in serving on a statutory body, the Department recommends that you register with one of the following nominating agencies:
- Ministry for Women: Advice and Information and Nominations Service
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Governance and Appointments
- Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs: Nominations
- Office of Ethnic Communities: Nominations Database
Registering with a nominating agency does not mean your name will be put forward automatically to Ministers, as agencies select suitable candidates to forward for consideration based on the appointment criteria.
Current calls for nominations for appointment to a statutory body can be found at: Appointments (below)
Please note that:
- Cabinet has agreed that Ministers should not generally appoint public servants to statutory bodies but that there may be special circumstances in which employees of Public Service departments can be appointed. Further information is provided in the State Services Commission’s Board Appointment and Induction Guidelines (see page 16), and Cabinet Office circulars CO (02) 5: Appointment of Public Servants to Statutory Board, and CO (19) (1) especially paragraphs 76-78).
Information that needs to be provided when applying
All candidates for appointment to a statutory body need to complete a nomination form. provide a current curriculum vitae, and ideally, provide a cover letter explaining how their skills and experience are relevant.
Statutory appointments
Calls for nominations
Recent calls for nominations are detailed in the following table:
| Statutory body | Forms | Status | Close date |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Lottery Grants Board |
|
OPEN | 29 March 2020 |
| Archives Council |
|
CLOSED |
23 March 2020 |
| Community Trusts |
|
CLOSED | 14 February 2020 |
| Chief Gambling Commissioner |
|
CLOSED | 18 October 2019 |
| Library and Information Advisory Commission (LIAC) |
|
CLOSED | 4 October 2019 |
| Development Contributions Commissioners |
|
CLOSED | 25 October 2019 |
| Charities Registration Board |
|
CLOSED | 15 September 2019 |
| Winston Churchill Memorial Trust |
|
CLOSED | 28 August 2019 |
Recent announcements
The most recent appointments were:
Office of Film and Literature Classification
Hon Tracey Martin, Minister of Internal Affairs, has reappointed David Shanks as Chief Censor and Chief Executive of the Office of Film and Literature Classification. Mr Shanks has been reappointed for a two-year term beginning on 8 May 2020. Mr Shanks was first appointed as Chief Censor in 2017.
Library and Information Advisory Commission
Vanisa Dhiru appointed to the Library and Information Advisory Commission:
Hon Tracey Martin, Minister of Internal Affairs, has appointed Vanisa Dhiru to the Library and Information Advisory Commission (LIAC) for a three-year term beginning on 9 March 2020.
Ms Dhiru works as a Community Manager for InternetNZ and brings a valuable digital perspective to LIAC. She has a diverse leadership background in the not-for-profit sector and has served on several governance and advisory boards.
Ms Dhiru replaces Matthew Oliver, whose term ended in December 2019.
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Board
Everdina Fuli and Bradley Watson appointed to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Board:
Her Excellency, Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, the Governor-General of New Zealand, has appointed Everdina Fuli and Bradley Watson to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Board.
Ms Fuli has been appointed to a term ending in June 2023, and Mr Watson has been appointed to a term ending in December 2021. Both terms of office begin on 1 January 2020.
Charities Registration Board
Gwendoline Keel appointed to the Charities Registration Board:
Hon Poto Williams, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, has appointed Gwendoline Keel to the Charities Registration Board.
Ms Keel works as a legal advisor to Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Incorporated which is the post-settlement governance entity of the Waikato iwi. She has extensive experience as a lawyer and knowledge of the charities sector.
Ms Keel replaces Simon Karipa and will take up her role on 9 December 2019 for a term ending on 25 November 2022.
Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Gwendoline Tepania-Palmer appointed to the Board Fire and Emergency New Zealand:
Hon Tracey Martin, Minister of Internal Affairs has appointed Gwendoline Tepania-Palmer to the Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand for a three-year term beginning on 9 September 2019.
Ms Tepania-Palmer is an experienced state sector director. She has served extended periods as an appointed member of the Auckland and the Waitemata District Health Boards and has served on the National Health Committee and the Health Quality and Safety Commission.
Ms Tepania-Palmer has extensive links to Māori communities and professional groups. She has been a member of the Māori Doctors Association, the National Council of Māori Nurses, and has been involved in primary health organisations and Māori health providers. She was the former Chair of the Ngāti Hine Health Trust.
Ms Tepania-Palmer also brings community-based knowledge of first responder services to her new role.
Film and Literature Board of Review
Appointments to the Film and Literature Board of Review - new terms ending in 2022:
Hon Tracey Martin, Minister of Internal Affairs has reappointed Nigel Dunlop, Dr Tom Brown and Dr Waikaremoana (Moana) Waitoki and the appointment of Susan Rowe, Thomas (Tom) Turton and Lillian (Lizzie) Marvelly as members of the Film and Literature Board of Review for three-year terms. The new terms begin on 20 September 2019.
The Board is a statutory appeal body, established under section 91 of the Films, Videos and Publications Act 1993. It is responsible for reviewing appeals about classification decisions made by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.
Hon Tracey Martin has also written to Jeff Sissions, Janet Peters and Gillian Ferguson thanking them for the contributions to the work of the Board.
Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Appointments of the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand:
Hon Tracey Martin, Minister of Internal Affairs has reappointment Hon Paul Swain QSO as Chair of the Board of Fire and Emergency New Zealand for a two-year term beginning on 7 June 2019.
The Minister has also appointed Rebecca Keoghan MNZM as a new Board member and as Deputy Chair. Ms Keoghan has been appointed for a three-year term beginning on 7 June 2019.
Ms Keoghan brings diverse governance experience, expertise in health and safety and first responder issues from a rural perspective, to her new role.
Hon Tracey Martin has also acknowledged the work of Dr Nicola Crauford and Peter Drummond who have now ended their terms on the Board.
