Resource material › Corporate Publications › Statement of Intent 2014-18Tauāki Whakamaunga Atu
Nature and Scope of Functions
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Our purpose
The Department of Internal Affairs serves and connects people, communities and government to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation
Our roles and functions
The Department has a broad range of responsibilities and functions including:
- Implementing the Government’s Better Public Service Result 10: New Zealanders can complete their transactions with the government easily in a digital environment
- Providing functional leadership for government ICT through the all-of-government information and communications technology roles of the Government Chief Information Officer and Government Chief Privacy Officer. This includes overseeing the implementation of the ICT Strategy and Action Plan
- Managing and protecting the integrity of national identity information
- regulating activities in the following sectors: gambling, censorship, government recordkeeping, charities, unsolicited electronic messages, anti-money laundering and private security personnel and private investigators
- providing policy advice to government on local government, ethnic affairs, the community and voluntary sector, and in fire, identity, technology, information management, gambling and racing
- building preserving and making accessible NZ’s information, documentary heritage and public record
- providing information, resources and advice to communities and administering grant funding schemes and promoting trust and confidence in the charitable sector
- supporting the effective operation of government and the Executive
- coordinating and managing official guests of government visits to New Zealand
- supporting Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry
- monitoring the performance of two Crown entities (the New Zealand Fire Services Commission and the Office of Film and Literature Classification) and managing the appointment process for members of trusts, committees and boards.
Our ministerial portfolios
We are responsible to six portfolio Ministers, administering six portfolios within the single Vote Internal Affairs. The Minister of Internal Affairs is the Vote Minister and the Responsible Minister overseeing the Government’s ownership interests in the Department.
Portfolios
- Internal Affairs
- Ministerial Services
- Ethnic Affairs
- Local Government
- Racing
- Community and Voluntary Sector.