Final decisions on Community Operations staff structure

21 October 2026

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has confirmed its final decisions on organisational changes and new ways of working for Community Operations – Hāpai Hapori.

The decisions strengthen stewardship and support sustainable service delivery for Community Operations – Hāpai Hapori, both for the present and into the future.

Feedback received during the consultation process was carefully considered before final decisions were made. As a result, additional roles have been included in the new structure in response to staff feedback about the scale and breadth of their work. The final structure results in a net reduction of 24 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.

Staff were advised of the final decisions at a meeting this morning by General Manager Community Operations, Aiolupotea Sina Aiono.

“Supporting communities is a core part of DIA’s role. Our frontline staff will continue to work with communities across New Zealand, based within their assigned regional zones.

“The revised frontline roles are designed to better enable staff to engage with communities and support them to understand and access DIA funding streams.

“We thank our staff for their high level of engagement throughout the consultation process and for their ongoing commitment to delivering public services to communities across New Zealand.

“We recognise that organisational change can affect people in different ways, and we are committed to supporting our staff throughout the transition period.” said Ms Aiono.

The new structure will take effect from 30 November 2026.

Media contact:
Media Desk
Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua
Mobile: +64 27 535 8639
Email: media@dia.govt.nz