Further to Reply 13378 (2026), does the Minister think that the 16 April 2025 amendment to the Certificate of Particulars control materially narrowed the scope of that control; and if so, how was that narrowing consistent with the risk environment in place at the time given the February 2025 detection of potential fraud, if at all?

Answer

I am advised by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) that, in its regulatory responses, it always seeks to strike an appropriate balance between risk and compliance burden. Its currently reviewing its controls to see whether further controls need to be implemented. In this case, the decision to apply the amended control to only those whose country of primary identification was non-exempt countries was intentional and reflected a targeted, risk based approach. This approach did not materially narrow the effectiveness of the control at the time, but was designed to focus scrutiny where the risk was highest. As the situation has evolved, NZTA is now reviewing whether further controls are required.