What savings does the Minister expect to be made by Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and how many of these savings have been made and reported to the Minister?

Answer

In July 2024, I asked Fire and Emergency to save $60 million by the end of the first levy period (2026/27 to 2028/29). The Board identified a further $90 million in savings over the same period, bringing the total savings programme to $150 million. Fire and Emergency’s quarterly update of 21 September 2026 reported savings of $66.0 million: $36.0 million from projects, $27.0 million from non-personnel cost reductions, and $3.0 million from personnel cost reductions. The project and non-personnel savings targets have been met in full. The $60.0 million personnel savings target depends on completing the organisational restructure. No savings have yet been realised from policy changes, which are expected to save $27.0 million by 30 June 2029.