Local Government Minister Paula Bennett announced plans this morning for a Rules Reduction Taskforce, which will try to cut unnecessary bureaucracy and scrap "loopy" local and central government regulations.
"We've seen rules and regulations brought in over decades that were well-intentioned but end up being confusing, onerous and costly while failing to deliver any real benefit for the property owner or the wider public," Mrs Bennett said.
"We have rules dictating all sorts of weird and wonderful things from signage over cake stalls to where your shower curtains need to be positioned.
"In another example, a property owner trying to replace a 130-year-old fence discovered some of it was on a scenic reserve and they faced having to buy or lease the land."
A website would be created to allow the public to submit rules that were "ripe for change".
The taskforce, which would include tradespeople and building experts, would consider whether the rules could be eliminated.
Mrs Bennett said it was only a six-person board, and was not adding bureaucracy to reduce bureaucracy.
- Isaac Davison of the New Zealand Herald
