Finance Minister Bill English and State Sector Minister Tony Ryall have announced proposals to shut down five Cown entities and three tribunals, and to combine two government agencies and merge "back office" services across three major state agencies, The New Zealand Herald reports.
One result of the changes would be the setting up of a single health promotion agency to take over the functions of the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC), the Health Sponsorship Council and the Ministry of Health.
Arts, culture and heritage agencies are in line to take a hit - with "greater collaboration" urged between organisations such the Film Commission and Film New Zealand and censors including the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) and the Press Council.
The ministers also called for investigation into merging back office services across the State Services Commission, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Treasury.
Mr English said the mergers and other structual moves were part of a wide suite of changes aimed at cutting waste in the public sector.
New Zealand has 39 government departments, over 150 Crown entities and more than 200 other agencies, he said.
