Public service shake-up: Who’s shuffling, snipping and restructuring

Monday, 21 July 2025

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While most ministries underwent major shake ups in 2024, more chops and changes are being made to the public service this year, with new details obtained by The Post painting a picture of rolling restructures.

The Post went to every department, agency, non public service department and Crown agents to find out what stage of restructure it was in, if at all, how many business groups within the agency were being restructured, what stage the restructure was at and how many jobs were either proposed or confirmed to go or be created.

Out of the 70 organisations The Post contacted, 22 confirmed they were at some stage of restructuring - a third. Four organisations did not respond in time.

That includes: Antarctica New Zealand, Department of Conservation, Department of Internal Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora, Land Information NZ, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ministry of Business and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Transport, Defence Force, Police, NZQA, NZTA/Waka Kotahi, Pharmac, Social Workers Registration Board, Sport NZ and Treasury.

Previously, The Post revealed three significant change processes under way at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry of Health.

Do you know more? Email anna.whyte@stuff.co.nz

At the Department of Conservation, two reviews were in progress, deputy director-general (regional operations) Henry Weston said.

The regional operations review would result in the removal of “66 management from district leadership positions” over the next few years. About 35 of those roles are currently vacant and there would be positions for all impacted staff in a transitional structure.

The second review, of organisational support, was out for consultation with staff, “and we have nothing further to add until our people have been properly consulted and decisions made.

“These changes will significantly affect how we work at DOC, but we are confident this will be a positive change for conservation…”

The Department of Internal Affairs was in the final stage of a restructure that began last year, as DIA “reshaped its senior leadership layers”, a spokesperson said.

Final decisions would be announced late August. Pending final decisions, the final stage of the change process proposed to disestablish 166 and create 106 new roles.

Seventy temporary roles were also proposed to end.

“In this final stage of change, which is aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing costs, the Department is targeting approximately $8 million in savings.”

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment had two restructures under way - its Resource Markets Branch in the Building, Resources and Markets Group which would see an increase of one full time equivalent (FTE) role, and the other within Immigration New Zealand’s Joint Targeting and Analytics team.

The latter was still in consultation with no net reduction or increase of FTE proposed.

A spokesperson said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade senior leadership team had been working for some time on ensuring the ministry’s policy work aligned with the government’s priorities.

“To achieve these priorities the Ministry will reallocate some roles, including in its offshore diplomatic network, to better deliver the Government’s foreign, trade and development policy objectives. These changes will be implemented over the next few years. This reallocation of roles is net neutral.”

MFAT had also begun a series of phased reviews across several corporate services and operational functions. “These reviews will take place over the next 12 months, with some already under way.

“As a result of these reviews, changes may be implemented throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026. It is too early to determine the number of positions that may be affected,” the spokesperson said.

The Treasury is in a consultation period following its new leadership structure.

“The proposal outlines a reduction of manager positions from 32 to 18,” a spokesperson said.

“We currently have eight temporary team leaders which will increase to 14 permanent team leader positions.”

It also proposed to reduce principal advisor positions from 58 to 37, and create two new strategic adviser positions.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora released change decisions for five teams in May - Hauora Māori Services, Pacific Health, Procurement, Supply Chain and Health Technology Management, Planning, Funding and Outcomes (just the former Service Improvement and Innovation teams) and Audit, Assurance and Risk.

A spokesperson said it had been “widely reported for many months that Health NZ is going through an organisation-wide reset”.

“We are in the middle of consultations and don’t have numbers available etc. at the moment.”

Police have one business group in a restructure, currently considering feedback.

“If the proposals from consultation were to go ahead unchanged, there would be 38 positions disestablished and 34 new positions created,” a spokesperson said.

Pharmac was “working through an internal process to confirm its future Māori responsiveness model”, a spokesperson said.

“This proposal involves the disestablishment of the Māori directorate, disestablishing four roles within the directorate, establishing a new role in the proposed new structure, and exploring redeployment options for any affected staff.”

The Ministry of Education had one change proposal which involved leadership roles in one business group.

“As a result of the change a total of six positions will be disestablished, and five positions will be created; this is in addition to existing vacancies,” acting leader corporate Rob Campbell said.

The NZ Defence Force had begun proposals for change across its civilian workforce in March. Final decisions had not yet been made.

NZ Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi said in 2025 it had made changes to its Digital team (net reduction of 10 roles including vacancies), Investment and Finance team (net reduction of four), Business Support Services team (net reduction of 18 including, eight vacancies), and FED (Fuel Excise Duty) team (net reduction of six).

Nadine Kilmister, deputy chief executive for People and Capability, confirmed previously Ministry of Social Development was proposing to change four of the nine different areas overall which sit under chief executive Debbie Power.

In two areas the proposals would result in more positions, in the other two there would be fewer positions, she said.

One of the groups is the Disability Support Services. While overall the team roles would increase from 225 to 254, it was proposed more than half of the current staff number - 129, including vacancies - would have their jobs disestablished, meaning they would have to reapply for a role.

There were two change processes in the transformation group. Systems and technology had a proposed net reduction of 37 roles.

Another group responsible for the design and implementation of the services for the future programme had four people proposed to “be affected”, with net 34 more permanent and temporary positions created.

Within MSD’s Organisational Assurance and Communication group, restructures have been proposed for the Information, Security and Identity team and the Ministerial and Executive Services team. That would see a reduction of 19 roles.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is reducing by 18 roles. A DPMC spokesperson said changes covered all groups (Government House, Cabinet Office, the Policy Advisory Group (PAG), Delivery Unit, National Security and Resilience, and its corporate function).

“Under the changes the National Security Group and Risk Systems and Governance Group will come together as National Security and Resilience,” they said.

“Of the roles being disestablished, about 20-or-so are currently vacant.”

The Ministry of Transport finished a change process in its Corporate Services and Performance & Governance group.

“After consultation with the ministry, it has been confirmed that nine jobs will be disestablished, of which five were already vacant,” a spokesperson said.

“Nine new roles have been established. We have begun an internal redeployment process with affected staff members.”

The Ministry of Justice was making changes from next month to its People Experience business unit.

It has seen 10 roles disestablished and nine new roles established.

Land Information NZ had one restructure under way in one business group, starting August 4. “When implemented, the changes will result in a net reduction of 10 roles.

“There will be 18 roles (of which five are vacant) disestablished, and eight new roles established (one of which is fixed term),” a spokesperson said.

Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) would not share the details of its restructure, but said its change proposal was shared with staff and they were still in the middle of the process.

Sport NZ said it was working with the ministry to transfer its strategic policy function to it.

“At this stage details are still being confirmed between the two parties, including those related to any staff transfers and other employment impacts,” a spokesperson said.

“Both parties are working to an agreement to be made in August with the transfer taking effect in October 2025.”

The Energy Efficient & Conservation Authority has a restructure in all business groups, with the new structure expected to be completed at the end of this month.

Sixteen roles were disestablished and 10 roles were created.

Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Jordy Hendrikx said it was proposed to reduce by four roles.

The Social Workers Registration Board, required to undertake an operational review every five years, began consulting in May. “A small number of roles are proposed for disestablishment, and all roles have ringfenced positions for deployment options,” a spokesperson said.

NZQA had one restructure process under way affecting one business unit. Two roles were proposed to be disestablished, one role was proposed to be created, and one role proposed to be reconfigured. It is at the final decisions stage.

New PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said “masses of restructuring [was] going on still, it is unsettling for individuals and their families”.

“The constant change is emotionally draining and unsettling on those affected who are anxious for themselves and worried about who will do their work that they really care about.”