Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) - Related Organisations

Related Organisations

The Department of Internal Affairs encompasses several organisations. These include the Office of Ethnic Affairs, which provides information to ethnic communities and policy advice to the government; the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, which manages the national response to civil defence emergencies, provides leadership of the sector including the development of standards and guidance and leads a coordinated national public education campaign; and the Local Government Commission, which makes decisions on the structure and representation requirements of local government. The Department's present activities also include the implementation of recent dog control and local government legislation.

The Department also has responsibility for supporting the community and voluntary sector through the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector.

The Knowledge, Information, Research and Technology (KIRT) Branch includes the Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO), vested in the Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs which has responsibility for developing and overseeing the government's ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) strategy and providing strategic advice on related matters. The KIRT branch also includes the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Māturanga o Aotearoa and Archives New Zealand, Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga. (These two organisations were integrated into the Department on 1 February 2011.

Another branch - Shared Services - provides secretariat support for several entities including:

• The Gambling Commission
• The Local Government Commission
• Commissions of Inquiry and ad hoc bodies (as at October 2011 there are two Royal Commissions operating: The Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy and the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission.)
• The Library and Information Advisory Commission, Ngā Kaiwhakamārama i ngā Kohikohinga Kōrero
• The Public Lending Right Advisory Group
• The Guardians Kaitiaki of the Alexander Turnbull Library
• The Archives Council
• The Film and Literature Board of Review
• Confidential Listening and Assistance Service