Details released of axed quangos

Press, 13 May 1986, Page 3

Details released of axed quangos

By

MARTIN FREETH

in Wellington

Fifty-six quangos (quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organisations), will be abolished in the first part of a sweeping review of the usefulness of such bodies. The Government has decided however, not to do away with the Planning Council but to expand its role. The Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, yesterday predicted up to 100 more bodies may be axed by the end of the quango review. Many of the first 56 to go will have their functions taken over by Government departments, local bodies or new, streamlined quangos, while others will be defunct because of economic deregulation. The list includes: • The Wheat Board,

which will stop trading by the end of next January. • The Tobacco Board, which will wind up at the end of this year, leaving the industry to manage itself.

• The Building Performance Guarantee Corporation, which will have its indemnity scheme for new home buyers transferred to the Housing Corporation.

• The Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park Board which will have its functions performed by the Nelson-Marlborough National Parks and Reserves Board.

• The New Zealand Potato Board whose work will be done by grower organisations.

• The Horticulture Export Development Committee, whose work will be taken over by a new Horticulture Export Authority, which will be an

umbrella body for several export products. • The Canterbury Provincial Buildings Board, which will be taken over by the Historic Places Trust or the Canterbury United Council.

The Planning Council will have its membership increased by two and its functions broadened, in part to take over the work of other quangos, including the Social Advisory Council.

The Planning Council’s terms of reference will be expanded ‘to include specific responsibilities on environmental issues.

Many of the abolitions will require legislation to be amended or repealed while others involve bodies which are effectively out of existence already.

The review comes after a Labour Party pledge in the 1984 manifesto to do away with unnecessary quangos. Mr Palmer said abolition of 56 listed yesterday would save more than $1 million and significantly greater savings would be made by the end of the review.

However, the main purpose of the review was to enhance the efficiency of government, he said. There would be still more than 800' quangos after abolition of the 56. The review would now focus on about 60 of these and on 127 tribunals, some of which should have their functions transferred to ordinary courts.