BlogsEventsFeaturesImage galleriesMediaPublicationsAnnual reportAsia White PaperBusinesslinkNewslettersPost Election BriefStatement of IntentTrade matters
Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
If you come across a term that isn't included in the Glossary please send us an email.
NZTE is a Crown Agent, with the Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Trade designated jointly as Responsible Ministers. Government funding for NZTE is channelled through Vote: Economic, Industry, and Regional Development.
A monitoring team for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise sits within the Ministry of Economic Development, and is made up of officials from the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It has two key roles to:
In carrying out this role the team operates within the framework of the Crown Entities Act, the State Sector guidance on monitoring of Crown Entities and the expectations set by Ministers. Some of the functions include: advising on funding and overall performance measures; strategic management support of the relationship between Ministers and Crown Entities; support for delivery of core accountability documents (eg letters of expectations, statements of intent, output plans, quarterly and annual reports); and statutory appointments to the Boards as positions fall due.
The Ministry and MED are conscious that there are costs to NZTE of monitoring and over the years have tried to minimise these without compromising the role and advice expected by the Government and Ministers - eg taking steps to minimise the frequency and extent of reporting from NZTE, while ensuring an adequate flow of information.
A key current priority for NZTE is examining how resources might be re-directed to enhance its engagement with internationalising firms while ensuring that small firms which operate domestically still receive the support they need to make an effective contribution to enhanced productivity. These changes will take time to embed, and still require further thinking about the alignment of current grant schemes and programmes.
NZTE is currently working on a major shift in the way in which it delivers support for New Zealand firms. The Ministry is supporting NZTE in this process.
The New Zealand Antarctic Institute (Antarctica New Zealand) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1996 to develop, manage, and execute New Zealand activities in respect of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, to maintain and enhance the quality of New Zealand Antarctic scientific research, and to cooperate with other domestic and international organisations with similar objectives. Its budget for the 2008/09 financial year is $12.5m.
Antarctica New Zealand is governed by a Board of Management currently comprising six members. The Chair is Mr Rob Fenwick who reports to the Minister of Foreign Affairs as the Responsible Minister. The Ministry assists the Minister in monitoring the Crown’s ownership interest in and overall strategic direction of Antarctica New Zealand.
The major outcomes the Minister seeks from Antarctica New Zealand include maintaining a continuous and effective New Zealand presence in the Ross Dependency, leadership in protecting the Antarctic environment, and facilitating and enhancing high quality science that is relevant to New Zealand and the world. Antarctica New Zealand also contributes technical advice to the Ministry on a range of issues including environmental impact assessments prepared under the Antarctica (Environmental Protection) Act 1994 for which the Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible.
Antarctica plays an important role in New Zealand’s relations with a number of countries, most notably the United States. A 1958 treaty is the basis of the Joint Logistics Pool between the US and New Zealand, which Italy has also joined.
Antarctica New Zealand provides a continuous presence in the Antarctic for New Zealand through the management of Scott Base. This year-round presence reflects New Zealand’s sovereignty interest in the Ross Dependency. The maintenance of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Antarctic resupply capability is also of strategic importance to New Zealand.
New Zealand has recently enhanced its contribution to the Joint Logistics Pool through undertaking a ‘proof of concept’ project to provide wind energy to both Scott Base and McMurdo Station (US). Before this and other contributions were announced in the 2007 and 2008 budgets, there was a United States’ perception that New Zealand was taking out more than it was contributing to the pool. Construction of the three wind turbines starts during the 2008/09 Antarctic summer season, funded by New Zealand.
Five of the current six Board members’ terms expire on 30 June 2009. Four may be reappointed, and there is also scope to appoint a seventh member.top of page
The Asia New Zealand Foundation (until 2000 the “Asia 2000 Foundation”) was established in 1994 as a non-profit, apolitical Crown trust dedicated to building links and promoting greater understanding between New Zealand and Asia.
The Foundation is active in a wide range of programmes in education, business, media, cultural, research and policy studies; and develops and coordinates projects and initiatives designed to equip New Zealanders with practical experience of Asia and to strengthen New Zealand/Asia links.
The Foundation has a Board of up to 21 trustees, appointed by and responsible to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the CEO of NZTE and the Secretary of Education are ex officio members. The Foundation also has 17 Honorary Advisers from across Asia, all senior figures in the public and private sectors.
The Foundation’s current Executive Director is Richard Grant who took up the position in January 2008. There are 19 staff based in the Wellington Head Office and two in the Auckland Office. The Foundation’s budget for 2008/2009 is $6,318,000 of which $4,245,000 is provided by the Government.
The Ministry acts as Purchase Adviser and Contract Manager on behalf of the Government. The Ministry assists with the negotiation of the output agreement between the Foundation and the Minister, coordinates the appropriation process, provides financial and performance monitoring, advises on the Foundation’s strategic direction and capability and reports to the Minister.top of page
An independent review of the Foundation was undertaken during 2006/07. The findings were broadly supportive of the Foundation’s ongoing role in promoting New Zealand’s relations with Asia. Cabinet approved recommendations setting out strategic and operational adjustments required to align the Foundation’s activities better with New Zealand’s foreign and trade policy goals and priorities in Asia. These adjustments include enhancing private sector linkages, taking a leadership role in Track II relationships, stepping up outreach with international networks and offshore partners and building influential networks in the region.
In the wake of the review, the Foundation will be seeking to establish a new level of baseline funding in the 2009/2010 Budget round. The current baseline is $1.547million, which has been augmented with one-off increases over the past few years to provide annual funding of approximately $4m pa. The Asia New Zealand Honorary Advisors' Meeting takes place in Singapore on 19-20 February 2009. The Asia New Zealand Foundation has indicated that attendance by the Minister of Foreign Affairs would be of value.
The mission of the Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) is to be a catalyst for strengthening New Zealand/Pacific relationships by providing information and independent commentary, brokering outcomes and developing networks within the Pacific region.
The PCF was established as a charitable trust in 2002. Its core funding comes through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with the Purchase Agreement providing for $1.347m in funding in 2008/09 (an increase of 50 percent). It receives small amounts of income from other sources, including sponsorship.
Under the PCF’s Trust Deed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade appoints trustees on advice from the Board of Trustees. The PCF Board is currently comprised of 12 members, including the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade (ex officio). The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be asked to take decisions on the composition of the PCF Board early in 2009, including the role of Chair. This is expected to follow the PCF’s transition to a new Chair and CEO in the new year.
