Agriculture & Forestry and Fisheries merger brought forward

State Services Minister Tony Ryall has yesterday announced the legal merger date for the Ministry of Fisheries (Fisheries) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) will be brought forward to 1 July 2011.

“Creating a single legal entity at the start of the government financial year reduces administrative duplication and cost, and enables the two Ministries to work as one as they go through the merger process," says Mr Ryall.

"The Chief Executive of MAF has recommended the earlier start date to give staff in both organisations certainty about their future sooner and to earlier realise the financial benefits of the merger.”

The merger will take place in two phases. The first phase, the legal merger and the second, the design and implementation of a new organisational structure. The new organisation structure is expected to be in place in October.

Cabinet approved the merger of Fisheries with MAF from 1 February 2012 on 7 March 2011.

On 11 April 2011, Cabinet gave approval to bring forward the legal merger date to 1 July 2011.
Link to Cabinet Paper http://www.ssc.govt.nz/mog-cab-papers