What is the 'public sector'?

The public sector consists of a number of different organisational forms. These forms vary in the extent to which they are at an arm's-length from Ministers, how they are governed, and the expectations that apply.  Public Service departments are close to Ministers (part of the legal Crown), while Crown entities are stand-alone corporate bodies and operate at arm's-length.  Most Crown entities are part of the State services, but Tertiary Education Institutions are part of the wider State sector. (See public sector map below.)

The Public sector map lists organisations by legal titles. For a searchable list of other names that organisations are commonly known by, or have previously been known by, see the Government A-Z https://www.govt.nz/organisations/

Public sector map
Select an organisation to see where it fits in the public sector Business, Innovation, and Employment, Ministry of Conservation, Department of Corrections, Department of Crown Law Office Culture and Heritage, Ministry for Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Education Review Office Environment, Ministry for the Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Government Communications Security Bureau Health, Ministry of Inland Revenue Department Internal Affairs, Department of Justice, Ministry of Land Information New Zealand Maori Development, Ministry of New Zealand Customs Service Pacific Peoples, Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry for Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of the Serious Fraud Office Social Development, Ministry of State Services Commission Statistics New Zealand Transport, Ministry of Treasury, The Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Women, Ministry for New Zealand Defence Force New Zealand Police New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Parliamentary Counsel Office Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Parliamentary Service Accident Compensation Corporation Callaghan Innovation Careers New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Auckland DHB Bay of Plenty DHB Canterbury DHB Capital & Coast DHB Counties-Manukau DHB Hawke's Bay DHB Hutt DHB Lakes DHB MidCentral DHB Nelson Marlborough DHB Northland DHB South Canterbury DHB Southern DHB Tairawhiti DHB Taranaki DHB Waikato DHB Wairarapa DHB Waitemata DHB West Coast DHB Whanganui DHB Earthquake Commission Education New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Environmental Protection Authority Health Promotion Agency Health Quality and Safety Commission Health Research Council of New Zealand Housing New Zealand Corporation Maritime New Zealand New Zealand Antarctic Institute New Zealand Blood Service New Zealand Fire Service Commission New Zealand Qualifications Authority New Zealand Tourism Board New Zealand Trade and Enterprise New Zealand Transport Agency New Zealand Walking Access Commission Pharmaceutical Management Agency Real Estate Agents Authority Social Workers Registration Board Sport and Recreation New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission WorkSafe New Zealand Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Broadcasting Commission Families Commission (also known as Superu) Heritage New Zealand (Pouhere Taonga) Government Superannuation Fund Authority Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa New Zealand Artificial Limb Service New Zealand Film Commission New Zealand Lotteries Commission New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Public Trust Retirement Commissioner Te Reo Whakapuaki Irirangi (Maori Broadcasting Funding Agency) Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Maori (Maori Language Commission) Broadcasting Standards Authority Children's Commissioner Commerce Commission Drug Free Sport New Zealand Electoral Commission Electricity Authority External Reporting Board Financial Markets Authority Health and Disability Commissioner Human Rights Commission Independent Police Conduct Authority Law Commission New Zealand Productivity Commission Office of Film and Literature Classification Privacy Commissioner Takeovers Panel Transport Accident Investigation Commission AgResearch Limited Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited Landcare Research New Zealand Limited National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, The Crown Irrigation Investments Limited New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Limited Radio New Zealand Limited Television New Zealand Limited Crown entity subsidiaries School Boards of Trustees Auckland University of Technology Lincoln University Massey University University of Auckland University of Canterbury University of Otago University of Waikato Victoria University of Wellington Ara Institute of Cantebury Eastern Institute of Technology (Taradale) Manukau Institute of Technology (Manukau City) Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (Nelson) Northland Polytechnic (Whangarei) Open Polytechnic of New Zealand (Lower Hutt) Otago Polytechnic (Dunedin) Southern Institute of Technology (Invercargill) Tai Poutini Polytechnic (Greymouth) Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Universal College of Learning (Palmerston North) Unitec Institute of Technology (Auckland) Waikato Institute of Technology (Hamilton) Wellington Institute of Technology (Petone) Western Institute of Technology (New Plymouth) Whitireia Community Polytechnic (Porirua) Te Wananga o Aotearoa (Te Awamutu) Te Wananga o Raukawa (Otaki) Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi (Whakatane) Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust Asia New Zealand Foundation Fish and Game Councils Game Animal Council Leadership Development Centre Trust Maori Trustee, the National Pacific Radio Trust New Zealand Fish and Game Council New Zealand Game Bird Habitat Trust Board New Zealand Government Property Corporation New Zealand Lottery Grants Board Ngai Tahu Ancillary Claims Trust Pacific Co-operation Foundation Pacific Island Business Development Trust Reserves Boards Te Ariki Trust Crown Asset Management Limited Crown Fibre Holdings Limited Fairway Resolution Limited Health Benefits Limited (ceased operations) Network for Learning Limited, The Ōtākaro Limited Predator Free 2050 Limited The Network for Learning Limited Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Limited Southern Response Earthquake Services Limited Tamaki Redevelopment Company Limited Reserve Bank of New Zealand Office of the Ombudsmen The Controller and Auditor-General The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited Animal Control Products Limited AsureQuality Ltd Electricity Corporation of New Zealand Limited KiwiRail Holdings Limited Kordia Group Limited Landcorp Farming Limited Learning Media Limited (struck off) Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd New Zealand Post Limited New Zealand Railways Corporation Quotable Value Limited Solid Energy New Zealand Limited Terralink NZ Limited (struck off) Transpower New Zealand Limited Genesis Energy Limited Meridian Energy Limited Mighty River Power Limited

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