A Bill to replace New Zealand’s 46-year-old Statistics Act and modernise the way Government collects and holds data has been ushered through its first reading by Statistics Minister, Dr David Clark today.

The Data and Statistics Bill will now be considered by the Governance and Administration Committee for six months.

“Data is vitally important and, when used properly, it holds huge potential to positively impact the lives of all New Zealanders,” David Clark said.

“Robust data provides us with a lens to view society and its people. It lets us see the big picture. With that, we have the tools to make decisions which shape our communities, cities and world for the better.

“The Data and Statistics Bill will replace the Statistics Act 1975 to reflect the present-day data and statistics environment. Currently, there is no reference to data at all in the Act, it lacks the flexibility to respond to advances in digital technology and it fails to quickly adapt to changing information needs and sources.”

The Data and Statistics Bill will:

· Keep data safe and protect privacy and confidentiality of people, businesses, and organisations

· Ensure that Government engages with Māori (including iwi and hapū) and provides relevant, reliable, and accessible data that reflects Māori interests

· Support safe and efficient data sharing across Government, so New Zealanders don’t have to provide the same information more than once.

“Fundamental to this legislation are the provisions to maximise the data collected in Census 2023. We know how important it is that we get it right. This legislation lays important foundations for how data is handled that will improve lives today and for generations to come,” David Clark said.

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