State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986

E46037

The State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986 is a key New Zealand law that converted many government departments into commercially run state-owned enterprises while embedding protections for Māori interests consistent with the Treaty of Waitangi.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf New Zealand Act of Parliament
amendedBy various subsequent New Zealand amendment Acts
appliesTo state-owned enterprises listed in Schedule 1
commencementDate 1987
containsProvision section 27
section 27A
section 27B
section 9
country New Zealand
defines state-owned enterprise
enactedBy New Zealand Parliament
governs relationship between the Crown and state-owned enterprises in New Zealand
hasLongTitle An Act to provide for the establishment of State enterprises and to specify their principal objective and the principles governing their operation, and to provide for other matters relating to State enterprises
hasSchedule Schedule 1
Schedule 2
Schedule 3
influencedCase New Zealand Māori Council v Attorney-General (1987) (the Lands case)
jurisdiction New Zealand
keyProvision section 9 requires the Crown to act consistently with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
sections 27 to 27B protect Māori claims to land under the Treaty of Waitangi
language English
legalStatus in force with amendments
objectiveOfSOEs to be as profitable and efficient as comparable businesses not owned by the Crown
to be good employers
to exhibit a sense of social responsibility
to operate as successful businesses
providesFor Crown ownership of all shares in state-owned enterprises unless otherwise provided
accountability of state-owned enterprises to shareholding Ministers
appointment of boards of directors for state-owned enterprises
duties of directors of state-owned enterprises
issue of shares in state-owned enterprises
preparation of annual reports and financial statements by state-owned enterprises
preparation of statements of corporate intent by state-owned enterprises
transfer of assets from the Crown to state-owned enterprises
purpose to enable the Crown to operate certain businesses on a commercial basis
to establish state-owned enterprises and define their principal objective and functions
to provide a framework for transforming government departments into commercially run entities
relatedTo Māori land claims
New Zealand public sector reforms of the 1980s
Treaty of Waitangi
privatisation of state assets in New Zealand
royalAssentDate 1986
shortTitle State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986
subjectMatter Crown–Māori relations
public sector commercialisation
state asset management
treatyProtectionMechanism memorials on titles of certain lands transferred to state-owned enterprises
power of the Waitangi Tribunal to recommend resumption of memorialised land to the Crown

Referenced by (2)

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