Ministry mega-merger the 'third leg' of major planning reforms

Minister for many reforms, Chris Bishop. (Image: NZME)

Wed, 17 Dec 2025

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says the mega-merger of the environment, housing, and transport ministries is the “third leg” of a major reform programme set to reshape how New Zealand builds.But the reforming minister admits he was reluctant to commit to the new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions, and Transport (MCERT) as ministers “kicked it around” for months.“I have been reticent about it because I've been around this place long enough, and around Wellington and around the public service, long en...

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