More than 150 outdated and obsolete laws are likely to be repealed as part of the Government’s statutory spring clean, Attorney-General Chris Bishop says.

The legislative cleanup is being run in stages led by the Parliamentary Counsel Office, alongside the Department of Internal Affairs for local Acts. To date, 152 outdated Acts have been identified for repeal.

“Part of being a responsible Government focused on fixing the basics is making sure New Zealand’s laws are fit for purpose,” Mr Bishop says.

“New Zealand’s statute book is full of fascinating relics from another era.

“Some are historically important. Some are genuinely bizarre. And quite a few are technically still in force despite almost nobody realising they still exist.

“We’ve got layer upon layer of legislation dating back more than 150 years – a legal lasagne, if you will.”

“Roughly half of all Acts still technically in force were passed between 1840 and the 1960s, and many are now obsolete. That creates confusion, unnecessary complexity, and occasionally some very odd situations.

“One example is the Wellington Milk-Supply Act 1919, which established a council-controlled licensing regime for milk vendors in the capital, and makes it illegal to sell skim milk within the city boundaries.

“Like the milk it regulates, this law has aged badly,” Mr Bishop says.

“The law is so old and obscure that Wellington City Council was almost dragged into court in 2021 after a lawyer, Tyrone Barugh, asked it to issue a milk licence under the Act. The Council and Mr Barugh avoided the matter going to court on the basis that they would work together to encourage the Government to repeal the Act for legal certainty.”

Other laws proposed for repeal include the Dunedin City Fish-markets and Empowering Act 1918, which allowed the Dunedin City Council to engage in the fish trade and also buy and sell sheep.

“Dunedin City Council no longer operates a fish market or trades livestock as far as I’m aware, so we can probably put this one out to pasture.

“Repealing legislation doesn’t erase history.

“These Acts remain permanently accessible on the New Zealand Legislation website as part of New Zealand’s legal and historical record.

“Many of them tell important stories about New Zealand’s past.

“An example is the Kaitangata Relief Fund Transfer Act 1892, which followed one of New Zealand’s earliest industrial disasters in 1879 when an explosion at the Kaitangata mine killed 34 miners. Public donations raised money for the widows and children of those killed, with the remaining surplus later transferred into a mining accident fund through the Act.”

Other Acts capture the history of long-standing New Zealand organisations and institutions.

The Caledonian Society Of Otago Incorporation Ordinance 1874 incorporated what became New Zealand’s oldest Scottish society, famous for organising Highland Games in Dunedin for more than 150 years before winding up in 2021.

The Joint Council of the Order of St John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society Incorporation Act 1938 formalised cooperation between the two organisations during an earlier era of New Zealand public service and emergency response.

“The point of this project isn’t to wipe away history,” Mr Bishop says.

“It’s about making New Zealand law easier to navigate and easier to understand, while preserving these stories for future generations.”

Each Act identified for repeal is carefully reviewed and consulted on with relevant organisations, agencies, councils, and stakeholders. Public consultation on the 152 Acts identified for repeal is open now, and closes on 31 July 2026. Consultation on another round of Acts is planned for later in 2026.

Following consultation, public submissions will be reviewed to confirm the Acts are suitable for repeal. The Parliamentary Counsel Office will then draft a Bill to repeal the Acts. The Bill will be introduced to Parliament and go through the full parliamentary process including select committee scrutiny. This will provide the public another opportunity to make submissions.

More information, including how to make a submission, is available on theLegislation Repeals Project page.

List of Acts identified for repeal