New Zealand

Administrative and scheme delivery changes

Huakina Te Rā

Huakina Te Rā is ACC’s strategy for financial years 2023-2032. Huakina Te Rā is a Te Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi-based strategy with a clear response for Māori and for all people in Aotearoa under a dual-framed single strategic vision.

Huakina Te Rā has 3 long term goals:

  1. Mana Taurite | Equity is our goal for all people in Aotearoa New Zealand to experience accessible services and improved outcomes.
  2. Ringa Atawhai | Guardianship is our goal for the Scheme to be sustainable for present and future generations.
  3. Oranga Whānau | Safe and Resilient Communities is our goal to partner with and invest to help create safer and more resilient communities.

ACC will need to undergo a large organisational shift to fully embed the strategy. The shifts ACC will undertake to make Huakina Te Rā effective are:

  • taking an explicit Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi partnership approach
  • building and maintaining trusted partnerships
  • partnering with whānau and communities to better understand wellbeing needs
  • working with ACC’s partners to share data, provide services, and design new initiatives and solutions to effectively support people
  • offering the right intervention at the right time
  • delivering increased value to Aotearoa.

Policy and Legislative Developments

Accident Compensation (Access Reporting and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2023

In June 2023, the Accident Compensation (Access Reporting and Other Matters) Amendment Act (the Amendment Act)was enacted to require ACC to report annually on levels of access to the AC Scheme by Māori and identified population groups. These include disparities in access between population groups, barriers to access, and causes of disparities.

The content ACC needs to report on (as the minimum requirements) will be phased in over a 3 year period:

  • The first annual scheme access report will describe the levels of access to the Scheme in that financial year for Māori and other identified population groups, as well as disparities in access between groups. The first report will also outline the methods ACC proposes to use in preparing the second and third reports. Before preparing the first report, ACC is also required to consult on the methods it will use to prepare these reports.
  • The second annual scheme access report will, in addition to describing levels of access, also describe the barriers to access for Māori and other identified population groups where there are any disparities in access between population groups.
  • The third and subsequent annual scheme access report will also include a description of the causes or factors contributing to those barriers or disparities.

The first scheme access report is due to be presented to the Minister as soon as practicable after 30 June 2024.