The Ministry of Defence (the Ministry) is a civilian agency that provides advice to the Government on defence matters.
Under the Defence Act 1990, the Ministry, headed by the Secretary of Defence, is a separate legal entity to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
The Ministry purchases major equipment which becomes a capability when it is used by the personnel of the NZDF, and currently has $6 billion of major defence capability projects in delivery.
What we do
What we do
To carry out our role, the Ministry:
- provides long-range assessments and advice (20-30 years) on New Zealand’s defence interests and challenges
- purchases major defence equipment for use by the NZDF as a defence capability;
- advises the Government on how our Defence Force can meet current challenges (such as potential deployments) and possible future challenges;
- builds and maintains strong Defence relationships internationally, and;
- advises on Defence’s performance and effectiveness as a system.
These roles, as well as the Ministry’s responsibility for purchasing Defence equipment, are set out in the Defence Act 1990.
Our history
Our history
The Defence Act 1964 laid out a legal form and structure of a New Zealand Ministry of Defence. The Act brought all three armed services into the Ministry of Defence.
In 1989 Defence was separated into two bodies – the Ministry of Defence headed by the Secretary of Defence, the senior civilian advisor, and the Defence Force headed by the Chief of Defence Force, the senior military officer. Each is also the chief executive of their organisation and they are answerable to the Minister of Defence.
This separation ensures that the Government can have strong advice from both a civilian and a military perspective about its armed forces.
The Defence Act 1990
The Defence Act 1990
The purpose of the Ministry and the Defence Force is set out in the Defence Act 1990 (the Act), which provides for armed forces to be raised and maintained for:
- The defence of New Zealand and the protection of its interests, whether in New Zealand or elsewhere;
- The contribution of forces under collective agreement; and
- The contribution of forces to United Nations or other organisations or states for operations in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The Act also makes provision for the Defence Force to perform any public service or to assist the civil power in a time of emergency – both within New Zealand and elsewhere.