2932 (2025). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Customs

2932 (2025). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Customs: What is the total number of FTE of customs officers over the last 5 years broken down by unit, location and year?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised as part of the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) fiscal sustainability programme, it carried out a careful review of how services are delivered through the Customs 2024 Organisational Change Programme. This included reviewing existing vacancies and current positions to see where responsibilities and functions could be incorporated into other roles without compromising the delivery of services. Customs also reviewed the resources required in some areas where efficiencies have been gained through new technology and digital services. The review resulted in some structural changes and realignment of functions within Customs. I refer the member to the attached tables provided by the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs), which detail the total number of Full-Time Employees at Customs who have “Customs Officer” in their job title, over the past five years, broken down by Business unit and location. Changes to staff numbers due to different legislative and organisational changes are reflected in the tables above. These changes include: • A temporary increase in Full-Time Employee numbers between 2020 and 2023 due to the additional responsibilities Customs was required to fulfil during the COVID-19 response, particularly to operationalise the Maritime Border Order, including at smaller regional ports such as Gisborne, New Plymouth, Bluff, and Whangarei. When the temporary staff were no longer required following the revocation of the Maritime Border Order, staff numbers at the ports returned to pre-pandemic levels. • Additional roles being established during 2023 and 2024 through the Budget 2023 initiative, to expand Customs’ presence at maritime ports, and additional intelligence, investigation, and operational support roles to counter maritime-based transnational organised criminal activity. • The creation of two new groups as part of Customs 2024 Organisational Change Programme. The Strategic Business Development, Business Improvement and Innovation, Reconnecting New Zealand, Revenue and Assurance Business Units were disestablished, and their positions were merged into two new groups that were established named Trade, Revenue and Compliance, and Strategic Systems and Service Optimisation. • In 2024, Customs made the decision to deliberately move away from sole Customs Officer posts completing checks and clearances at the regional ports of Whangarei, Gisborne, Timaru and Invercargill.