5303 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport

5303 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport: What specifically triggered the audit that identified approximately 459 fraudulent licences, and was this issue not detected through routine regulatory processes?

Hon Chris Bishop: NZTA has advised me that following identification of fraud in the conversion of some overseas licences in 2024, a control was introduced to address fraud specific to exempt overseas licences. When the efficacy of this control was checked in early 2025 it was found to have been effective but raised potential issues with a number of other cohorts of overseas licence holders, including Indian Nationals who had converted licences from the UAE. This resulted in a risk assessment being undertaken, which led to the recommendation for an audit. The checking of controls, conduct of risk assessments and undertaking audits are a part of routine regulatory processes.