Notice Title

Nursing Council of New Zealand (Fees) Notice 2022

Pursuant to sections 130—133 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, the following notice is given.

Notice

1. Title and Commencement

This notice may be cited as the Nursing Council of New Zealand (Fees) Notice 2022. This notice revokes and replaces all previous Nurses (Fees) notices.

2. Fees and Levies

The Nursing Council of New Zealand (“council”) sets the following fees and levies, payable to the council, specified in the attached Schedule. All fees and levies are non-refundable.

3. Tax

The fees are inclusive of goods and services tax.

4. Rationale

An increase of $20 in the annual practising certificate fee is required to support the regulatory functions of the council. The disciplinary levy has been increased as a proportion of the fee to support the increase in disciplinary costs. See the explanatory note below.

Schedule

Fees and Levies Payable
  $     Effective
Annual and interim practising certificates (including disciplinary levy):    
12 months (includes $33.00 disciplinary levy) 130.00 1 July 2022
3 months or any part thereof (includes $8.25 disciplinary levy) 32.50 1 July 2022
6 months or any part thereof (includes $16.50 disciplinary levy) 65.00 1 July 2022
9 months or any part thereof (includes $24.75 disciplinary levy) 97.50 1 July 2022
Registration fees: For applicants qualified in New Zealand:    
Registration as registered nurse or enrolled nurse 75.00 1 January 2012
Application for registration as nurse practitioner 1,500.00 1 April 2012
Nurse Practitioner prescribing authorisation 1,000.00 1 April 2012
Restoration of name to the Register following cancellation of registration under Part 4 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 or Part IV of the Nurses Act 1977 3,000.00 1 July 2011
Additions to Register (including authorisations) 70.00 1 July 2011
Application for change of condition in scope of practice 200.00 1 July 2011
Registration Fees: For applicants qualified overseas:    
Application and processing fee for application for registration 485.00 14 October 2019
Application and processing fee for application for registration (under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997) 340.00 1 July 2015
Provision of information on register:    
Verification of education programme 70.00 1 July 2011
Verification of New Zealand registration 70.00 1 July 2011
Other fees (registration):    
Medal replacement – registered and/or enrolled nurse 70.00 1 July 2011
Medal new graduate – registered nurse 26.00 1 July 2011
Medal new graduate – enrolled nurse 17.00 1 July 2011
Examination fees:    
Registered nurse and enrolled nurse (includes New Zealand registration fee) 240.00 1 January 2012
Analysis of failed examination 79.00 1 January 2012
Extension of time 10.00 1 January 2012
Fees for education programmes:    
Accreditation or monitoring audit of post-graduate nursing programme 13,900.00 1 January 2014
Accreditation or monitoring audit of programme leading to registration as a registered nurse 13,900.00 1 January 2014
Accreditation or monitoring audit of enrolled nurse programme 8,700.00 1 January 2014
Accreditation or monitoring audit of competence assessment programme 3,000.00 1 April 2011

Annual Practising Certificate Fee and Disciplinary Levy Increases

The previous (APC) fee levels, including both the base fee and a levy to fund fitness to practise processes, were set in 2011 and have not increased since that time. These fees comprise approximately two-thirds of Council’s income.

The proposed increase in the APC fee reflects the rising costs to the council of fulfilling its statutory obligations. It also ensures the council has the appropriate reserves to be financially sustainable. The base APC fee has not increased in the past 10 years, while costs have continued to grow and can be expected to rise in the future.

Cost increases to the council arise from sources such as inflation, improving services and systems, and increasing obligations/ duties imposed by statute or expected by stakeholders. Recent work on appropriate financial reserves required by the council also supports an APC increase; this includes the need to fund expected financial deficits (losses) for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 financial years.

Rationale for proposed changes to the disciplinary levy.

The disciplinary levy funds the costs arising out of professional conduct committee investigations and the proceedings of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. The number and complexity of disciplinary cases is increasing, and this is expected to continue through 2022.

In setting the new proposed levy, the council has taken a conservative but prudent approach that should ensure usual disciplinary costs are adequately covered, while remaining aware that specific one-off cases can result in high costs.

Dated at Wellington this 8th day of March 2022.

CATHERINE BYRNE, Registrar, Nursing Council of New Zealand.