The Auditor-General has today announced it will undertake a performance audit of Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency to ensure individuals and organisations that issue warrants or certificates of fitness are meeting inspection requirements.
Each year, over 6.8 million New Zealand vehicles are inspected for a warrant of fitness (for cars and other light vehicles) or a certificate of fitness (for heavy vehicles). Vehicles need a current warrant or certificate of fitness to be driven on New Zealand roads.
“Vehicle owners expect that when their vehicle has received a warrant or certificate of fitness, that means it is safe for themselves, their passengers, and other road users,” the Office of the Auditor-General said in a statement today.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) is responsible for appointing and monitoring about 8,500 vehicle inspectors and 3,000 inspecting organisations who are authorised to inspect vehicles and issue warrants and certificates of fitness on Waka Kotahi’s behalf.
Following reviews into Waka Kotahi in 2018 and 2019, the agency made a range of changes to strengthen its regulation of vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations.
“We will look at how effectively Waka Kotahi makes sure that vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations are meeting requirements for inspecting vehicles and issuing warrants and certificates of fitness.”
“To do this, we will focus on how effectively Waka Kotahi promotes compliance by vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations, and prevents, detects, and responds to non-compliance.
“We will look at the process from the appointment stage, when Waka Kotahi considers applications from an individual or business that wants to issue warrants or certificates of fitness, to Waka Kotahi’s ongoing monitoring and review of the vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations it has approved,” the Office said.
It said the main aim of this work is to provide assurance to the public and Parliament about how effectively Waka Kotahi makes sure that the vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations are meeting requirements.
The performance audit will also look to highlight good practice, and, if appropriate, suggest improvements to Waka Kotahi’s approach to monitoring vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations.
The Office expects to complete this work in the second quarter of 2024.
