The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has published the terms of reference for a statutorily required review on the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA).
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said the review will examine whether the DIRA’s current competition provisions that regulate Fonterra remain necessary, fit-for-purpose, and achieve net benefits for New Zealand’s dairy sector.
“It will assess whether the provisions should be retained, repealed, or amended,” Mr McClay says.
The DIRA was introduced to enable the creation of Fonterra and included competition-enabling regulatory measures to promote the efficient operation of dairy markets in New Zealand.
These measures regulate Fonterra’s activities in relation to its farmers and other dairy processors and apply over and above the general competition provisions under the Commerce Act 1986.
The report must be tabled in Parliament by 1 June 2027 and will involve two rounds of stakeholder consultation.
More information, including the terms of reference is available on the MPI website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dira-review.
