CONSULTATIONS & SURVEYS
We welcome your feedback on these consultations and public feedback documents so we can maintain the high standards for which New Zealand’s psychology profession is respected. Your responses are valuable in helping to shape our future, our processes and the way we practice.
Consultation on Proposed Psychology Assistant Postgraduate Qualification
Consultation Released: 13 March 2026
Consultation Closes: 24 April 2026
Purpose of this consultation
The New Zealand Psychologists Board (Board) approved the Psychology Assistant scope of practice, including the competencies, title, and supervision requirements in August 2025. The Board now has a statutory obligation to consult and prescribe the qualifications for that scope of practice under sections 12 and 13 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act).
The Board is seeking feedback on the proposed qualification framework, which is set out in greater detail below. Your feedback will help inform the Board’s decision about which qualifications it will require for the Psychology Assistant scope of practice and the broad parameters of those qualifications.
Consultation on Proposed Changes to Other Fees
This consultation is now closed.
Thank you to those who provided feedback on the Board’s consultation on proposed changes to fees other than Annual Practising Certificates (APC). Submissions were supportive of the Board’s proposal to move these fees to a full cost-recovery model, reflecting the actual cost of delivering regulatory functions and improving transparency and fairness.
The Board has approved the final 2026/27 “Other Fees’ schedule as consulted. APC fees and levies were not part of this review.
A short summary of consultation feedback is available HERE and the updated fees will take effect following publications in the New Zealand Gazette
Psychology Assistant
Previously known as Assistant/Associate Psychologist (AP)
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions.
Associated Documents
- Health NZ Role Description
- Health NZ Update – 05 March 2025
- Health NZ Update – 19 March 2025
- Allen & Clarke Feasibility Report
Updates
Health Workforce Regulation and HPCA Act review
Proposed Framework for Scopes of Practice
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. We are currently reviewing the submissions we received. We will publish the updated statement once we finish this review.
Please click HERE for the feedback analysis report.
The NZPB acknowledge the work of the Psychology Scope Advisory Group (PSAG) and the Collaborative Reference Group (CRG) for their work commencing the process in reviewing psychology scopes of practice. PSAG were tasked with reviewing consultation feedback, reviewing literature and international comparisons concluding in the development of three options for the Board to consider.
The report can be viewed HERE.
Code of Conduct & Code of Ethics
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. We are currently reviewing the submissions we received. We will publish an update once we finish this review.
Raka Maui
This consultation has now closed. Thank you to those individuals who took the time to read and respond to the consultation document on its 2023 proposal to introduce Raka Maui: A cultural competency programme for all newly registered overseas trained psychologists.
This re-consultation ran from 1 December 2023 to 30 January 2024, proposing a cultural competence programme for all newly registered overseas trained psychologists.
A total of 447 responses were received. This represents a response rate of nearly 9.77% for the total workforce emailed at the time of consultation.
Based on the responses, the outcome determined by the Board is to proceed with a small test group.
Please click HERE for the Raka Maui Expression of Interest document.
Artifical Intelligence Guidelines
This consultation is now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. The updated guidelines can be viewed by clicking HERE.