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 

The Board appreciates the time taken to provide feedback on the recent proposed qualification consultation for the Psychology Assistant scope of practice.

The Board received and reviewed considered input from across the profession and wider sector. This included consideration of how the proposed qualification pathway supports safe and competent practice, workforce development, and public protection. Your feedback is an important part of the Board’s decision-making process and helps ensure that any qualification requirements are appropriate, proportionate, and aligned with the intent of the HPCA Act 2003.

The Board met in mid-May to discuss the consultation evaluation and has approved the prescribed qualification. The consultation evaluation can be viewed here and further information regarding implementation and accreditation will be provided in due course.

The full consultation document can be found here.

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

• 28/03/25
• Consultation Notification – 05/05/25
• Letter to Minister Doocey – 09/05/25
• Press Release – 20/08/25
• Consultation Report
• Consumer Survey Analysis
• Supervision Survey Analysis
• Psychology Assistant – Scope, Title, Competencies and Supervision Requirements

Health Workforce Regulation and HPCA Act review

• NZPB Submission
• Joint RA Submission

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.

NZPB APC Fee/Levy

This consultation has now closed. Thank you to those who provided submissions. The consultation outcome document can be viewed by clicking HERE

Please click HERE to view the Gazette notice.

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.