We provide national security risk assessment advice under the following legislation:
- the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017 (OSHAA),
- the Overseas Investment Act 2005 (OIA), and
- the Radiocommunications Act 1989 (RSM).
We also provide technical, regulatory and policy advice across government relating to the development and implementation of new regulatory regimes that intersect with national security.
Space activities
The NCSC (which is part of the Government Communications Security Bureau) and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) conduct national security risk assessments in relation to activities regulated under the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017 (OSHAA).
The New Zealand Space Agency, a part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), is responsible for the regulation of certain outer space and high-altitude activities under OSHAA.
Applicants must apply to the New Zealand Space Agency for a licence to:
- conduct launches of vehicles capable of (or intended to) reach outer space,
- operate a launch facility, and
- launch a high-altitude vehicle.
Applicants must obtain a permit to put an object into outer space.
Before granting a licence or permit, the Minister Responsible for OSHAA must consult with the Minister Responsible for the NZSIS and GCSB. The purpose of this consultation is to enable the Minister to consider any risks to national security of the proposed activity, and the extent to which the risks can be mitigated by licence or permit conditions.
New Zealand Space Agency External Link
Overseas investments
We support the NZSIS in providing advice to the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) about proposed overseas investments into New Zealand. The OIO, part of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), is the regulator of overseas investment in New Zealand.
The Overseas Investment Act 2005 governs overseas investment in sensitive assets. The Act was amended in 2021 to introduce a new National Security and Public Order notification regime that allows proactive assessment of investments in particular higher-risk sectors and industries.
Overseas Investment Office External Link
Radio spectrum management
The NCSC, alongside the NZSIS, provides national security advice to MBIE in relation to issuing licences for satellite ground stations under the Radiocommunications Act 1989.