Minister loses confidence in Fire and Emergency chief executive
Thursday 17 September 2026 · 4 outlets · 4 reports · updated In this story Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Brooke van Velden, Serious Fraud Office, Kerry Gregory
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has lost confidence in Fire and Emergency NZ chief executive Kerry Gregory. The minister alleges Gregory withheld information regarding a significant incident for a year, representing a breach of trust. The matter has been referred to the Serious Fraud Office.
Key facts
4 facts
- Minister Brooke van Velden lost confidence in FENZ CEO Kerry Gregory
- Information was allegedly withheld from the minister for one year
- A historical matter regarding the levy scheme has been referred to the Serious Fraud Office
- A select committee inquiry found FENZ governance to be unacceptable
The full story
1 min read · 4 outlets
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has declared she no longer has confidence in Fire and Emergency NZ chief executive Kerry Gregory. The minister stated Gregory withheld information regarding a "seriously significant incident" from her for a full year. Van Velden said she became aware of this breach within the last fortnight, noting it occurred even after the chief executive received external advice stating he needed to inform her.
The minister said the matter has been referred to the Serious Fraud Office. However, a Fire and Emergency spokesperson clarified that Gregory himself has not been referred, but rather a historical matter relating to the administration of the levy scheme prior to 2021. The organisation stated it proactively referred this matter to the SFO for consideration.
This loss of confidence follows a select committee inquiry which found the organisation's governance to be unacceptable. The inquiry, prompted by issues with fire truck availability and breakdowns, concluded the fleet is in a worse state than it was in 2017. The committee recommended that the government review the membership of the Fire and Emergency board.
Van Velden described the situation as a "serious breach of trust". She has asked the board to meet immediately to attempt to maintain or restore her confidence. The minister noted that while the select committee report was disappointing, some recommendations involved operational matters that she cannot address as a minister.
How it developed
- Thu 17 Sep, 3:46pmThe minister noted that some select committee recommendations involve operational matters that would breach the Crown Entities Act if she were involved.
Where reports differ
- The reports differ on whether the Serious Fraud Office referral applies to the chief executive personally or to a historical administrative matter
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald, Stuff, 1News and Otago Daily Times.
