Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Public Works Act 1981

Preliminary

4B: Execution of contracts for public works, etc

You could also call this:

“How the government and councils make agreements for public projects”

When the government wants to do public works, they need to make contracts. These contracts are made in the name of the Crown, which is like saying “the government.” A Minister, who is an important person in the government, can sign these contracts. The Minister can also let someone else sign for them.

If the government is buying or selling land, the Minister of Lands can sign those contracts. They can also let someone else sign for them.

When a local council wants to do work in their area, they make contracts in the way they usually do for their work.

All of these contracts can be changed or ended in the same way they were made.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM45745.

Previous

4A: Powers of Minister of Lands, or

"Minister of Lands can buy, manage, and sell land and equipment for government work"

Next

4C: Delegation of Minister's powers, or

"The Minister can share some of their jobs with other people, but not all of them"

4BExecution of contracts for public works, etc

  1. Every contract or instrument relating to a Government work, unless otherwise expressly provided in this or any other Act, shall be entered into in the name of the Crown, and may, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other Act, be executed on the Crown's behalf by any Minister of the Crown, or by any person or office holder authorised by a Minister of the Crown in that behalf, either generally or in respect of any specified contract or instrument or of any specified class or classes of contract or instruments.

  2. Every contract, deed, or other instrument relating to land acquired or to be acquired by the Crown under this Act, unless otherwise expressly provided in this or any other Act, shall be entered into in the name of the Crown and may, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other Act, be executed on the Crown's behalf by the Minister of Lands, or by any person or office holder authorised by the Minister in that behalf, either generally or in respect of any specified contract, deed, or instrument or of any specified class or classes of contracts, deeds, or instruments.

  3. Every contract for the execution of local works shall be made in such manner as the local authority making it is authorised by law to make and execute its contracts.

  4. All such contracts may be varied and discharged in the same manner respectively.

Notes
  • Section 4B: inserted, on , by section 4 of the Public Works Amendment Act 1988 (1988 No 43).