Judith Collins is excited about Govt.nz, the new government services app. Does it actually work well?
The minister responsible for digitising government has handed us an early Christmas treat. Shanti Mathias gets the unwrapped gift firsthand.
New Zealand is deep in the holiday mood; emails go unanswered (a productivity headache, as some articles point out), and holiday decorations are everywhere. Yet the standout present, in Collins’s view, arrives early—this time in the form of an app.
“People are going to love it,” declares the minister for digitising government. “Just like I love my banking apps.”
Yes, you read that right. Collins is talking about an app. Govt.nz is meant to connect the public with government services. In an RNZ interview last week, the minister could barely contain her festive enthusiasm. Govt.nz, she said, “is for people like me who love apps and want to do all my work on them.”
Collins emphasizes that this is a once-in-a-lifetime budget win you’ll use for years. “This whole app and all those incredible services were delivered for under $5 million, which is a big deal considering how many government agencies were involved.”
I may be a party-pooper, but I’m not eager to do everything on a phone. I’ll switch to desktop mode on my phone browser to watch YouTube, or to use transcription software, just to avoid apps. I’m not sure I’ve ever loved anything as much as Collins loves apps.
As I listened to Collins chat with Ingrid Hipkiss about Govt.nz, gazing out at heat-stressed lettuce in my garden, I wondered if the app could lift my festive spirit.
The app is a more robust version of www.govt.nz. There’s a homepage with an option to “explore services,” a navigation menu to those services, and a wallet that’s currently empty but will eventually hold digital driver licences once the relevant legislation passes next year. You can pin favorite services to the homepage for quick access.
The service list is long, and I can’t capture a screenshot due to security rules. It serves as a reminder of all the life moments where people interact with the government. You can browse alphabetically or by life stage: having a baby, starting a job, enrolling to vote, moving house, being over 65, and end-of-life considerations.
Having moved recently, I can see how handy that menu would be: in one place, you’ll find a home energy savings calculator, help finding a school or preschool, a directory of places to change your address (like voting enrolment and NZ Post mail redirection), and a link to tenancy services. The “having a baby” section lists Plunket and Healthline numbers and links to antenatal classes and midwife options. If you’re not there yet, there’s a Smart Start page for those “trying for a baby,” with fertility and nutrition guidance and advice on what to ask your doctor if conception is proving difficult.
Like a nesting doll, the app occasionally nudges you toward downloading other apps. In the outdoors and recreation area, there’s a link to Pocket Maps, which documents publicly accessible land via the Outdoor Access Commission. There’s also a link to the NZ ETA app under visas and travel (though it’s not obvious why a tourist would download Govt.nz), and a link to the NZTA app for vehicle licensing in the driving section (curiously, the driver-education app Drive Go isn’t linked).
There are clear gaps: apart from the title page’s He Ara Hāngai, te reo Māori is largely absent, and the app can be hard to navigate for those who aren’t fluent in written English. The design is plain, with minimal color in the icons. Parents hoping their kids will consult entitlements via this one hub might prefer to keep the other apps off the phone; this one is not particularly flashy or distracting. Life events like getting married, moving out, or buying a home could reasonably be added as sections. Another annoyance is how many external links require separate logins, which undermines the very idea of an app that keeps you inside it.
Right now, Govt.nz on Google Play sits at about 3.3 stars, a rating dragged down by a few users whose devices failed security checks or who are frustrated by the absence of RealMe-powered secure logins. Some reviewers seem to sense the potential. One says, “I wanted to be one of the first to install it,” while an Apple Store reviewer with four stars exclaims, “I had no idea this information was available until I looked through this app! Well done NZ govt! I can’t wait for the wallet!”
Even for a skeptic like me, the usefulness is tempting. In many other countries, government websites look like they haven’t been updated since the early internet era, and third-party services pop up to help citizens navigate taxes or voting forms. Most New Zealand government departments have put effort into their digital systems, and Govt.nz acts as a connector for many of them.
Some services—toll roads and postal services—face scams, and search engines can spread outdated or inaccurate information. A centralized hub with clear icons, plain language, and government-verified content makes sense. If the app keeps receiving investment—Collins hints at updates every six to eight weeks—it could become even more valuable.
I don’t expect to delete this app anytime soon, unlike many other apps I’ve tried for a piece I’m writing. If Judith Collins ever tires of digitising government and starts browsing careers.nz for a new role, she might consider writing affiliate-style gift-guide prose instead.
But here’s the bigger question: will Govt.nz truly simplify how New Zealanders interact with government, or will it become another cold, underutilized portal that merely adds friction? Share your take: is this a breakthrough in civic tech, or a well-meaning but flawed step that still requires users to jump between multiple systems? Would you prefer more languages, a richer accessibility set, or deeper integration with RealMe for secure logins? Let’s discuss.
