The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (the Foundation) was originally constituted under the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind Act 1963, under the name “Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind”. In 2002, the Foundation wished to change its name to the “Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind”, to clarify its status as a body controlled primarily by, and for the benefit of, people who are blind and vision impaired. The Foundation also wished to modernise its structure, giving it the characteristics of an incorporated society, and to provide for the possible future registration of the Foundation as a society incorporated under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.

To that end, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act 2002 (the Act) was enacted. The Act was structured in such a way as to become spent if the Foundation chose to exercise the option to register as an incorporated society. The Foundation registered as an incorporated society on 10 January 2012. Accordingly, the Act is now spent.

The Foundation considers it desirable that the Act be repealed, for 2 reasons—

• keeping the Act on the statute books causes confusion, as it suggests that the Foundation is still a statutory body when it is not; and

• the repeal of the Act will emphasise the Foundation’s status as completely independent from Parliament.

The Foundation’s members and associated parties regard the repeal of the Act as the final step towards full member governance and self-determination.