Government agencies, including the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, are to have greater oversight of New Zealand's intelligence services.
The change is the result of a review by a former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Prime Minister John Key says the review found no performance problems at agency level but does recommend greater oversight by key central agencies.
Mr Key says this should improve general performance, priority setting and the management of intelligence resources.
The review recommends against any mergers, saying there would be hidden costs and many of the agencies would not fit well together.
It also says the relationships can be tribal, adding that's not necessarily a problem if there are appropriate checks and balances in place.
The Council for Civil Liberties says the worry with the recent review is that the primary focus of security organisations will be directed more at perceived internal threats and risk management.
