The Commissioner may from time to time appoint such employees as may be necessary for the efficient carrying out of the Commissioner’s functions, powers, and duties under this Act.

The Commissioner shall be responsible for negotiating, under the Employment Contracts Act 1991, every employment contract applicable to employees appointed under this section.

The Commissioner shall operate a personnel policy that complies with the principle of being a good employer.

No person so employed shall be deemed to be employed in the service of Her Majesty for the purposes of the State Sector Act 1988 by reason of that person’s appointment under this section.”

This section applies to—

Subject to subsection (3) of this section—

Nothing in subsection (2) of this section applies in respect of proceedings for—

Anything said or information supplied or any document or thing produced by any person in the course of any inquiry by or proceedings before the Commissioner under this Act shall be privileged in the same manner as if the inquiry or proceedings were proceedings in a court.

For the purposes of clause 3 of Part II of the First Schedule to the Defamation Act 1992, any report made under this Act by the Commissioner shall be deemed to be an official report made by a person holding an inquiry under the authority of the Parliament of New Zealand.’

The House of Representatives shall appoint an auditor to audit the accounts of the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

The provisions of the Public Finance Act 1977 shall apply to the money and stores of the Commissioner as if they were public money and public stores within the meaning of that Act.

In carrying out the functions conferred by this section, the auditor shall nave the same functions, duties, and powers as the Audit Office.”