The function of accident insurance includes the collection of premiums, assessment and payment of claims, and investment management of funds. Accident insurance covered a variety of risks of loss or injury due to accident. State engagement in the accident insurance business began in 1901 when the Government Life Insurance Office opened an accident insurance branch. It was intended to principally conduct insurance under legislation relating to workers' compensation, but general accident business was also undertaken. In 1925 the accident business was transferred from the Government Life Insurance Office to the State Fire Insurance Office. The Government withdrew from the insurance business with the privatisation of State Insurance Limited in June 1990.

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This function describes the provision of local and inter-country adoption services by the state, and include assessing and education preparation for prospective adoptive parents, counselling birthparents, approving placements, supervision, and reporting to the Courts. It also describes the provision of adult adoption information services, which included the provision of information, pre- and post-reunion counselling  (including people receiving their original birth certificate, and mediation to birthparents and adult adopted people. The adoption of children was legalised in New Zealand with passage of the Adoption of Children Act in 1881. The Courts registered all adoptions. Adoption laws were updated in 1955 under the Adoption Act and again in 1997 under the Adoption (Intercountry) Act. Prior to 1955 most adoption placements were made by private agencies, maternity homes, doctors or hospital matrons. State social workers arranged most placements from the mid-1960s, and since 1955 all non-family placements required social workers’ approval.

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The control of agricultural pests focused mainly on the destruction of rabbits, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and later included other pests (opposums, wallabies etc.) that affected the agricultural industry. Government agencies instituted a number of measures to control agricultural pests, including the creation of rabbit/pest destruction districts and district boards, inspection, control and eradication programmes, funding, research and advice.

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Regular scheduled domestic air services began in New Zealand in the mid 1930's, with airlines operated by private enterprise. In 1945 the government nationalised these services and operated them through a public utility company, the New Zealand National Airways Corporation.

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State involvement in regular scheduled international air services began in 1940 when the Government took a 20 percent shareholding in Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), which was formed to provide air services between New Zealand and Australia. The Government increased its shareholding in the airline, and in 1961 became sole owner (TEAL became Air New Zealand 1965). In 1989 the Government sold Air New Zealand, retaining one special rights preference share (the “Kiwi Share”) to control the foreign ownership level and safeguard the airline's New Zealand identity. The Government regained majority ownership of Air New Zealand in 2001. The Government also had a 30 percent shareholding in British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPA) between 1946 and 1954. BCPA flew scheduled international air services between Australia, the Pacific, and North America.

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Licensing of commercial air services was adopted in New Zealand initially to foster the development of the aviation industry. Later, licensing was used to control the State's monopoly on domestic air services through the government owned domestic airline, the National Airways Corporation.

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This function describes the licensing of scheduled international air services. Licensing provided the mechanism for authorising and monitoring the exercise of air traffic rights exchanged in bilateral negotiations. For New Zealand airlines, licensing was also the method for allocating New Zealand's air traffic rights that, under many Air Services Agreements, were restricted. In order to operate scheduled international air services to or from New Zealand (including by way of code-sharing on the aircraft of another airline), airlines were required under the Civil Aviation Act 1990 to hold a scheduled international air service licence or, for services between New Zealand and countries or territories specifically designated by the Minister of Transport, an open aviation market licence. Licensing of scheduled international air services commenced under the International Air Services Licensing Act 1947.

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