New Zealand could soon become the simplest place in the developed world to install solar panels, Minister for Regulation David Seymour announced last week at an all-electric cherry orchard in Central Otago co-founded by Rewiring Aotearoa chief executive Mike Casey. The Ministry of Regulation launched a review aimed at slashing the red tape, as the cost of installing solar in New Zealand was double that of Australia. "One way or another we’re going to have the simplest rules for doing solar in the world," Mr Seymour said. New Zealand had made difficult for people to install solar, he said. In Victoria, home-owners could get solar installed in a single visit — something he said New Zealand should be aiming for. Here, the process involves multiple inspectors, repeated truck visits and inconsistent rules that vary between councils and electricity distributors, adding cost and time at every turn, he said. "You’ve got a number of inspectors, by the time everyone has gone back and forth.…