Hate to flog a dead horse but:
We comply with most of the reserve banks protocols and we implement only some of there rules.
We are however not a registered bank under the umbrella of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
We are a registered partnership bank, registered with the New Zealand credit union association, which allows us to more easily provide services to international audience,
Our credit union law hasn't been updated since 1982 if I recall correctly, and wont be updated for many years to come (too many land arguments that the NZ govt updating credit union laws is probably at the bottom of there todo list)
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1982/0118/latest/whole.html#DLM6028098Credit unions to be registered
(1)No person, society, or body of persons (whether corporate or unincorporate) shall trade or carry on business as a credit union unless registered as such under this Part.
(2)For the purposes of subsection (1), to trade or carry on business as a credit union means—
(a)administering a fund into which members of a group contribute money which is to be applied either wholly or principally in loans to those members:
(b)representing the person, society, or body of persons as being a credit union:
(c)using, in reference to the person, society, or body of persons, any name, title, or descriptive expression containing the words “credit union”, “money club”, “savings society”, or “loan society”, or any cognate term or any derivative of those words, when trading, carrying on business, or advertising for share capital, deposits, or loan funds.
(3)Nothing in subsection (2)(c) shall apply to—
(a)the use by an officer or employee of a credit union of a title or descriptive expression indicating his office or post with the credit union; or
(b)the use with reference to an association of credit unions of a name which has been approved in writing by the Registrar.
And these clauses seem relevant too:
102Qualifications for admission to membership of credit union
(1)For the purposes of this Act, a credit union has a common bond if the qualification for membership is—
(a)following a particular occupation or particular occupations:
(b)residing in a particular locality or particular localities:
(c)being employed in a particular locality or particular localities:
(d)being employed by a particular employer or particular employers:
(e)being a member of a bona fide organisation or bona fide organisations or being otherwise associated with members of the organisation or organisations for a purpose other than that of forming a society to be registered as a credit union:
(f)any other qualification that can be objectively determined:
(g)a mixture of any qualifications in paragraphs (a) to (f).
(2)For the purposes of subsection (1), a qualification can be objectively determined if it—
(a)includes every person who fulfills the qualification; and
(b)is able to be determined by a person who is not a member of the credit union; and
(c)does not depend on any person's subjective judgement.
(3)For the purposes of this Act, if the rules of a credit union so provide, a person shall be treated as fulfilling a qualification for admission to membership stated in those rules if he is a member of the same household as, and is a relative of, another person who is a member of the credit union and fulfils that qualification directly.
(4)In subsection (3), relative, in relation to any person, means—
(a)any current or former spouse, civil union partner or de facto partner of the person; and
(b)any lineal ancestor, lineal descendant, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, or first cousin of the person or of any current or former spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner of the person; and
(c)any current or former spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner of any person referred to in paragraph (b).
Compare: Credit Unions Act 1979, ss 1(4), (5), (6), 31 (UK)
Section 102(1): substituted, on 22 November 2006, by section 5 of the Friendly Societies and Credit Unions Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 65).
Section 102(2): substituted, on 22 November 2006, by section 5 of the Friendly Societies and Credit Unions Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 65).
Section 102(4): substituted, on 26 April 2005, by section 7 of the Relationships (Statutory References) Act 2005 (2005 No 3).