In a funding paper headed Budget 2026/27, the office says the government has agreed to "increase OGTR funding by $6.8 million over 4 years from July 2026", then $1.7 million a year from 2030-31. The office describes it as "the first increase in base funding since 2002". The extra money comes with a move to partial cost recovery: commercial licence applications will be charged at 50% of actual costs and trials at 25%, with research-only licences exempt and annual licence fees introduced. Public consultation on a Cost Recovery Implementation Statement is expected by the end of 2026. Staff numbers were not found in the newsletter or the funding paper.
Sources: OGTR, Cost Recovery and Sustainable Funding of the GT Regulatory Scheme (May 2026); OGTR Newsletter Issue 13.