National wants to reduce red tape if elected in 2020 by scrapping 100 regulations it considers "way over the top", in its first six months.

The party's economic development spokesperson, Todd McClay, said excessive regulations can have an impact on competitiveness and productivity.

"We need to regularly test whether regulations are still needed, remove barriers to new businesses entering markets and streamline unnecessarily slow and expensive bureaucratic procedures."

National will require future governments and regulatory agencies to undertake at least one regulatory simplification process every three years that looks at reducing the complexity and number of regulations.

McClay pointed to examples of regulations that National considers unnecessary, such as restrictions around building consent under the 2004 Building Act.

For example, consent is required to build a free-standing carport with a floor area of 25 metres squared, which will be open on all sides.

National believes the regulation is excessive, particularly in the case of kitset carports that can easily be erected over the course of a weekend.

McClay pointed out another example under the Building Act around conflicting requirements from councils for having a level entry to showers.

Different councils and building consent authorities have different building consent regulations, standards and fees for building a level access shower, and National would look to simplify it.

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