The new government has killed its first advisory board, and it had the help of the members of the body to do so.

The Growth and Innovation Advisory Board is to be dis-established, the Minister of Economic Development, Gerry Brownlee has decided.

He has written to the 20 members of the board this week thanking them for their services.

The previous Labour-led government set up the GIAB in May 2002.

The board describes its role as "to support the government with the development and implementation of its economic growth strategy."

The board is chaired by Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall and includes representatives of employers and unions, plus academics, leading businesspeople, opinion leaders, friends of the previous government and champions of growth.

The board's letter to Prime Minister John Key dated November 19, 2008 (presented instead of a briefing paper) said it wanted to "seek your views about whether, and in what way, it might continue to make a contribution."

The letter said that the board's work has focused on five areas: infrastructure; innovation; engaging with the rest of the world; skills and talent; and macro-economic policy.

However the most recent report on the GIAB website is dated July 2005 and most of its activities were in 2003-04.

"The GIAB stands ready to support the government in whatever way it would find useful," the letter says.

The government has declined the suggestion. A spokesman for the minister said the GIAB was part of the previous government and no longer had a role to play although the views of the individuals on it would still be heard.