After years of planning and talks, the Government is making a formal move to establish a sex offenders register.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley has announced legislation enabling a register is going before Parliament.

She says offenders convicted of a qualifying offence will have their details recorded on a register with its details available to Police and Corrections Department staff.

"They are going to be required to be registered and have to update their details every year so we can keep track of them - particularly those high-risk offenders - and it's just another tool in the box." 

Tolley says the information will be available only to authorities, not members of the public. 

"It would be available to both police and Corrections as they look to manage these offenders. And then we will be negotiating for people like MSD and for health, where there's mental health issues."