20 E 0347 OIA response DOC 6499024.pdf

20-E-0347 – DOC-6491662
19 November 2020
Tim Benseman
[FYI request #13144 email]
Dear Mr Benseman
Thank you for your Official  Information Act request to the Department of
Conservation, dated 24 June 2020. You have asked for all emails, phone transcripts,
photos, letters and meetings minutes between DOC and Beef + Lamb NZ and OSPRI
NZ Ltd relating to 1080 poisoning  of Kea between 1 January  2014 and 1 January
2015.
On 22 July 2020 we extended your request to 2 September 2020, as the consultations
necessary to make a decision on the release of a large quantity of emails meant we
required  extra time. On 2 September we indicated we were finalising the documents
for release. I apologise for the delay in providing  these to you.
We have scoped this request in the context of earlier request clarifications  in 2018,
and the resulting  narrowing  of your  request (18-E-0051) for correspondence between
DOC staff and OSPRI staff mentioning 1080 and kea between 2010 and 2011. Emails
we have identified as falling within scope of this request are attached to this response.
Where attachments  are in scope, these are listed with any applicable  withholding
grounds in the Appendices Table below. As we indicated on 2 September 2020, much
of the material, such as phone transcripts, photos, or letters, you have requested  does
not exist and warrants a refusal under section 18(e).
Emails relevant to your request feature earlier research carried out in partnership
with OSPRI. This research has led to a better  understanding  of how to minimise  the
risk to kea from pest control carried  out in kea habitat. We are constantly working to
improve our risk mitigation standards for kea, which are informed by our  ongoing
research programme.  An overview  of the most recent and relevant research to
mitigating  the risk of aerial application of 1080 is available  in the current  Kea Code of
Practice  (effective from 13 January 2020):
https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/threats-and-
impacts/pest-control/other-technical-documents/code-of-practice-aerial-1080-kea-
habitat.pdf
Please note not all attachments noted in the emails are in scope, and have therefore
not been released to you. That is to say any documents not related to kea and 1080.
Additionally,  the 2014 operation referred to on pages 20, 21, and 22 did not proceed.
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
PO Box 10 420, Wel ington 6143
Telephone (04) 471 0726

Finally, please note that information in scope of your request is from 2014 and will
subsequently have been updated, such as the Draft Kea Code of Practice  (Appendix
31) and Pesticide Review (Appendix 25), to include and reflect developments in
science literature.

You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision by writing to an
Ombudsman  as provided by section 28(3) of the Official Information Act.

Nāku noa, nā

Amber Bill
Director Threats Biodiversity
for Director-General

Appendices  Table
Document   Relevant  Title
Action
Page
1
1
Bait Improvement
Released in part  – information
meeting minutes
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
2
1, 49
Code of practice
Released in full
aerial 1080 kea
habitat
3
2
2.a. NPCA Minutes of  Released in part  – information
Management
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
Committee meeting
9(2)(g)(ii)
4
10
Bait Improvement
Released in part – information
meeting minutes
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
5
12
Media Release
Release in full
6
23, 42,
Pest efficacy of bird
Released in part  – information
251
repellent at an aerial
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
1080 cereal operation   9(2)(g)(ii)
7
26
Bird  (Kea) Repellent
Released in part  – information
Research
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
8
26
Kea 1080 Bait
Released in part  – information
Repellent Trial
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
Literature Review
9(2)(g)(ii)
9
28
The Effects of aerial
Released in part  – information
1080 on kea
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
populations
9(2)(g)(ii)
10
35
Proposal and field
Released in part  – information
plan for exploratory
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
aversion training
9(2)(g)(ii)
study on kea with
Anthraquinone and
cinnamon
11
37, 268
Kea repellent trial
Released in part – information
debrief and project
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
wrap up
9(2)(g)(ii)
12
38, 257,
Kea repellent project
Released in part – information
271
stakeholder meeting
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
13
45, 85,
Project stakeholder
Released in part – information
263, 269  meeting
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)

14
45, 121,
Stability of bird
Released in part – information
269
repellents and 1080
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
in RS5 cereal baits
9(2)(g)(ii)
15
45, 121
Repellent Literature
Released in part – information
update
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
16
47, 12,
Battle for our Birds
Released in part  – information
144
Monitoring &
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
Research Projects:
9(2)(g)(ii), some information
Progress to date
out of scope
17
47
Battle for our birds
Released in part  – information
monitoring
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
18
59
West Coast & Tasman  Released in part  – information
Aerial Blocks
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
19
73
Agenda for
Released in part  – information
consultation
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
meeting—new
9(2)(g)(ii)
standards for aerial
1080 in kea habitat
20
154
Aerial 1080 Map –
Released in part  – information
Waimea Kawhaka
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
Initial consultation
9(2)(g)(ii)
21
166
Summary  of kea
Released in part  – information
research
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
9(2)(g)(ii)
22
167, 244
Review of potential
Final version available online:
kea repellents
https://newzealandecology.org/
nzje/3245.pdf
23
200
Sodium fluoroacetate  Released in full
Pesticide Information
Review
24
208
DOC code of practice
Released in full
for aerial 1080 in kea
habitat
25
222
Developing an alpine
Released in part  – information
biodiversity research  withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
programme: a review  9(2)(g)(ii)
of
issues and
management
solutions
26
239
Image – Kahurangi
Released in full
kea
27
239
Image – Kahurangi
Released in full
kea

28
246
Comments on Project
Released in part  – information
R-80719-03, Pest
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
efficacy of bird
9(2)(g)(ii)
repellent at an aerial
1080 cereal operation
29
247
Mokihinui Aerial
Released in full
possum control
Spring 2014 – Fact
Sheet
30
253
Recommended next
Released in part  – information
steps in repellent
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
research (from Kea
9(2)(g)(ii)
repellent wrap up
meeting 230714)
31
259, 274  DRAFT - DOC code of  Released in full
practice for aerial
1080 in kea habitat
32
144
Aerial 1080 Map -
Released in part  – information
Waimea Kawhaka
withheld under s 9(2)(a) and
Rat Monitoring
9(2)(g)(ii)
33
For
1080 Pesticide
Released in full
reference  Review 2020

I note that the attachment on page 16 is available  online here
doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/drds344entire.pdf.