13 July 2021 
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011 
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140 
Phone +64 4 495 7200 
Terry Thomas 
fyi-request-15936-
 Email [email address]  
[email address] 
Website dia.govt.nz  
 
Tēnā koe Terry  
Official Information Act 1982 request – OIA20/21-0757 
Thank you for your email of 30 June 2021 requesting the following information under the Official 
Information Act 1982 (the Act): 
“I would like the information redacted in the recently published regulatory impact statement 
(dated 3 May 2021) on change proposals to birth certificates under the Births Deaths 
Marriages and Relationships Registrations Act. 
can you please quickly provide a general outline of what subjects are covered in those two 
redactions.” 
 
We are withholding this information under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act, to maintain the 
constitutional conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by 
Ministers of the Crown and Officials. We have considered under the Act the redactions applied to the 
Regulatory Impact Statement that was proactively released and consider that they still stand. 
 
As is required by section 9(1) of the Act, we have considered whether the grounds for withholding 
information is outweighed by other considerations which would make it desirable, in the public 
interest, to make that information available. In this instance, we do not consider that to be the case. 
 
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the Act, to seek an investigation and review of this decision 
by the Office of the Ombudsman. The postal address of the Office of the Ombudsman is PO Box 
10152, Wellington. Alternatively, you can phone 0800 802 602 or email 
[email address]. 
 
We intend to publish our response on the Department of Internal Affairs’ website at 
www.dia.govt.nz. This letter, with your personal details removed, will be published in its entirety. 
Publishing responses increases the availability of information to the public and is consistent with the 
Act’s purpose of enabling more effective participation in the making and administration of laws and 
policies and promotes the accountability of Ministers and officials. 
Nāku noa, nā 
 
pp. Anita Balakrishnan 
Tumuaki | Director, Ministerial, Monitoring, and Capability Group 
 
 
 

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