File No. DOIA 2122-1383
21 January 2022
Aidan Thornton
[FYI request #18154 email]
Dear Aidan
Thank you for your email of 11 January 2022 requesting the following under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act):
This article was recently published on stuff: Mysterious car-locking block at Hamilton shopping
centre due to an ‘electrical incident’
[…]
Is RSM aware of this event, and do they believe any licensing restrictions are being
intentionally/negligently breached (for example, transmitting beyond power limits for the ISM
band), or is this due to something not intended to be a transmitter (e.g. a arcing electrical
connection). Please forward any further information regarding the nature of the event, e.g.
investigation reports.
Does RSM accept the property manager's level of urgency for this situation, and that faster
intervention (for example, removing electrical supply to the equipment causing the fault) is
impractical or would have excessive impact (for example, disconnecting a zone substation with
no redundancy)?
Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) were contacted by The Base shopping complex to assist with an
interference issue affecting car locking systems within their facility. On notification of the issue we
ascertained that representatives from The Base had been working with their electrician to rectify the
issue. Attempts had been unsuccessful which prompted the cal to RSM. A Radio Investigator attended
the site and identified the interference source to be a fault condition on their car park monitoring
system caused by a recent power outage. The fault was rectified and the interference ceased
immediately.
Further analysis by the Radio Investigator deemed that under normal operating conditions, the device in
question meets all RSM licensing frequency and transmit power requirements.
Devices such as car locking remotes operate within the General User Radio License for Short Range
Devices. The use of this band is on a shared use basis and at times interference may occur. Generally,
RSM does not protect users operating within this band, however, at times we may assist when the issue
is widespread such as this case.
Attached is a copy of the interference report released in ful .
Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery
15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wel ington 6140 New Zealand
E [email address]
T +64 4 472 0030
W www.mbie.govt.nz
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response. The
relevant details can be found at
: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Yours sincerely
Fadia Mudafar
National Manager, Radio Spectrum Management
