50 Victoria Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
1 April 2022
Dan
[FYI request #18609 email]
REF: OIA-9577
Dear Dan
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 19 February 2022 requesting the fol owing information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Dear New Zealand Transport Agency,
Bridges, culverts, subways etc. on the New Zealand state highway network have signage with the
numbered state highway shield, a number indicating the distance from the start of the highway,
and a name to identify it (for example the name of the river it crosses).
Please send me a list of this information in CSV format for all state highways nationwide. The list
should include for each piece of infrastructure the state highway number, the number indicating
distance, the common name used, any other names used, and location coordinates for it in a
common geographic format.
Please include any pieces of infrastructure in addition to bridges, culverts, and subways that aren't
these things if they use this same signage system.
On 18 March 2022 we sent a clarification email to you, in line with Ombudsman guidance, seeking
verification of your eligibility to make this request, as per section 12(1) of the Act. In addition, we
sought additional context as to why you require this information and the purpose of your request. As at
1 April 2022 we have not received a reply to our clarification request.
We sought this information as making this data available, especially in the format you have requested,
could potentially pose a danger to critical parts of New Zealand’s state highway network infrastructure,
and by extension the health and safety of the New Zealand public. In addition, as you submitted your
request via the fyi.org.nz website, this data would also be freely available on the internet for anyone to
access.
Therefore, I am withholding the information that fal s within the scope of your request under section
9(2)(c) of the Act as it is necessary to avoid prejudice to measures protecting the health or safety of
members of the public.
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision to
withhold this information. The contact details for the Ombudsman can be located at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
With respect to the information that has been withheld, I do not consider there are any other factors
which would render it desirable, in the public interest, to make the information available.
If you wish to contact Waka Kotahi about this matter in the future, you are welcome to contact the
Ministerial Services team by email to [NZTA request email].
Yours sincerely
James Sorensen
Principal Advisor - Enterprise
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