20 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland 1010
Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Phone 09 355 3553
Website www.AT.govt.nz
17 May 2022
Mine Rogers
Dear Mine,
CAS-543083-B7Q7R2- Request for information
Thank you for your LGOIMA request dated the 18 April 2022. In your request you referred to ‘hush money’.
Auckland Transport does not pay hush money. However, as in all other organisations, we occasionally pay
settlement agreements. Therefore, the response below refers to settlement agreements.
This request is declined on the grounds specified in s 7(2)(c)(ii) of the LGOIMA. Section 7(2)(c)(ii) of the
LGOIMA applies when releasing information that is ‘subject to an obligation of confidence’ would be likely
to ‘damage the public interest’:
i.
Withholding of the information is necessary to protect information which is subject to an
obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under
the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information –
ii.
Would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest
The requested information is subject to an obligation of confidentiality. Disclosure of any detail of it would
damage the public interest within the meaning of section 9(2)(ba)(ii) of the LGOIMA.
There is a clear public interest in agencies being able to enter into out of court resolution and settlement of
complex employment disputes. Disclosure of the information requested would damage this public interest
as it would create mistrust in confidential discussions to achieve solutions. Further, disclosure would affect
the legal rights of parties to rely on the mutually agreed terms of agreement.
We appreciate this is not the outcome to your request that you were looking for, however for the reasons
above you are not legally entitled to receive this information.
Yours sincerely
Antony Hall
Head of People Experience Delivery