National Headquarters
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
National Headquarters
Spark Central , Level 7
42-52 Willis Street
Wellington Central
Wellington 6011
Phone +64 4 496 3600
5 December 2022
John Luke
By email: [FYI request #20779 email]
Tēnā koe John
Information Request – Local Advisory Committee
I refer to your official information request dated 15 October 2022 asking for the following
information
.
“What is your current progress of establishing the other Local Advisory Committees, may I have
an update please. Also please provide any communications and memo regarding any
discussion you have on establishing other Local Advisory Committees.”
On 13 October 2022, we emailed you regarding the part of your request for
"communications
regarding any discussion you have on establishing other Local Advisory Committees". We explained
that the way your information request was set out would have likely resulted in a decline under
section 18(f) of the OIA as the information requested cannot be made available without
substantial collation or research. We asked you to consider a refinement of your request. On 15
October 2022 via email you confirmed with us that you are satisfied with receiving only
communications from the National Local Advisory Committee (LAC) team.
In accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), I
enclose the
information you requested. Fire and Emergency has carefully considered your information
request. This has included a review of the relevant Ombudsman’s guidance. On balance, a decision
has been made to withhold some of the information under the following sections
• 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural person.
• 9(2)(g)(i) maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank
expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an
organisation or officers and employees of any public service agency or organisation in the
course of their duty
Some information has also been withheld as it is out of scope of your request. You will see that
there was reference in the Chief Executive’s report dated 21 October 2021 to the Board to future
LACs. We have provided this part as an excerpt instead of providing multiple pages redacted as out
of scope. We have also included excerpts of the in scope material of the Board Report Quarter 3
dated 10 May 2022.
Please note that the Year One LAC Evaluation Report is in scope of your request but has not been
released to you as part of this response. It has previously been released to you in our response
dated 6 April 2022. It is also publicly available on our website
here. The Fire and Emergency Board (Board) have directed management to ensure that there is a plan in
place for establishing the remaining LACs. We intend on providing a plan to the Board at the end
of March 2023.
The Board has made no decisions on future locations for LACs since it agreed to allow District
Leadership teams time to fully embed their ways of working. However, the National LAC team
have begun working with some Districts to develop potential models for further LACs. PowerPoints
related to those discussions are included in the attached communications.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is availab
le at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Note also that this response (with your personal details removed) may be published on the Fire
and Emergency website.
Nāku noa nā
Julia McCook-Weir
Manager, Information Requests
encl
