PO Box 14001
Christchurch 8544
New Zealand
Telephone (+64 3) 358 5029
christchurchairport.co.nz
11 September 2023
Alex Guichard
Email: [FYI request #23820 email]
Tēnā koe Alex
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT 1982 (OIA) – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION -
CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED (CIAL)
1. We write further to our email of 14 August 2023, acknowledging receipt of your OIA
request (the
Request) of 14 August 2023 seeking information (if held by CIAL) in
relation to emissions projections and thinking.
We have answered your Request in this letter and for completeness, we set out your
request below.
Request: Received 14 August 2023 –
Emissions projections and thinking:
“Could I please see your detailed emissions (carbon and other) projections for the
build and operation of Central Otago Airport, including projected flights?
Could I also please have copies of all correspondence, briefings, presentations or
updates which mention carbon emissions in relation to the Tarras project, since
July 2020?”
In respect your Request, we have answered this in two parts (a) and (b).
(a) “Could I please see your detailed emissions (carbon and other) projections for
the build and operation of Central Otago Airport, including projected flights?
As we have outlined previously to you, the Central Otago Airport Project (the Project)
is still in the validation and planning phase. No decisions as to the building or
operation of an airport have been taken nor has any of the planning and design work
been undertaken that would produce the detailed emission projections contemplated
by your request. Equally, it is too early in the process to produce airport operating
schedules, including both the numbers and times of aircraft operations and the
aircraft types which would operate in any given future year. As the information you
seek is not yet in existence your Request at Part (a) is declined.
Please note however that CIAL has produced a series of personas and situations
have been developed to show the total journey emissions for passengers travelling
to Central Otago. These can be found at pages 68-69 of the document titled
“Unlocking Potential: Central Otago’s runway to a future-focussed airport” dated
August 2023 and on the Project website at:
https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/uploads/images/mediumres_PAAV2_digital_
31Aug2023.pdf
A graphic providing high-level estimates of the embodied emissions associated with
infrastructure, including a notional airport, can be found at page 71 of the same
report. The information is intended to provide a general indication of embodied
emissions resulting from the development of infrastructure and is not a detailed
analysis or forecast.
(b) Could I also please have copies of all correspondence, briefings, presentations
or updates which mention carbon emissions in relation to the Tarras project,
since July 2020?”
Part (b) of your Request is too broad in scope and therefore, we will be unable to
provide you with this level of information. It covers much correspondence which
would need to be extracted from numerous sources and places internally. To do so,
would involve the diversion of personnel for a substantial period of time to go
through and collate the information you are requesting.
Therefore, your Request is refused under Section 18(f) of the OIA.
In addition, if we were to comply with part (b) of your Request (which will have a
significant impact on CIAL’s ability to carry out its commercial operations), please
be mindful about our ability to charge you for the time involved to extract the level
of information you are requesting (as per Section 15(1A) of the OIA).
2. We trust we have answered your Request for information. If you require any further
information or if we have in some way misinterpreted your requests, please let us
know.
3. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the
decisions contained in this letter. Information about how to contact the Ombudsman
or make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
CIAL LEGAL TEAM
Email: [Christchurch International Airport Limited request email]
