11 October 2023
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Amin
Fax +64 4 382 3589
fyi-request-24126-
Em
ail [email address]
[email address]
Webs
ite www.dia.govt.nz
Tēnā koe Amin,
Your Official Information Act request OIA2324-0184
Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request, which was received by the Department
of Internal Affairs (the Department) on 13 September 2023.
You have requested:
Please provide me with the total amount of funding allocated for the development of Te Reo in your
department and affiliated organizations since the beginning of the new government in 2020, along
with a breakdown of how this allocated funding has been utilized or distributed.
No Departmental funding is centrally allocated to the development of te reo Māori as this is not an
output that we report on separately or monitor from a financial perspective.
The Department, does, however, carry out wide-ranging activities to support the development of te
reo Māori. Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori | The Māori Language Act 2016 creates a partnership for the
revitalisation of the language, brought to life through Te Maihi Karauna (the Crown strategy) and Te
Maihi Māori (the iwi and Māori strategy). The Department, together with other public service
departments, is committed to contribute to Te Maihi Karauna and this drives many of our te reo
Māori-related activities.
More generally, the Department is committed to lifting capability in te ao Māori to ensure we have
the skills, knowledge and experience to fulfil our role in Māori Crown relations. The Department is
the Crown partner to 22 Treaty settlements, and building and strengthening our te ao Māori,
including te reo Māori capability is necessary to fulfil our role in these relationships.
Activities that support the development of te reo Māori across the Department are broad and
diverse, and many are embedded within everyday work. Expenditure is usually aggregated within
the budget for other initiatives or projects. Therefore, in this case, due to the broad distribution and
nature of the activities and the low transaction values involved, it is not possible to compile an
accurate and complete total amount of funding distributed or utilised, or breakdown of spend on the
development of te reo Māori, by the Department. The Department is refusing this request under
Section 18(f) of the Act as the information cannot be made available without significant additional
work and costs, and we would not be able to guarantee the accuracy of any response.
We have also considered whether setting a charge or extending the timeframe for responding to
your request would enable this information to be provided to you. In this case we do not think it
would, as it is not possible to calculate accurately how much time would be required for this collation
and research, any results of which in any case would not meet your request.
I consider that the withholding of information is not outweighed by other considerations which
render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that information available.
However, there are two areas of funding information we can provide, relevant to your request.
First, specific non-Departmental funding was provided in Budget 2019 to enhance relationships and
improve partnership between Local Government and iwi/Māori. This included up to $0.7m in
2019/20, and $1.1m each year in subsequent years. A portion of this funding is provided as
grants to
encourage bilingual towns and cities, as part of the Te Maihi Karauna. These funds are provided to
third parties when they meet set criteria and are not Department related. Between 01 July 2020 and
31 August 2023 $2.7m has been provided for this purpose.
The rest of the funding provided through the Budget 2019 initiative is not for activities directly
related to the development of te reo Māori.
Second, the Department provides access to te reo Māori training through an internal training
management system, iLearn. There is a programme, Mana Āki, which helps to develop intercultural
competence and which all kaimahi | staff are encouraged to complete. This online learning material
was provided to the Department by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment at no cost.
The Department also has two te reo Māori courses available in partnership with Te Wānanga o
Aotearoa. There is no direct cost to the Department for these courses, however, $2,500 is allocated
each year to pay for parking near our offices for the kaiako | teachers.
We intend to publish our response to your request on
www.dia.govt.nz. This letter, with your
personal details removed, will be published in its entirety. Publishing responses increases the
availability of information to the public and is consistent with the Act’s purpose of enabling more
effective participation in the making and administration of laws and policies and promoting the
accountability of Ministers and officials.
If you have any feedback about the Department’s response, please let us know a
t [email address]
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or Freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sharyn Mitchell
Chief Financial Officer
Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs
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