Dear Wellington Regional Council,

Hi

I am interested in the proposed GWRC 2015/16 Long Term Plan and, in particular, how the Transport Rates have been calculated. Can you please provide me with a complete copy of the detailed calculations that were used to provide the transport rates information in the draft 2015/16 Annual Plan ?

I assume that the Transport Rates Calculation information is held in electronic spreadsheet form and I would prefer it was provided to me in its complete, original electronic format as I wish to understand how the calculations were made including the formula used. Please advice if this assumption is not correct and advice what format this information is held. If this information is not to be provided in its complete, original electronic format, please provide the grounds for the GWRC refusal to provide this information in the requested format.

I am also interested in changes to the Transport Reserve. Can you please provide me with a listing of the changes (contributions and withdrawals) from the Transport Reserve over the past three years including the source for the contributions and the target for the withdrawals ?

If the Transport Reserve information is held in electronic form, I would prefer it was provided to me in its complete, original electronic format.

Please contact me if this will assist you in clarifying my request and/or providing the requested information.

Finally, can you please acknowledge your receipt of this information request ?

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

Dear Wellington Regional Council,

On March 12th 2015, I sent you a request for information about the 2015/16 Transport Rate Calculations used for the GWRC Long Term Plan via the FYI.ORG.NZ web site. I have asked for this information to support a submission to the GWRC 10 Year Plan that is currently open for public submission but submissions must be made by the 20th April (less than one week away).

I understand that I should have received a response from the GWRC by the 13th April 2015.

Can you please confirm you have received my request for information about the 2015/16 Transport Rate Calculations used for the GWRC Long Term Plan ?

If you have received my request, can you please update me on why I have not yet received a response and when I may expect to receive the substantive response.

Finally, I should note that the failure by the GWRC to provide the requested information within the legally required time-frame will likely compromise my ability to make a considered submission to the GWRC on its 10 year plan which is very disappointing.

Regards
Tony Randle

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

Dear Jared,
I asked for a copy of the 2015/16 Transport Rate calculation spreadsheets on March 12th 2015, via the FYI.ORG.NZ web site, which is 24 working days ago even if you don’t count the first day. I have asked for this information to support a submission to the GWRC 10 Year Plan that is currently open for public submission but submissions must be made by the 20th April in just three days’ time.

Your reply dated 13th April still did provide the requested Transport Rates calculation information. Even worse, it does not even say when I may receive this information only stating “The document will be sent to you when it is ready for release.” When will I receive it ??

I have requested this information every year since about 2008 and every year the GWRC takes the maximum amount of time to respond where the response does not providing the information requested. Every year the GWRC denies me access to this key information that I (and others) need to understand the real costs of the GWRC 10-Year and Annual Plan that you are supposedly consulting on. This refusal to provide key information during a public consultation is profoundly undemocratic but has become habitual for the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

It is now midday Friday and public submissions to the GWRC Annual Plan close on Monday. How am I to do a submission without the key requested information ? As I requested before, can you please update me on why I have not yet received a response within the required timeframe and when I may expect to receive the substantive response ?

The GWRC response also states:
“Please note that we are prepared to release certain cells within the column entitled “Price PA” which contain tendered contract prices and variations to contract prices reflecting changes to services. However, in order to do this we would be required to review our contract files for each of the individual contracts referred to in the column. We anticipate that it will take approximately 15 minutes to review each contract file. If you would like this information we will charge you for the time taken to prepare the information for release. Please advise us if you would like us to prepare this information for you.”

I cannot write a blank cheque to the GWRC to fund the provision of the “Price PA” information. Can you please inform me (as you are required to do under LGOIMA) of the cost of providing the information so that I may consider whether it is worth paying ? I also do hope the GWRC is not waiting for feedback on this issue before providing the information that it states it is in the process of releasing to me.

Finally, the failure by the GWRC to provide the requested rates calculation information within the legally required time-frame will again compromise my ability to make a considered public submission to the GWRC in this Significant Decision (under the Local Government Act) which is very disappointing.

Regards,

Tony Randle