“The New Zealand Defence Force does not engage in any of the activities described in your request. Your request is therefore declined in accordance with section 18{g) of the OIA.”
This response from NZDF does not equal having no information on this topic. I wonder why the response was worded in that particular way and not something more akin to “NZDF has no information on this topic and has no grounds for believing that it is held by another department.” Not implying that they are hiding anything, but that would be the correct response if 18(g) of the act applied.

"This response from NZDF does not equal having no information on this topic. I wonder why the response was worded in that particular way and not something more akin to “NZDF has no information on this topic and has no grounds for believing that it is held by another department.” Not implying that they are hiding anything, but that would be the correct response if 18(g) of the act applied."

I wholeheartedly agree with your observation. Just because the NZDF are not engaging in these activities, does NOT, therefore mean that they aren't aware of what parties may be engaged in such activities or that they don't hold any information regarding these activities.

My observations, which I have been documenting, show Air New Zealand and Jetstar A320-232 aircraft conducting these operations in a deliberate and systematic manner; and I find it highly unlikely that the NZDF doesn't know about it. If, for arguments sake, they are completely unaware of it, then they are failing in their primary duty to protect the territory of New Zealand and its peoples from potentially hostile activities.

Interesting answer - unfortunately this agency like all the other agencies asked say they are not aware / involved in these activities yet will not provide the information they hold on file. NIWA who I have repeatedly asked initially tried to say that had no information, then when I caught them out said they had too much information and wanted to charge me. I’m still battling them stonewalling me. There is ample evidence it’s occurring and has been for sometime, really ramped up recently with these extreme waether events and Aluminium in waterways and if the agencies aren’t directly involved they are turning a blind eye and are aware of it and whose doing it. And given the last few years we have to assume they are hiding things. Have the institutions always been this corrupt / compromised or has it only been exposed following events of last few years?!