Hon Simeon Brown
MP for Pakuranga
Minister for Energy
Minister for Auckland
Minister of Local Government
Deputy Leader of the House
Minister of Transport
James Powell
[FYI request #28447 email]
Dear James,
Your Official Information Act 1982 request, reference OIA24-381
I am responding to your email of 20 September 2024 requesting the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
all information (advice, briefings, memos, emails, texts or other communications) held by you
or your office mentioning putting a commissioner, a crown observer or other central
government oversight mechanism on Wellington City Council.
I am interpreting your request to be for the time-period from 27 November 2023 (when Ministers
for this Government were sworn in) to 20 September 2024 (when your request was lodged).
There are 72 documents that fall within the scope of your request. A list of these documents can be
found at
Table one. Correspondence and the proposed response to it have been grouped together
as, for example, documents 3 and 3A.
I am releasing three documents in full, withholding two and partially releasing the remainder. Some
information has been withheld under the following sections of the Act:
• 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons;
• 9(2)(g)(i), to 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; and
• 9(2)(h), to maintain legal privilege.
These documents are attached as
Appendix A. Document 18A, an MP4 file, is attached as
Appendix B.
Public Interest Considerations
As is required by section 9(1) of the Act, I have given consideration to whether the withholding of
information is outweighed by other public interest considerations which would make it desirable to
make this information available. In this instance I do not consider this to be the case.
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
Access to the Ombudsman
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of my decision by the Office of the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely,
Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Local Government
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
Table one: Documents in scope
#
Document name
Document
Released or Reason for
date
withheld
withholding
Briefings
1
[Briefing] Wellington
19 January
Partially
9(2)(a)
drinking water supply –
2024
released
9(2)(g)(i)
request for information
9(2)(h)
2
[Briefing] Analysis on
15 February
Withheld
9(2)(a)
Wellington City and Upper
2024
9(2)(g)(i)
Hutt City Council’s responses
to Minister’s letter
Ministerial correspondence
3
Correspondence from
30
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
November
released
2023
3A
Proposed response to
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
4
Correspondence from
30
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
November
released
2023
4A
Proposed response to
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
5
Correspondence from
30
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
November
released
2023
5A
Proposed response to
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
6
Correspondence from
2 December Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2023
released
6A
Proposed response to
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
7
Correspondence from
3 December Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2023
released
7A
Proposed response to
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
8
Correspondence from
3 December Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2023
released
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
#
Document name
Document
Released or Reason for
date
withheld
withholding
8A
Proposed response to
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
9
Correspondence from
15
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
9A
Attachment to
2023
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9B
Attachment to
Withheld
Duplicated in 9C,
correspondence from
9D, and 9E
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9C
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9D
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9E
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9F
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9G
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9H
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9I
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
9J
Proposed response to
10 January
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
10
Correspondence from
13
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
December
released
2023
10A
Proposed response to
9 February
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
11
Correspondence from
12 February
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
#
Document name
Document
Released or Reason for
date
withheld
withholding
11A
Proposed response to
4 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
12
Correspondence from
9 January
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
12A
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
12B
Proposed response to
4 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
13
Correspondence from
26 January
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
13A
Attachment to
Partially
9(2)(a)
correspondence from
released
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
13B
Attachment to
Released in
-
correspondence from
full
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
13C
Attachment to
Released in
-
correspondence from
full
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
13D
Proposed response to
8 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
14
Correspondence from
15 February
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
14A
Proposed response to
7 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
15
Correspondence from
29 February
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
16
Correspondence from
8 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
16A
Proposed response to
4 April 2024 Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
17
Correspondence from
1 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
17A
Proposed response to
26 April
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
18
Correspondence from
19 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
18A
Attachment to
Released in
-
correspondence from
full
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
#
Document name
Document
Released or Reason for
date
withheld
withholding
18B
Proposed response to
30 April
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
19
Correspondence from
5 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
19A
Proposed response to
1 May 2024
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
20
Correspondence from
4 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
20A
Proposed response to
1 May 2024
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
21
Correspondence from
15 March
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
21A
Proposed response to
2 May 2024
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
22
Correspondence from
26 May
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
22A
Proposed response to
21 June
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
23
Correspondence from
31 May
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
24
Correspondence from
12 June
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
25
Correspondence from
20 June
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
25A
Proposed response to
18 July 2024 Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
26
Correspondence from
20 June
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
26A
Proposed response to
18 July 2024 Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
27
Correspondence from
25 June
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
28
Correspondence from
26 June
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
2024
released
29
Correspondence from
24 July 2024 Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
released
30
Correspondence from
6
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
31
Correspondence from
6
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
#
Document name
Document
Released or Reason for
date
withheld
withholding
32
Correspondence from
8
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
33
Correspondence from
18
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
34
Correspondence from
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
35
Correspondence from
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
36
Correspondence from
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
37
Correspondence from
19
Partially
9(2)(a)
[withheld under 9(2)(a)]
September
released
2024
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160 New Zealand
+64 4 817 6804 | [Simeon Brown request email] | www.beehive.govt.nz
