30 January 2025
Andy
Via email
Em
ail: [FYI request #29501 email]
Dear Andy
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION UNDER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND MEETINGS
ACT 1987 (LGOIMA) – IT AND DIGITAL DEPARTMENT REMUNERATION DETAILS
Your request On 10 December 2024, we received your request for information. In particular, your request was as
follows:
Dear Watercare Services Limited/OIA Officer,
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the fol owing information regarding the IT and
Digital Department at Watercare Services Limited:
Salaries:
The names, job titles, and tenure of all permanent staff in the IT and Digital Department.
Contractors:
The names, job titles, and tenure (if applicable) of all contractors engaged in the IT and Digital
Departments.
A breakdown of contractor hourly/daily rates and total payments made to contractors over the past
[specific time period, e.g., 12 months].
If there are privacy or confidentiality concerns regarding the release of names or other personal
details, I request that you provide anonymized data where necessary, accompanied by a clear
explanation of the redaction rationale.
I also request clarification on whether any guidelines or policies govern the hiring and remuneration
of contractors versus permanent staff within the IT and Digital Department.
Please provide this information in a tabular format for clarity. If any part of my request is too broad
or unclear, I would appreciate your advice on how to refine it under section 18B of the Act to ensure
a timely and efficient response.
I look forward to your reply within the statutory timeframe. Please confirm receipt of this request.
Thanks
Our response
We provide our response below to your LGOIMA request in the order of your email.
Salaries:
The names, job titles, and tenure of all permanent staff in the IT and Digital Department.
Attachment 1 sets out the job titles of our permanent staff in Digital department.
Watercare is withholding (and has therefore redacted) names and tenure contained within the attachment
1 because this is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons (section 7(2)(a)).
In terms of section 7(1) of LGOIMA, we are satisfied that the withholding of this information is not
outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that
information available.
Below, is a graph which sets out the digital and IT employees with service years (tenure).
Contractors: the names, job titles, and tenure (if applicable) of all contractors engaged in IT and Digital
Departments.
Attachment 2 sets out the job titles of all contractors engaged in Digital department.
This list includes direct contractors, agency contractors and secondee contractors as of 28 January 2025.
Watercare is withholding (and has therefore redacted) names and tenure contained within the attachment
2 because this is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons (section 7(2)(a)).
In terms of section 7(1) of LGOIMA, we are satisfied that the withholding of this information is not
outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that
information available.
However, we can advise that their tenure ranges from less than a year to three years. Please note that only
one contractor has been with Watercare for more than four years, however, is part time and works on an
as required basis.
A breakdown of contractor hourly/daily rates
Watercare is withholding a breakdown of contractors hourly/daily rates in order to:
• protect information which could unreasonably prejudice Watercare’s or contractors’ commercial
position (s 7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA); and
• protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence, where the making available of the
information would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest (s 7(2)(c) of LGOIMA).
In terms of section 7(1) of LGOIMA, we are satisfied that the withholding of this information is not
outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that
information available.
We can disclose that the contractor’s daily rates range from $400/day to $1,420/day (excluding GST).
Total payments made to contractors over the past [specific time period, e.g., 12 months].
The total payments made to contractors within IT and Digital Department in last 12 months (from January
2024 to December 2024) was approximately $3.4m.
Watercare is transparent in its award of contracts to suppliers and contractors. For your future reference,
awarded contracts are regularly published at the following link
: See awarded contracts.
I also request clarification on whether any guidelines or policies govern the hiring and remuneration of
contractors versus permanent staff within the IT and Digital Department.
In all departments at Watercare, including in the IT and Digital department, all contractors must be hired by
obtaining financial approval. To gain financial approvals for recruiting contractors, all business units are
required to provide a job description and justifications stating the benefits that Watercare will gain by
having a contractor. If the value of the contractor engagement is over $5,000 or last longer than three
months, the business units are required to attach the Contractor brief.
Contractors are individuals or entities hired to perform specific tasks or projects. Watercare engages
contractors when we struggle to recruit permanently or require additional support or time constraint
requirements. We engage contractors through a formal contract or agreement that outlines the scope of
work, deliverables, compensation, and other relevant terms.
Future options
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.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Phillips
Chief People Officer
