Andrew P
22 April 2025
Via email:
[FYI request #30405 email]
Dear Andy,
Official Information Act request: Communications including the word “Aotearoa”
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request of 12 March 2025, where you
requested the following:
“
access to any communications, in any form, that you have sent between December 12, 2024,
and March 12, 2025, that include the word "Aotearoa." This includes emails, memos, meeting
notes, and any communications via electronic apps.”
Due to the substantial amount of work that would be required to research and collate the
information you have requested, I am refusing your request under section 18(f) of the Act.
Communications are not catalogued in such a manner that would allow a search for one
particular term. Formal correspondence is filed individually and is unable to be searched in
bulk. Collation of your request would require manually searching each piece of correspondence
for the requested term. Across four portfolios, identifying and gathering the information you
have requested would require significant time and effort, substantially impacting the day-to-day
operations of my office.
I do not believe that any of the mechanisms provided for in the Act, such as extending the
timeframe for a response would sufficiently remove the administrative burden involved.
On 3 April 2025, my office contacted you to request that you amend your request, as required
by section 18B of the Act. However, my office did not hear back from you.
I am therefore refusing your request under section 18(f) of the Act, as the information cannot be made
available without substantial collation and research.
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman
under section 28(3) of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or phone on 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Minister of Justice
Minister for Media and Communications
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations