Wellington Regional Office
PO Box 5084
Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145
New Zealand
T 0800 869 286
F 64 4 478 3629
www.nzta.govt.nz
3 October 2016
Dr Robert Shaw
fyi- request- 4485- [email address] Dear Robert
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your phone call of 22 August 2016 and email
of 23 August 2016 requesting the
following information under the Official Information Act 1982:
•
Confirmation of whether the mills providing steel for the two major projects in Taranaki were
the same as those identified as providing non-compliant steel;
•
A list of the ‘Chinese companies that have been called into question recently’; and
•
A list of the ‘Chinese companies which have provided the steel for the two major projects in
Taranaki recently’.
The two major projects in Taranaki are the Vickers to City project and the Normanby project. Neither
of these projects has been supplied with steel from a manufacturer that has previously provided non-
compliant steel to the NZ Transport Agency.
The Transport Agency is only aware of one Chinese steel manufacturer that has been called into
question recently in relation to our projects. As this information is currently the subject of detailed and
sensitive commercial negotiations between Fulton Hogan-HEB, NZ Steel & Tube, and the manufacturer,
I am withholding this information under section 9(2)(j) of the OIA which states that the withholding of
the information is necessary to enable a Minister of the Crown or any department or organisation
holding the information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including
commercial and industrial negotiations).
The Vickers to City project is supplied with stressing strand from Jiang Yin Fasten Steel Products. The
Normanby project is supplied with stressing strand from Silvery Dragon Prestressed Material Company.
Neither of these manufacturers has been identified by the Transport Agency as having supplied non-
compliant steel and both are fully accredited by appropriate authorities.
Under section 28(3) of the Official Information Act 1982, you have the right to apply to an
Ombudsman for an investigation and review of the decision to refuse this information. Their email
address i
s www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/.
If you would like to discuss this reply with the Transport Agency, please contact Neil Cree, National
Manager Network Outcomes, by email
to [email address]. Yours sincerely
Neil Walker
Highway Manager Wellington
For Chief Executive