OI/16/01327
Level 9, 44 The Terrace
PO Box 27048
Wel ington, New Zealand 6141
P +64 4 462 5200
15 December 2016
www.tec.govt.nz
Peter Kelly
Email to:
[FYI request #4619 email]
Dear Peter
Thank you for your refined request to the Tertiary Education Commission, dated 6 December 2016,
asking for the following information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
•
I am interested in documents that would indicate any consideration of the impact on
Campbel Kindergarten of the sale to Victoria University, and/or documents discussing any
requirement to consult Campbel Kindergarten.
•
This includes any current such documents.
In 2010 the government introduced a policy applying to Crown assets managed by tertiary education
institutions (TEIs). TEIs are institutions established under section 162 of the Education Act 1989
(universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, specialist colleges, and formally established
wananga). The policy allows TEIs to acquire full legal title to land and building assets that they have
an on-going educational need for, and to dispose of assets that no longer meet their needs and
retain a portion of the sale proceeds. TEIs must apply for, and meet the criteria for, land and building
assets to be transferred to them. Further detail on the policy is available on the Tertiary Education
Commission (TEC) website
at http://www.tec.govt.nz/teo/working-with-teos/tei/asset-management-
teis/crown-asset-transfer-disposal/.
Victoria University of Wellington applied in 2010 for the transfer of all the Crown owned land and
buildings that it managed at its Kelburn and Karori campuses into its own title. Officials assessed the
application and concluded that, on the basis of the information provided, it met the criteria under
the policy for the transfer of Crown assets to a TEI. The Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and
Employment and Minister of Finance jointly approved the transfer of the assets in 2011.
As your original request was related to the transfer and decision making process, it was transferred
to the TEC as we led the work for the transfer of Karori Campus to Victoria University of Wellington.
A review of documents has identified none within scope of your refined request. However, in
regards to the transfer of Crown assets to Victoria University of Wellington, there are two documents
which we consider may be useful to you in relation to the assessment and decision process. These
documents are:
•
Tertiary Education Report: Victoria University of Wellington – Transfer of Crown Assets.
•
Assessment of TEI application to transfer ownership of Crown title assets (internal document).
I am releasing the information referenced above. In compliance with the Official Information Act, I
am withholding some information in the released documents. Redactions are clearly marked in the
documents, with reasons for the redactions provided.
I am satisfied, in terms of section 9(1) of the Act, that the need to withhold the information referred
to above is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable, in the public interest, to
make the information available.
With regard to the remaining part of your request, about any current documents relating to
consultation with Campbel Kindergarten, we are transferring this part of your request to the
Ministry of Education, under section 14(b)(ii) of the Act, as we believe this information is
more closely connected with the functions of that department and any current consultations
they may be involved in.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman about my decision.
Yours sincerely
Tim Fowler
Chief Executive
Tertiary Education Commission