25 July 2018
Mr David Lawson
Email:
[FYI request #8026 email]
[email address]
[email address]
Ref: 0052120, 0052121, 0052122
Dear Mr Lawson
Official Information Act Request
I refer to your three official information requests of 13 June 2018, which seek a range
of information relating to or referred to in a 2009 ACC Executive Leadership Team
issues paper, titled
Strategy for the Future Management of Long-term Claims (the
Issues Paper).
I have summarised your three requests as follows:
Request 1 (Ref: 0052120) asks 14 questions relating to:
• Catalyst Risk Management
• L McDonnell, ACC Case Manager
Request 2 (Ref: 0052121) asks two questions on ACC’s service delivery model
Request 3 (Ref: 0052121) asks eight questions on:
• Research papers referred to in the Issues Paper
• Background information on two researchers
We wrote to you on 11 July 2018, advising a 10 day extension of time (to 25 July 2018)
for making a decision on your requests. This extension of time was needed for
consultation. We have now completed our work on your requests.
Our response
Thank you for the comments you provided on 29 June 2018, regarding your interest in
the information sought in your 13 June 2018 requests. We have considered your
comments with reference to the frivolous, vexatious and trivial guidelines provided by
the Ombudsman, which you can view online at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/newsroom/item/new-guide-frivolous-vexatious-and-
trivial
In our view, the connection between the purposes you have described for your
requests and the specific information you are seeking is tenuous. We also note that
your 13 June requests follow a period of nearly three years of numerous requests from
you, which have covered a wide range of subjects and are often broad ranging in
scope. In consideration of these factors, we have concluded that your 13 June 2018
requests have not been made with a serious or reasonable purpose.
We have also considered the overall burden of granting your requests as a factor in
determining whether they are frivolous or vexatious. Noting this, we have determined
that documents which are easily locatable can be provided to you without further
consideration of the frivolous or vexatious grounds. This includes the following
documents:
• Service Delivery Model
•
Barriers facing long term unemployed, injured, or disable workers returning to
work, Fiona Knight, ACC Jan 2004
•
Interventions for the management of long-term ACC clients in receipt of
weekly compensation, Fiona Conlon. ACC Dec 2008.
Please find these documents attached. We have withheld the names of some
individuals from the attached documents to protect their privacy. This decision is made
under section 9(2)(a) of the Act. In making this decision we have determined that
withholding this information is not outweighed by public interest in making it available.
In providing these documents, we are granting the following questions:
• Request 2 (ref: 0052121), questions 1 and 2 – please note there have been no
further iterations of the Service Delivery Model since 2009.
• Request 3 (ref: 0052122), questions 1 and 2.
We decline the remaining questions in your three 13 June 2018 requests on the basis
they are frivolous or vexatious. This decision is made under section 18(h) of the Act.
For the avoidance of doubt this decision applies to the following:
• Request 1 (ref: 0052120) – all questions
• Request 3 (ref: 0052122) – questions 3 to 8.
Questions or concerns If you have any questions you can email us at
[email address]. If you’re unhappy
with ACC’s response, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman.
You can call them on 0800 802 602 between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, or write
to
The Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Yours sincerely
Government Services
