Biosec:urity New Zealand
Ministry f:or Primary Industries
Manato Ahu Matua
OIA19-0327
12 JUL 2019
Hannah Enderby
[FYI request #10512 email]
Dear Hannah Enderby
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
I refer to your official information request on 10 June 2019 for 'a summary of
correspondence mentioning African swine fever (ASF) and Chronic Wasting Disease
(CWD) between 1January2017 and 1June2019'. On 18 June, the Ministry for
Primary Industries (MPI) contacted you to attempt to clarify your request and you
responded on 19 June with:
'Please refrain from sending me long winded pasted generic replies such as this and
spend some time actually comprehending my OJA request. I asked for a summary.
This will look like "658 emails discussing CWD, 112 emails discussing ASF" or
something along these lines. By simply asking your own staff which agencies they
have discussed these subjects with you will get a small list to pass on to me. And by
asking how many staff have been on both cases and for how long, you will have a
ball park figure for the amount invested. You will also quickly learn who is in charge
and they can tell you the intended outcomes.'
On 20 June, MPI further explained the reasons for attempting1 to clarify your request
and on 22 June you requested, 'please narrow the scope to 1' January 2019 to 1
June 2019 and restrict the search to a summary of meetings and emails between
MP/ and; OSPRI NZ Ltd, Federated Farmers of New Zealand Incorporated, the New
Zealand Pork Industry Board and Deer Industry NZ and their lawyers and other
agents, reps, lobbyists etc.' The following information is released to you under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
A search for any emails between MPI officials and, Deer Industry NZ; Federated
Farmers; OSPRI and NZ Pork, returned 255 email chains that contained the keyword
African swine fever and 42 email chains that contained the ke�yword Chronic Wasting
Biosecurity New Zealand
Readiness & Response Services
Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen Street
Wellington 6011, New Zealand
PO Box2526
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 00 83 33, Facsimile: +64-4-894 0300
www.mpi.govt.nz
Disease. Please note, MPl's search function is based on keywords and the numbers
returned do not imply that the material contained in the emails is substantive in
nature. It is also likely that the emails may include publically available material that
has been shared between MPI and the organisations named in your request.
The table below details meetings, from 1 January 2019 to 1 June 2019, between MPI
officials and NZ Pork regarding ASF. There have been no meetings with Deer Industry NZ,
OSPRI or Federated Farmers.
Date
Meeting
Attendees
10-Jan-19
Develop plan for how to raise
MPI
awareness of ASF
NZ Pork
Commercial Pig Veterinarian &
Pathologist from Massey
Universit�
14-Jan-19
Further discuss communication
l MPI
material for ASF
NZ Pork
Commercial Pig Veterinarian
16-Jan-19
Test webinar software for upcoming
MPI
ASF veterinary webinar
NZ Pork
22-Mar-19
Discuss ASF communication material
MPI
NZ Pork
26-Mar-19
Discuss pig databases and sending
MPI
out ASF communications material to
NZ Pork
pig owners
1-Apr-19
pig databases and sending
o�t ASF communications material to
Pork
pig owners
1
24-May-19
Debrief from the CFIA-USDA African
MPI
Swine Fever Forum held in Canada,
NZ Pork
30 April-1 May 2019
There have been no meetings, from 1 January 2019 to 1 June 2019, between MPI and the
named organisations regarding CW D, therefore your request for a summary of meetings
relating to CWD is refused pursuant to section 18( e) of the OIA, as the information
requested does not exist.
I trust this satisfies your request. You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek
an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Yours sincerely
amuel Leske
Director Readiness & Response Services
2
