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HDC520801932

Dear Mr Luke

 

Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act Request – Lesley
Chu and Kevin Watkins China Trip

 

1.    I write to acknowledge your request for information received 19
September 2019 regarding Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins trip to China.

 

2.    This is being treated as an Official Information request, and as
such Council must meet certain criteria in how and when we respond to you,
set out in the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987.

 

3.    Your request has been provided to the relevant officers for follow
up. You will be advised of Council’s decision as soon as is reasonably
possible, and no later than 20 working days from the date we received your
request, unless we have informed you that we need an extension to that
time frame with you before the due date.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Jackie Evans

Democracy & Governance Services Manager

 

 

ANNETTE M. MURDOCH
SENIOR DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE SUPPORT OFFICER

     
Phone (06) 871 5110 ext 5631 
Email [1][email address]   Web [2]hastingsdc.govt.nz
Hastings District Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156, New Zealand
[3]HBAF

Attention:

The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended
only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender
and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

HDC520801932

References

Visible links
1. Click to send email to Annette M. Murdoch
mailto:[email address]
2. http://hastingsdc.govt.nz/
3. http://www.hbaf.co.nz/

Dear Mr Luke

 

Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act Request – Lesley
Chu and Kevin Watkins China Trip – Response

 

1.    Further to your request for information received 19 September 2019
regarding Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins China trip, I am now able to
provide you with Hastings District Council’s response.

 

2.    You requested / Our response

 

·         ………..what is the position/relationship of Lesley Chu within the
council and the purpose of her going to China together with Councillor
Kevin Watkins.

                 

Please find attached letter of introduction for Chu Huayun from Mayor
Hazlehurst.

 

·         Are there any commercial agreement signed between the council
and Lesley and I would like to request a copy of such agreement.

 

Please find attached copy of Contract for Service between Hastings
District Council and Huayun International Culture & Education.

 

Information has been withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 – that the privacy
of natural persons, including the deceased should be protected.

 

·         Has she been paid for the trip in any kind, e.g. has the council
pay for her airfare/accommodation/food or anything while visiting China?

 

Council did not pay for any airfares or accommodation in China for Lesley
Chu.

 

·         Also, if there are a commercial agreement between Lesley or her
company, how does the Council aware of Lesley's business and choose to
work with her. I understand from the online search that Lesley is not a
Hasting resident.

 

As per the agreement above – attached.

 

·         Further, I would like to request any communication(emails/memos
etc) between Lesley, Kevin Watkins and Economic Development Manager (Mr L
Neville).

 

Please find attached emails.

Information has been withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 – that the privacy
of natural persons, including the deceased should be protected.

 

 

3.    If you have any questions with regards to your request, please do
not hesitate to contact us at [email address].

 

4.    If you are unhappy with the decision(s) communicated here, you have
the option to contact the Office of the Ombudsman to request a review. The
Ombudsman can be contacted at:

 

The Ombudsman

PO Box 10152

Wellington 6143

[1][email address]

 

or an online form can be accessed at:

[2]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...

 

 

Yours faithfully

Jackie Evans

Democracy & Governance Services Manager

 

 

 

ANNETTE M. MURDOCH
SENIOR DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE SUPPORT OFFICER

     
Phone (06) 871 5110 ext 5631 
Email [3][email address]   Web [4]hastingsdc.govt.nz
Hastings District Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156, New Zealand
[5]HBAF

Attention:

The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended
only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender
and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

HDC520801932

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...
3. Click to send email to Annette M. Murdoch
mailto:[email address]
4. http://hastingsdc.govt.nz/
5. http://www.hbaf.co.nz/

Hello John
I acknowledge receipt of this email from you and I have passed this onto
the officer responsible who collated the information for your Official
Information request. You will hear back from us in due course.

Regards
Annette

-----Original Message-----
From: john luke [mailto:[FYI request #11256 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 3 October 2019 1:40 PM
To: Annette M. Murdoch <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Official Information Request - Response

Dear Annette M. Murdoch,

Thank you for your information. I only see one email attached to the file,
is that all communication between Lesley, Kevin Watkins and Economic
Development Manager (Mr L Neville)? From what have been present, it seems
there are lots more discussion going on between these 3 people before
signing the contract, during and between they were in China. I found the
information you have provided are not really consist of the situation,
e.g. how they sign the contract by email? they is no communication amount
them for when they travel to China? I found that very hard to believe. I
am considering contacting the media and Ombudsman about this issue.

Further, I saw there is donation component within the contract, so has
Lesley source the donation for the Council? and has Council give any means
of return for the people who donate the money? Where the funds coming
from, are they from China?

Yours sincerely,

john luke

-----Original Message-----

Dear Mr Luke

 

Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act Request – Lesley
Chu and Kevin Watkins China Trip – Response

 

1.    Further to your request for information received 19 September 2019
regarding Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins China trip, I am now able to
provide you with Hastings District Council’s response.

 

2.    You requested / Our response

 

·         ………..what is the position/relationship of Lesley Chu within the
council and the purpose of her going to China together with Councillor
Kevin Watkins.

                 

Please find attached letter of introduction for Chu Huayun from Mayor
Hazlehurst.

 

·         Are there any commercial agreement signed between the council
and Lesley and I would like to request a copy of such agreement.

 

Please find attached copy of Contract for Service between Hastings
District Council and Huayun International Culture & Education.

 

Information has been withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 – that the privacy
of natural persons, including the deceased should be protected.

 

·         Has she been paid for the trip in any kind, e.g. has the council
pay for her airfare/accommodation/food or anything while visiting China?

 

Council did not pay for any airfares or accommodation in China for Lesley
Chu.

 

·         Also, if there are a commercial agreement between Lesley or her
company, how does the Council aware of Lesley's business and choose to
work with her. I understand from the online search that Lesley is not a
Hasting resident.

 

As per the agreement above – attached.

 

·         Further, I would like to request any communication(emails/memos
etc) between Lesley, Kevin Watkins and Economic Development Manager (Mr L
Neville).

 

Please find attached emails.

Information has been withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 – that the privacy
of natural persons, including the deceased should be protected.

 

 

3.    If you have any questions with regards to your request, please do
not hesitate to contact us at [email address].

 

4.    If you are unhappy with the decision(s) communicated here, you have
the option to contact the Office of the Ombudsman to request a review. The
Ombudsman can be contacted at:

 

The Ombudsman

PO Box 10152

Wellington 6143

[1][email address]

 

or an online form can be accessed at:

[2]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...

 

 

Yours faithfully

Jackie Evans

Democracy & Governance Services Manager

 

 

 

ANNETTE M. MURDOCH
SENIOR DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE SUPPORT OFFICER

     
Phone (06) 871 5110 ext 5631
Email [3][email address]   Web [4]hastingsdc.govt.nz Hastings District
Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156, New Zealand [5]HBAF

Attention:

The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended
only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender
and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

HDC520801932

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2.
[1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...
3. Click to send email to Annette M. Murdoch
mailto:[email address]
4. [2]http://hastingsdc.govt.nz/
5. [3]http://www.hbaf.co.nz/

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[4][FYI request #11256 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...
2. http://hastingsdc.govt.nz/
3. http://www.hbaf.co.nz/
4. mailto:[FYI request #11256 email]
5. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

 

                Dear Mr Luke

 

Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act Request – Further
Information regarding Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins China Trip

 

1.    I write to acknowledge your request for information received 3
October 2019 regarding further information on Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins
China trip.

 

2.    This is being treated as an Official Information request, and as
such Council must meet certain criteria in how and when we respond to you,
set out in the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987.

 

3.    Your request has been provided to the relevant officers for follow
up. You will be advised of Council’s decision as soon as is reasonably
possible, and no later than 20 working days from the date we received your
request, unless we have informed you that we need an extension to that
time frame with you before the due date.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Jackie Evans

Democracy & Governance Services Manager

 

 

ANNETTE M. MURDOCH
SENIOR DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE SUPPORT OFFICER

     
Phone (06) 871 5110 ext 5631 
Email [1][email address]   Web [2]hastingsdc.govt.nz
Hastings District Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156, New Zealand
[3]HBAF

Attention:

The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended
only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender
and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

HDC520801932

References

Visible links
1. Click to send email to Annette M. Murdoch
mailto:[email address]
2. http://hastingsdc.govt.nz/
3. http://www.hbaf.co.nz/

Dear Mr Luke

As per your email dated 3 October 2019 this request was treated as a ‘new
request’, therefore the 20 working days is taken from the 3^rd October. 
However, I have received the information you required today.

 

Please find below Council’s response to this request:

 

 

Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act Request – Further
Questions to Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins China Trip – Response

 

1.    Further to your request for information received 3 October 2019
regarding further questions to our response to your Official Information
request on the Lesley Chu and Kevin Watkins China Trip, I am now able to
provide you with Hastings District Council’s response.

 

2.    You requested / Our response

 

·         ……is that all communication between Lesley, Kevin Watkins and
Economic Development Manager (Mr L Neville)?

 

Council’s IT Department was requested to retrieve all emails between
Lesley Chu, Kevin Watkins and Lee Neville regarding China with a date
range of 1 September 2018 until 30 June 2019.  The emails provided to you
in our response are a full set of those that are relevant to your request.

 

·         Given there are donation section within the contract, I would
like to know how much money has Lesley source for the Council and how
Council using these money for?

Ø  The total amount of donations is $69,000 inclusive of GST.

Ø  The funding is applied to delivering the Amazing china Hastings Year of
Tourism (ACHYOT) project.

 

·         What's the name and the background of people donating money to
the Council and has Council reward them in any means, e.g. award,
certificate or any other favours.

Ø  The contact details of organisations making donations to ACHYOT is
treated as confidential.

Ø  One organisation was recognised as supporting ACHYOT with a
certificate.

 

·         Given the money is directly transfer to Council's account, has
Council done any AML check on the money received.

Ø  The Council is not a reporting entity as defined in the Anti-Money
Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Act 2009.

 

·         Have Council done any background check on people who make the
donation?

Ø  No

 

·         Are these people from China and have any Council member meet
these people prior, after or during the donation been made.

Ø  Not all donors were from China, council representatives have met with
some but not all donors. 

 

 

3.    If you have any questions with regards to your request, please do
not hesitate to contact us at [1][email address].

 

4.    If you are unhappy with the decision(s) communicated here, you have
the option to contact the Office of the Ombudsman to request a review. The
Ombudsman can be contacted at:

 

The Ombudsman

PO Box 10152

Wellington 6143

[2][email address]

 

or an online form can be accessed at:

[3]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...

 

 

Yours faithfully

Jackie Evans

Democracy & Governance Services Manager

 

 

 

ANNETTE M. MURDOCH
SENIOR DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE SUPPORT OFFICER

     
Phone (06) 871 5110 ext 5631 
Email [4][email address]   Web [5]hastingsdc.govt.nz
Hastings District Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156, New Zealand
[6]FAWC

Attention:

The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended
only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender
and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

HDC520801932

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-...
4. Click to send email to Annette M. Murdoch
mailto:[email address]
5. http://hastingsdc.govt.nz/
6. http://www.fawc.co.nz/