Tēnā koe Jeremy,

Thank you for your official information request received on 3 October 2019.

Your request will be considered and a decision provided in accordance with the requirements of the Official Information Act 1982.

If you have any questions regarding this request, please email [email address]

Ngā mihi,

Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs Ministry for Primary Industries - Manatū Ahu Matua | Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington, New Zealand. Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 | Email: [email address] | Web: www.mpi.govt.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeremy Puger [mailto:[FOI #11370 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 3 October 2019 8:24 PM
To: Official Information Act <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Climate efforts

Dear Ministry for Primary Industries,
Hello

I will be making this request of all major government departments. I am starting with five in the first instance so that their answers will help me to refine my questions going forward.

I am seeking information for the last five years about government activity that relates to climate change. I am wanting to find out for each year:

Air Travel

(please do domestic and international air travel separately)

A). How many of your staff has travelled by air (obviously with all of these I mean where the agency has paid for it) and how many the total flights were and how much it cost all up.

B). What was the purpose and benefit to the taxpayer of each trip

C). For each trip why was a remote alternative not used? Like for conferences a lot of them have remote viewing dial ins so you don’t have to travel to attend. Meetings can usually be done by conference call or skype. Things like that. So there are very few situations where staff would actually have to travel by air. So in cases where you have could you explain if there was no remote alternative available? And if there was why was it not used?

D). When staff are travelling there are extra expenses too. How much has been spent on accommodation and for how many people and nights in these times too?

E). As per D but how much on other expenses like meals and allowances?

F). Do staff of different jobs/ranks/levels get different types or levels of accommodation. If so can you explain why?

G). Going into the future do you have plans to reduce air travel? If you do could you explain these plans and if you have set any targets for it and things

Packaging and Recycling

A). Do you have recycling facilities in all of your premises? If you do not please explain why

B). Do you actively encourage or make your staff recycle? If you do please explain how

C). Do you have rules aimed at encouraging other staff environmentally friendly behaviour such as banning staff from bringing disposable cups onto the premises?

D). If you have cafes or similar things in your premises do you require them to use environmentally healthy options such a re usable cutlery and recyclable packaging?

Encouraging Good Behaviour and Attunement with the natural world

A). Do all of your offices have plants? If so, what is the ratio of plants to workers? Do you ensure that providers that look after the plants use sustainable and environmentally friendly options in their practices (for example pesticide choices)?

B). Do you have programmes for encouraging your staff to make more environmentally friendly choices outside of work?

C). Do you encourage your staff to be more interconnected with the natural world by hosting or promoting practices such as mindfulness, meditation, earthing or Tai Chi?

E). Do you take any steps to increase staff knowledge and awareness of environmental issues in general?

Yours faithfully,

Jeremy Puger

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_____________________________________________________________________________________

This email message and any attachment(s) is intended solely for the addressee(s)
named above. The information it contains may be classified and may be legally
privileged. Unauthorised use of the message, or the information it contains,
may be unlawful. If you have received this message by mistake please call the
sender immediately on 64 4 8940100 or notify us by return email and erase the
original message and attachments. Thank you.

The Ministry for Primary Industries accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after transmission from the office.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

hide quoted sections

Dear Mr Puger,

 

I’m emailing you today regarding your request under the Official
Information Act made on 3 October 2019 relating to:

 

o   How many of your staff have travelled by air (where paid for by MPI),
how many flights were taken, and how much did this cost?

o   What was the purpose and benefit to the taxpayer for each trip?

o   For each trip, why was a remote alternative not used? E.g. Remote
viewing dial ins, conference calls or Skype. Was there no remote
alternative available, and if there was a remote alternative available,
why wasn’t it used?

o   How much has been spent on accommodation and for how many people and
nights during these trips too?

o   How much was spent on other expenses such as meals and allowances?

o   Do staff of different jobs/ranks/levels get different types or levels
of accommodation? If so, why?

o   Going into the future, do you have plans to reduce air travel? If you
do, could you explain these plans and if there have been any targets set?”

 

For reference, when we receive requests that are multifaceted, this often
results in requests that require significant collation and research. The
reasons for this are that the nature of this request would mean that we
would have to consult with several different parts of MPI, and devote a
large amount of time and resources into searching through emails, letters
etc. in order to collate the information you have requested. It likely
that due to the need to undertake this work, your request as it currently
stands may need to be considered for refusal as per section 18(f) of the
OIA.

 

In the spirit of the OIA, can we rescope your request, to narrow down what
information you would like, as this would make it easier for us to search
for information, as therefore improve the chances of getting a faster
decision. If you were to request for instance total cost or total number
of flights then we would consider this.

 

Would it be possible to rescope your request to make it more specific to
the information you would like? Following a decision on this request,
should you have further questions, you can make additional requests at
that point.

 

Do you also have an email which I can contact you directly?

 

Kind regards,

 

Jack Houston | OIA Adviser, Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries | Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen
Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington | New Zealand
Telephone: 04 831 3260 | Web: [1]www.mpi.govt.nz

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This email message and any attachment(s) is intended solely for the
addressee(s)
named above. The information it contains may be classified and may be
legally
privileged. Unauthorised use of the message, or the information it
contains,
may be unlawful. If you have received this message by mistake please call
the
sender immediately on 64 4 8940100 or notify us by return email and erase
the
original message and attachments. Thank you.

The Ministry for Primary Industries accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after transmission from the
office.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

References

Visible links
1. http://www.mpi.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

Dear Mr Puger,

 

Please find attached an extension letter to your OIA request.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jack Houston | OIA Adviser, Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries | Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen
Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington | New Zealand
Telephone: 04 831 3260 | Web: [1]www.mpi.govt.nz

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This email message and any attachment(s) is intended solely for the
addressee(s)
named above. The information it contains may be classified and may be
legally
privileged. Unauthorised use of the message, or the information it
contains,
may be unlawful. If you have received this message by mistake please call
the
sender immediately on 64 4 8940100 or notify us by return email and erase
the
original message and attachments. Thank you.

The Ministry for Primary Industries accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after transmission from the
office.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

References

Visible links
1. http://www.mpi.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

Dear Mr Puger,

 

Please find attached a response letter to your Official Information Act
request.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jack Houston | OIA Adviser, Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries | Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen
Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington | New Zealand
Telephone: 04 831 3260 | Web: [1]www.mpi.govt.nz

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This email message and any attachment(s) is intended solely for the
addressee(s)
named above. The information it contains may be classified and may be
legally
privileged. Unauthorised use of the message, or the information it
contains,
may be unlawful. If you have received this message by mistake please call
the
sender immediately on 64 4 8940100 or notify us by return email and erase
the
original message and attachments. Thank you.

The Ministry for Primary Industries accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after transmission from the
office.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

References

Visible links
1. http://www.mpi.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections