Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/11641-archives-risk-register on July 06, 2025 12:14

Archives risk register

Edward Pellew made this Official Information request to Department of Internal Affairs

The request was refused by Department of Internal Affairs.

From: Edward Pellew

Dear Department of Internal Affairs,

First please accept my thanks for the valuable service that Archives provides. You are the keepers of our history and memories and I take my hat off to you.

In this era of climate change, earthquakes and other such matters, I would feel better assured if I had a clear understanding of your assessment and preparedness for risks in this area. So if I could have copies of the Archives risk registers and their versions of the last seven years that would be great.

Yours faithfully,

Edward Pellew

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From: OIA
Department of Internal Affairs

Tçnâ koe Edward,

Thank you for your OIA request to the Department of Internal Affairs (included with this email)

The Department will provide its response to your request as soon as practicable and within twenty working days.  The 20th working day is 11 December 2019

Please note that in cases where the Department’s response provides information that is identified to be of general public interest, the response may also be published on the Department of Internal Affairs website.  If the Department publishes its response to your OIA request, all personal information, including your name and contact details, will be removed.

Ngâ mihi

Michelle Reed | Lead Advisor – Official Correspondence 
Te Urungi - Organisational Strategy and Performance
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand |  www.dia.govt.nz

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From: Hannah Mettner
Department of Internal Affairs

Attachment image001.png
92K Download

Kia ora Mr Pellew,

 

To answer your request for official information I need to clarify a couple
of aspects of the request with you:

 

-            Firstly, that you are seeking information relating to
Archives New Zealand only, not the department more broadly;

-            That you’re seeking information relating to our preparedness
for natural disasters only.

 

Thanks for your help with this,

 

 

Hannah Mettner | Kaitohutohu, Rautaki me te Whakamahere

Advisor, Planning and Development

Archives New Zealand | Te Rua Mâhara o te Kâwanatanga

10Mulgrave St, Thorndon, Wellington

Phone: +6448946075 Ext: 9375 | [1]https://archives.govt.nz/

 

 

[2]cid:image001.png@01D2D63A.69CFA9B0

 

 

 

 

From: OIA <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 November 2019 11:33 AM
To: Lillie Le Dorre <[email address]>; Stefanie Lash
<[email address]>; Hannah Mettner <[email address]>
Cc: IKS DCE Office <[email address]>; William (Bill) Grant
<[email address]>
Subject: INCOMING Official Information request OIA1920-0402

 

Tçnâ koe Archives team,

 

The Department has received the below request on FYI.org.nz

 

Please reference OIA1920-0402 in your response, which is due to the
requester by 11 December 2019

 

Acknowledgement is attached in train

 

Please keep Bill Grant in the loop in this one, as principal advisor risk
for OSP.  

 

I also attach some previous responses sent out which may be relevant to
your scoping/consideration in relation to the current request

 

Ngâ mihi

 

 

Michelle Reed | Lead Advisor – Official Correspondence 

Te Urungi - Organisational Strategy and Performance

Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs

45 Pipitea St | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand |
 [3]www.dia.govt.nz

 

 

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From: Edward Pellew

Dear Hannah Mettner,

Thank you for your reply. I am seeking this for Archives. I am seeking the risk registers in their entirety, not restricted to just natural disasters. I would be pleased to see that you are well prepared for all eventualities.

May I also ask what an "OSP" is? The term appears in your email chain but is not further defined.

Yours sincerely,

Edward Pellew

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From: Hannah Mettner
Department of Internal Affairs

Kia ora Mr Pellew,

Thank you for your swift response.

Your reference number is OIA1920-0402

This request is due 11December 2019.

In answer to your question, OSP is the acronym for the department's branch Organisational Strategy and Performance.

Ngā mihi,
Hannah Mettner

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From: Hannah Mettner
Department of Internal Affairs

Attachment image001.png
92K Download

Attachment Pellew OIA19200402 signed reply.pdf
102K Download View as HTML

Attachment PtNM Action Item AP118 Climate Change Impact v1 0 20180216.pdf
3.6M Download View as HTML

Tēnā koe,

 

Please see the attached response from the Chief Archivist regarding your
request for official information.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Hannah Mettner | Kaitohutohu, Rautaki me te Whakamahere

Advisor, Planning and Development

Archives New Zealand | Te Rua Māhara o te Kāwanatanga

10Mulgrave St, Thorndon, Wellington

Phone: +6448946075 Ext: 9375 | [1]https://archives.govt.nz/

 

 

[2]cid:image001.png@01D2D63A.69CFA9B0

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://archives.govt.nz/
2. https://natlib.govt.nz/he-tohu

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For Transparency left an annotation ()

Edward you should take this further. The reason you were given for the refusal of your request is not entirely true. I was very disappointed when I saw Richard's letter.
What happened is that there is a situation that exists in one of our other buildings. Some of the staff there were really worried about it and went to outsiders for help. One thing led to another and there were some newsmedia articles about it. The ELT found it really embarrassing.
The same kind of situation exists here at archives and has for as long as any of us remember. Its of enough concern that its in our risk register. The ELT are worried that if the register is released the media will pick up on it and there will be more newsmedia articles. Thats why you got fobbed off.
The official information act is there to make the government transparent and accountable. Its not okay for the ELT to decide not to comply with it when the law requires it just because it suits them politically.
I know this is a risk but I had to speak up. This kind of fob off happens way too often.

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From: Edward Pellew

Dear Hannah Mettner,

Thank you for your reply Hannah. The grounds for refusing my request especially in its entirety does not make sense to me. It has also been suggested to me that the reason may not be what the letter says.
9 (g) (i) d
“the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or organisation in the course of their duty”

Please tell me how providing your official risk register would interfere with this ability to express opinions.

Yours sincerely,

Edward Pellew

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Luke C left an annotation ()

Edward

While you are welcome to ask Archives to explain why they have withheld it, this does not progress the release of the information you seek. I recommend that you lay a complaint with the Ombudsman today on the basis that Archives have wrongfully withheld the information. Firstly, you asked for the register and they withheld the entirety of it when most, if not all of the register can be released. Secondly they may have wrongly relied on 9(2)(g)(i).

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Edward Pellew left an annotation ()

Thanks Luke, that is likely to be the next step. But out of fairness I am giving them an opportunity to explain their decision first.

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Daymond David Goulder-Horobin left an annotation ()

Hello, was this request referred to the ombudsman? Otherwise I will look into it as I am wanting to clarify the risk registers in case of natural disaster.

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Department of Internal Affairs only: