Crown Infrastructure Partners Ltd
L10 PwC Tower 188 Quay Street
Auckland Central
PO Box 105 321, Auckland 1143
Telephone: +64 9 912 1970
[Crown Infrastructure Partners request email]
www.crowninfrastructure.govt.nz
5 June 2020
Email
: [FYI request #12817 email]
Hello
Re: OIA Request – List of Shovel Ready Projects
1. We refer to your request under the Official Information Act (
OIA) dated 8 May 2020, in which you
requested a full list of all shovel ready projects that have been applied for.
2. The information requested is being withheld in accordance with section 9(2)(ba)(i) and (ii) of the
OIA, as the information requested is confidential information, and disclosure would be likely to
prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source, and it is in the
public interest that such information should be supplied, or disclosure would be likely otherwise
to damage the public interest.
3. The project information sought from the construction industry by the IRG was obtained for the
purpose of informing an IRG report to Government on potential “shovel ready” projects that
could be considered by Government for a potential COVID-19 recovery response.
4. As you may be aware, the IRG received 1924 submissions in response to its information request
on shovel ready projects, at a combined value of $136bn. The IRG has since submitted its report
to Government for consideration.
5. This is an ongoing process in which the Government is considering the IRG’s report and is yet to
make any decisions. Premature release of the project information requested, would prejudice the
ability of Ministers to consider the IRG report and make the decisions they consider necessary.
Release of such information, in particular while the assessment and decision-making process is
ongoing, could undermine participants’ confidence and participation in the process, and their
willingness to provide such information and engage in such processes in future. CIP is therefore
withholding the information requested on the grounds stated in paragraph 2, as disclosure
would likely damage the public interest.
6. We realise this is nonetheless a matter of high public interest, and we anticipate the Government
will make announcements once it has completed its decision-making process.
7. CIP note that in relation to the information it is withholding, you are entitled to make a complaint
to the Office of the Ombudsmen under Section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of CIP’s decision
to withhold such information.
CIP OIA Response - GS
Yours sincerely
Kathryn Mitchell
Chief Legal and Risk Officer Crown Infrastructure Partners
CIP OIA Response - GS