Valerie Morse
[FYI request #13110 email]
11 September 2020
Dear Valerie
RE: OIA 2019-20-18 NZTE Engagement with NZDIA
Thank you for your email of Friday 3 July requesting the following information:
1. Any information about the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) relationship with the
New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) from 2017-2020.
2. Any information about overseas defence industry conferences where NZTE had speaking
engagements or operated/shared trade booths, including but not limited to, the Land Forces
Australia, CANSEC or IMDEX Asia conferences.
NZTE has been identifying and compiling information within scope of your above requests.
The information you have requested when compiled is over 1000 pages. This letter notifies
you of our decision to grant your request, however, it wil take us some time to prepare the
information for release. As such we propose releasing the information in tranches. We will
release the first tranche of emails (approx. 200 pages) no later than 9 October (four weeks).
Information regarding Question Two is largely captured in Question One, where it is not
captured directly it wil be attached as an appendix to the information tranches.
We have provided a brief summary in answer to Question One and Two to give context while
we continue to prepare information for release.
Question One: As an industry body, NZDIA is an organisation which facilities networking
throughout the sector. NZTE regularly engages with industry bodies across the breadth of
New Zealand’s business sectors. By working with these organisations NZTE can connect
with a range of New Zealand exporters.
NZTE is not a member of NZDIA and does not fund them. NZTE employees have at ended
NZDIA members meetings and presented at NZDIA events. These presentations have been
on the topic of the challenges and opportunities in the international defence sector. NZTE
developed and delivered a New Zealand Stand at Land Forces 2018 and PACIFIC 2019.
NZDIA purchased space on this stand.
Question Two: The only conferences where NZTE had a speaking engagement or booth
were Land Forces 2018 and PACIFIC 2019. As mentioned above, NZTE developed and
delivered a New Zealand stand at these conferences. While attendance at Land Forces
2020 was planned for, these plans have been put on hold due to COVID-19 and the
deferment of that conference. NZTE activities taken at Land Forces 2018 and PACIFIC 2019
included hosting networking functions and facilitating introductions to potential business
partners.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss this decision with NZTE, please contact Liam Grandy
([email address], +64 4 816 8276).
Yours sincerely
Melissa Trochon
Director Board and Ministerial
