20 Viaduct Harbour Avenue Auckland 1010
Private Bag 92250, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Ph 09 355 3553
Fax 09 355 3550
27 August 2020
Jo
[FYI request #13416 email]
Kia Ora Jo
The information you requested - CAS-200633-T6W7X4
Thank you for your request for information dated 18 August 2020, asking for more information about
our reasons for refusing your initial request under section 7(1) and 7(2)(f)(ii) of the Local Government
Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA).
Section 7(2)(f)(ii) of the LGOIMA
The online site on which the article about the top five Parking Officers (in terms of parking
infringements issued) included numerous malicious and threatening comments about AT’s Parking
Officers. For this reason we decided to rely on section 7(2)(f)(ii) to withhold the particular Parking
Officer’s name in response to the request on the basis that releasing the name was necessary to
maintain the effective conduct of public affairs (enabling the Parking Officer to carry on performing
his/her public service role) without undue pressure or harassment from the requestor and/or any
other person whom the requestor may disclose such information to.
Section 7(1) of the LGOIMA
When we consider that a section 7 withholding ground applies, we must apply the public interest test
under section 7(1). When considering your request, we considered that there was insufficient public
interest in making the individual Parking Officer’s name available to override the need to protect
him/her from undue pressure or harassment in carrying out his/her Parking Officer role. We
considered that, while there is public interest in transparency around the amount of parking
infringement fees being col ected by AT through infringement notices issued by AT Parking Officers,
there wasn’t sufficiently strong public interest in the identity of the individual Parking Officer
concerned to outweigh the interests protected by section 7(2)(f)(ii).
Further to the above, Parking Officers in Auckland were victim to 159 instances of
assault/endangerment for the period January 2019 to July 2020.
We stand by our original decision to withhold the name of the individual Parking Officer in response
to your request, in reliance of section 7(1) and 7(2)(f)(ii)of the LGOIMA.
LGOIMA guidelines
We don’t have any AT LGOIMA guidelines or procedures regarding how we decide LGOIMA
withholding grounds. We consider each request on a case by case basis using the Ombudsman’s
guidelines. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 17 (e) of the LGOIMA Act as
the information doesn’t exist.
aucklandtransport.govt.nz
Should you believe that we have not dealt with your request appropriately, you are able to make a
complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman in accordance with section 27(3) of the LGOIMA and seek
an investigation and review regarding this matter.
Yours sincerely
John Strawbridge
Group Manager, Parking Services & Compliance
