45 Pipitea Street
29 October 2020
Wel ington
Phone 0800 25 78 87
dia.govt.nz
Andrew Chen
[FYI request #13921 email]
Tēnā koe Andrew
Your official information request, reference OIA20/21-0211
Thank you for your email of 6 October 2020 requesting the fol owing information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
A copy of any reports, briefings, documents, or correspondence prepared in relation to:
1. Planning around continued trials and deployment of the proposed CovidCard; and
2. Planning around media coverage about the proposed CovidCard, and the role of
private individuals in promoting the card.
This request excludes documents already made available in the 02 October 2020
Proactive Release.
Five documents were found within scope of your request. These documents are being
withheld in full under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act, to maintain the constitutional
conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by
Ministers and officials. A list of the document titles is attached.
I note that while the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) led the initial phase of
testing, including communications and media engagement planning, the Ministry of Health
is now leading the work.
I appreciate there is high public interest in this issue. As you note in your request, the
Department has published a suite of key documents on its website. I anticipate further
documents wil be published in due course.
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the Act, to seek an investigation and review of
this decision by the Office of the Ombudsman. You can contact the Ombudsman by phone
on 0800 802 602 or email [email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Anita Balakrishnan
Director Ministerial Advice, Monitoring, and Operations
Page 1 of 2
Appendix A: Documents withheld under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the
Official Information Act 1982
# Date
Type of
Name of document
document
1. 8 October
Joint Health/DIA Update on CovidCard Trials
2020
report
2. 25 September Joint Health/DIA Update on CovidCard Trials
2020
report
3. 13 May 2020 DIA Draft
DIA Bluetooth card interim communications and
Communications engagement
Plan
4.
A3
Draft PR and public awareness campaign for Bluetooth
COVID-19 card
5.
Draft talking
Communications plan for the next phase of work on the
points and draft CovidCard
press release
Document Outline
