Dear Wellington Regional Council,

This information request is on behalf of the Johnsonville Residents Association (JCA) and asks for information that is needed to support a submission to the GWRC Long Term Plan (LTP). As public submissions on the GWRC Long Term Plan close on the 2nd May 2021, it is requested that some urgency be applied to this request so that the requested information is provided in time to inform our submission.

A) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the detailed calculations that were used to provide the General Rates information in the draft 2021/22 LTP?
B) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the calculations of the 2021/22 General Rate allocation to ratepayers?
C) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the detailed costs for the cost amounts used in the calculation of the 2021/22 General Rates ?
D) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the detailed revenue for the revenue amounts used in the calculation of the 2021/22 General Rates?
E) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the detailed calculations that were used to provide the Transport Rates information in the draft 2021/22 LTP?
F) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the calculations of the 2021/22 Transport Rate allocation to ratepayers?
G) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the detailed costs for the cost amounts used in the calculation of the 2021/22 Transport Rates?
H) Can the GWRC please provide a complete copy of the detailed revenue for the revenue amounts used in the calculation of the 2021/22 Transport Rates?
I) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of the changes (contributions and withdrawals) from the Transport Reserve over the past three years including the source for the contributions and the target for the withdrawals ?
J) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of any reports or presentations to GWRC councillors at Annual Plan 2021/22 workshops?

The JCA also has an interest in the fare increases proposed in the GWRC LTP and some supporting information is requested.
K) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of any reports, presentations or workshop material on the public transport fares increase proposed in the GWRC LTP?
L) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of any reports, presentations or workshop material on the impact of the public transport fares increases proposed in the GWRC LTP?
M) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of the detailed calculations of the Farebox Recovery Ratios used to support the fare increases proposed in the 2021/22 LTP ?

The JCA notes the GWRC is specifically consulting on some significant projects and supporting information on this proposals is also requested.
N) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Decarbonisation -Bus Fleet electrification including 169 growth buses and 272 renewals.” that has a LTP cost of $204M ?
O) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriage - Long Distance Rolling Stock Design and build (15 4 carriage units)” that has a LTP cost of $653M (Option 1)?
P) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriage - Long Distance Rolling Stock Design and build (15 4 carriage units)” that has a LTP cost of $353M (Option 2)?
Q) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriage - Associated Operational costs” that has a LTP cost of $61M?
R) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriage - Maintenance Depot design and build” that has a LTP cost of $23M?
S) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wellington Rail Development Plan - Additional Rolling Stock (15 2 carriage units) to increase capacity in electrified area in 2027-2030” that has a LTP cost of $134M ?
T) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wellington Rail Development Plan- Associated Operational costs” that has a LTP cost of $37M?
U) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for Option 1 “Sow the seeds now” that has a LTP cost of $25.4M?
V) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for Option 1 “Beat about the bush” that has a LTP cost of $17.6M?

If the requested information is held in electronic form, it is preferred that the information is provided in its complete and original electronic format. It is also preferred that information is not removed from documents even if this information may be assessed as being out of scope for this information request.

The JCA is happy to discuss any issues with providing the requested information on the Long Term Plan.

Yours faithfully,

Tony Randle

Dear Darrell Young,

This Request was sent asking for information to support a submission to the GWRC Long Term Plan. It is also 20 working days since the request was received by the GWRC.

Can the GWRC please confirm when the requested information will be provided to the JCA ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Rebecca Dobbs,

I cannot see the attachments referred to in the letter of response. Can the GWRC please upload the attachments to the FYI web site ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Rebecca Dobbs,

Following up on my earlier reply, I also note the GWRC Lett of reply also states:

"T) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wellington Rail Development Plan- Associated Operational costs” that has a LTP cost of $37M?
Parts O – T of your request are answered below.
An indicative business case in respect of the Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriages, and the Additional Rolling Stock, was provided to Waka Kotahi in 2019 and is available on our website at the following link: http://www.gw.govt.nz/metlink-greater-we...

Having checked the GWRC web site page, I can access the indicative business case in respect of the Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriages but there is no link to the indicative business case in respect of the Additional Rolling Stock. Therefore the information requested under item T is to be provided.

Can the GWRC please provide the indicative business case in respect of the Additional Rolling Stock either by adding it to their web page or uploaded to the FYI web site ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Rebecca Dobbs,

Sorry, I am confused with your question "can you provide me the details for uploading to the FYI website?"

Last year you uploaded the equivalent response information: https://fyi.org.nz/request/12894-request...

Can the GWRC please just do the same for your response this year ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Rebecca Dobbs,

Thank for you uploading the GWRC response attachments to the FYI web site.

I assume you're just waiting to get and upload the business case for the Additional Rolling Stock to complete the GWRC substantive information response.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Rebecca Dobbs,

Thank you Rebecca but I must point out that this information is now well over due.

Can you please confirm when I may expect to be provided with this business case given I requested it over 5 weeks ago ?
Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Rebecca Dobbs,

Just to note that the GWRC have schedule their oral hearings on the Long Term Plan on Tuesday next week.
Can the GWRC please confirm if they will provide the outstanding requested information by this Friday so that the JCA can consider it before we have to attend the oral submissions ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Alice Clark,

Thank you for providing the last missing set of information.

In analysing the provided information raises two further issues:
1) "Attachment 9 LTP pathways for council 20 Nov 2020" is still to be provided
2) In "210506 GWRC Response Attachment 1 OIA 21 72 A B D Copy of Draft Rates 2021 3 March 2021", some of the worksheets are password protected and this makes it difficult to analyse the information. Can either the spreadsheet password or a version of the Rates calculation spreadsheet without protection please be provided ?
3) "210506 GWRC Response Attachment 1 OIA 21 72 A B D Copy of Draft Rates 2021 3 March 2021" is missing the calculation formula for the rates calculations for the allocation of the River Management Rates Refer Cells C110 - C116 in Sheet "Control". Can the GWRC please provide the rates allocation calculations spreadsheets WITH the formula ?

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle

Dear Democratic Services,

Firstly, thank you for providing Attachment 9.
~~~~~
Secondly, a key part of the original 1 Aprial Request was for the following information:
S) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wellington Rail Development Plan - Additional Rolling Stock (15 2 carriage units) to increase capacity in electrified area in 2027-2030” that has a LTP cost of $134M ?
T) Can the GWRC please provide a copy of business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding report for “Wellington Rail Development Plan- Associated Operational costs” that has a LTP cost of $37M?

On May 4th you responded stating the requested information was available on the GWRC web site.

On 5th May I responded noting:
"Having checked the GWRC web site page, I can access the indicative business case in respect of the Wairarapa and Manawatu Carriages but there is no link to the indicative business case in respect of the Additional Rolling Stock. Therefore the information requested under item T is to be provided.
Can the GWRC please provide the indicative business case in respect of the Additional Rolling Stock either by adding it to their web page or uploaded to the FYI web site ?"

Then again after the first substantive release of information on 6th May, I further noted:
"I assume you're just waiting to get and upload the business case for the Additional Rolling Stock to complete the GWRC substantive information response."

After some further follow-up requests, the GWRC finally responded on 12th May with a copy of the "Wellington Regional Rail Strategic Direction 2020".

Having now reviewed this document I find it does not contain any cost or benefit information on these items. This document does not constitute a "business case, benefit cost assessment, the detailed costing and the detailed funding" for either the
* “Wellington Rail Development Plan - Additional Rolling Stock (15 2 carriage units) to increase capacity in electrified area in 2027-2030” that has a LTP cost of $134M or
* “Wellington Rail Development Plan- Associated Operational costs” that has a LTP cost of $37M

The GWRC must have some costing, benefit and/or patronage analysis information supporting the funding of items as they are in the LTP for funding approval ! Can the requested information originally requested as Item S and Item T please be provided as a matter of urgency ?

~~~~~~~
Finally, I previously stated
210506 GWRC Response Attachment 1 OIA 21 72 A B D Copy of Draft Rates 2021 3 March 2021", some of the worksheets are password protected and this makes it difficult to analyse the information. Can either the spreadsheet password or a version of the Rates calculation spreadsheet without protection please be provided ?

Your response of 14 May 2021 is:
"We did not release the document with any password encryption so you should be able to access the worksheets in their entirety. As a note, the black tabs such as “District Wide Rates” are title tabs and do not contain any information."

This is simply wrong. It is not possible "to access the worksheets in their entirety". The spreadsheet Attachment 1 sent to me on 3rd March 2021 has the following worksheets as password protected sheets inside Excel:
* Instructions
* UHCC Adjustments
* River management
* Stadium
* Public transport
* Pest
* Water levy
* Rates Check - UHC
* Rates Check - KCDC
* Checks
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6
I REPEAT, can the GWRC please provide either the password used to protect these worksheets in the Attachment 1 spreadsheet or a copy of this spreadsheet without password protected worksheets ? (This is now a matter or urgency).

Yours sincerely,

Tony Randle