Ashley Fechney
[FYI request #17787 email]
Ref. CHOIA181
Dear Ashley
Response to your request for official information Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 3 December
2021 for COVID-19 related documents.
The Ministry of Health and Border Executive Board documents you have requested are
itemised in Appendix One to this letter, and copies of the documents are enclosed. The table
in Appendix One also outlines the grounds under which I have decided to withhold information.
Where information is withheld, this is noted in the document itself.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet documents you have requested will be
proactively released on the Unite Against COVID-19 website by the end of March 2022. Once
published they will be available at this address: covid19.govt.nz/about-our-covid-19-
response/proactive-releases/
The Ministry of Transport paper you have requested has been proactively released and is
available
here:
transport.govt.nz//assets/Uploads/OC210396-COVID-19-Vaccination-
Requirements-at-the-Border.pdf
As these documents are either already publically available or soon will be, your request for
those documents is refused under section 18(d) of the Act.
I trust this information fulfils your request. Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may
be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Chris Hipkins
Minister for COVID-19 Response
Appendix One: Documents for release
# Date
Title
Decision on release
1 10 February 2021
Briefing HR 20210182-
Some information withheld under:
Maximising uptake of COVID-
Section 6(b)(i) to prejudice the
19 vaccines in Tier 1
entrusting of information to the
Government of New Zealand on
a basis of confidence by the
Government of any other
country or any agency of such a
Government,
Section 9(2)(a) to protect the
privacy of natural persons,
Section 9(2)(f)(iv) to maintain
the constitutional conventions
for the time being which protect
the confidentiality of advice
tendered by Ministers and
officials,
Section 9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the
effective conduct of public
affairs through the free and
frank expression of opinions by
or between or to Ministers or
members of an organisation or
officers and employees of any
public service agency or
organisation in the course of
their duty and
Section 9(2)(h) to maintain legal
professional privilege.
2 28 April 2021
Briefing 20210940- COVID-19 Some information withheld under:
Public Health response
(Vaccinations) Order for
Section 9(2)(a) and
signature.
Section 9(2)(h).
3 4 June 2021
Briefing 20211235 – Final
Some information withheld under:
policy decisions required to
Section 9(2)(a),
draft amendments to COVID-
Section 9(2)(g)(i), and
19 Public Health Response
Section 9(2)(h).
(Vaccinations) order
4 15 June 2021
Aide-Memoire HR20211390 – Some information withheld under:
Further clarification on final
Section 9(2)(a) and
policy decisions required to
Section 9(2)(h).
draft the amendments to the
COVID-19 Public Health
Response (Vaccinations)
order
5 8 July 2021
Briefing 20211520 – COVID-
Some information withheld under:
19 Public Health Response
Section 9(2)(a) and
(Vaccinations) Amendment
Section 9(2)(h).
Order 2021 for signing
# Date
Title
Decision on release
19 February 2021
Implementing the COVID-19
Some information withheld under:
Vaccine Rollout to Border
Section 9(2)(a),
Workers
Section 9(2)(h), and
Section 9(2)(g)(i)
