50 Victoria Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
18 February 2022
Guy
[FYI request #18264 email]
REF: OIA-9366
Dear Guy
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 20 January 2022 requesting the fol owing information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
* What were the reasons that reminders were sent late
* For the past 5 years please provide a breakdown, by month, of the number of reminders sent
each month and how many were late (sent after the registration had expired)
On 31 January 2022, you clarified that you are referring to the Renewal of Motor Vehicle Licence
(MR1) reminder notice.
To provide context, legislation places the onus on the registered person of a vehicle to ensure they
keep their vehicle licensed at al times. While Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is not required to
send reminders, courtesy notices (MR1) designed to assist the public with legal compliance are sent
by an automated process two to four weeks prior to their vehicle’s licence expiry date.
Where an individual has opted to have the MR1 mailed to them, an electronic file is sent to New
Zealand (NZ) Post who then print and deliver the notices. However, as with any mail, there is the risk
that the MR1 may go missing in the post or delivered to an incorrect address.
With that said, Waka Kotahi has now implemented an electronic reminder system. This allows the
registered person to receive their MR1 and other notifications to their email address, thereby
eliminating the risk of not receiving the MR1 in the mail.
With regard to the first part of your request, Waka Kotahi is not aware of any issues with MR1 notices
not being sent on time for the period between 1 October and 31 December 2021.Therefore, we are
declining this part of your request under section 18(e) of the Act as the information requested does not
exist.
Regarding your request for a breakdown of the number of reminder notices sent in the previous 5
years, Waka Kotahi is extending the 20 working days available to respond to this part of your request,
as allowed for under section 15A of the Act. We require an additional 10 working days to respond to
your request and wil send you a response on or before 4 March 2022.
The deadline is being extended because of the consultations necessary to make a decision on your
request are such that a thorough response cannot reasonably be made within the 20-working day limit.
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman about the decision to
refuse part of your request and extend the remainder. The contact details for the Ombudsman can be
located at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
If you would like us to look into the matter regarding your vehicle in particular, or if you wish to discuss
this response with Waka Kotahi, please contact Ministerial Services by email at
[email address].
Yours sincerely
Jackie Smith
Principal Advisor – Regulatory Services
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