Rules Reduction Taskforce press release
Cheryl Beauchamp made this Official Information request to Minister of Local Government
The request was successful.
From: Cheryl Beauchamp
Dear Minister of Local Government,
In your press release of 22 July 2014, made in your capacity as Minister of Local Government, you announced a "Rules Reduction Taskforce". You gave several examples of "loopy rules and regulations".
Under the Official Information Act, I request all briefings, letters, complaints, rules, regulations, and other documents of any kind, and any notes or recollections of conversations you have had in your capacity as a Minister with officials or members of the public about local government rules and regulations, which you or your staff relied on to formulate the following examples of regulation given in your press release of 22 July 2014:
- "signage over cake stalls"
- "where your shower curtain needs to be positioned"
- "a property owner trying to replace a 130 year old fence discovered some of it was on a scenic reserve and they faced having to buy or lease the land"
Please provide this information to the writer by email within 20 working days.
Yours faithfully,
C Beauchamp (Mrs)
From: D Carter (MIN)
Minister of Local Government
Thank you for your email. This email address is no longer in use.
Rt Hon David Carter was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on
31 January 2013.
If your email relates to the Primary Industries portfolio, please forward
your correspondence to the office of Hon Nathan Guy at
[1][email address] or if your message relates to the Local
Government portfolio, please direct your email to the office of Hon Chris
Tremain at [2][email address] .
For any matters relating to Rt Hon David Carter, please contact Stephanie
Edridge on 04 817 9321 or [3][email address].
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Sent request to Minister of Local Government again, using a new contact address.
From: Paula Bennett MP
Hi Mrs Beauchamp
Thank you for your email which has arrived at the Waitakere Electorate office. As your correspondence is addressed to Paula in her role as Minister I have forwarded it to the Minister’s Office in Wellington.
Kind regards
Vivienne Brumby
Electorate Agent to Hon Paula Bennett – MP for Waitakere
Out of Parliament Office / 429 Gt North Road/Henderson
Phone 09 838 8161 / Fax 09 838 8164
Email [Minister of Local Government request email]
Authorised by P. Bennett, 429 Gt North Road, Henderson
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From: Michael Coles
Dear Ms Beauchamp
Thank you for your email below requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982, copies of the following documents:
"all briefings, letters, complaints, rules, regulations, and other documents of any kind, and any notes or recollections of conversations you have had in your capacity as a Minister with officials or members of the public about local government rules and regulations, which you or your staff relied on to formulate the following examples of regulation given in your press release of 22 July 2014:
- signage over cake stalls
- where your shower curtain needs to be positioned
- a property owner trying to replace a 130 year old fence discovered some of it was on a scenic reserve and they faced having to buy or lease the land."
Consideration is currently being given to your request and you can expect a reply at the Minister’s earliest opportunity.
Kind regards,
Michael
Michael Coles | Private Secretary - Local Government | Office of Hon Paula Bennett
Parliament Buildings Wellington
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From: Cheryl Beauchamp
Dear Michael Coles,
Allowing for an extra day due to this request being initially misdirected, a response to this request was due on 20 August 2014. You have not sought to extend the request or transfer it to another agency within the specified time period. Accordingly I look forward to a response as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
C Beauchamp
From: Michael Coles
Dear Ms Beauchamp
Please find attached a response from the Hon Paula Bennett, Minister of Local Government, to your OIA request of 22 July 2014.
Kind regards,
Michael
Michael Coles | Private Secretary - Local Government | Office of Hon Paula Bennett
Parliament Buildings Wellington
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Cheryl Beauchamp left an annotation ()
According to her response, the examples the Minister relied on to publicise her new policy on eliminating "loopy rules and regulations" were newspaper articles and anecdotes. She did not identify any reports, briefings, correspondence or notes of conversations where these examples were identified as being problems.
On closer reading the "signage over cake stalls" article appears to be a bylaw about public signage publicising a school gala, rather than a rule regulating the actual signs that must sit beside cakes.
No basis for the shower curtain example is given.
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