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IR-01-22-13675
17 June 2022
Sebastian
[FYI request #19337 email]
Tēnā koe Sebastian
Request for information
Thank you for your request of 13 May 2022, in which you requested the fol owing:
I would like to make a request for information relating to the Police-led interagency
group that coordinated the cross-government response to the protests that took place at
Parliament earlier this year.
I would like to request:
ONE: Copies of the agenda and minutes of al meetings of this group, and the group's
terms of reference
TWO: Copies of al briefings to the Minister of Police on the topic of the establishment of
this group
THREE: Copies of al daily intel igence reports on the topic of the protest, produced by
Police and distributed to other agencies, for the dates 5 February to 3 March 2022.
Thank you for the clarification provided in your email of 2 June 2022 that you were not referring
to the Officials’ Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination (ODESC) which
met on 17 February 2022, but other cross-agency meetings that were led by Police. I have
therefore interpreted your request to relate to the National Strategic Response Plan Workshop,
which was chaired by Police and held its first meeting on 22 February 2022.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA),
and I can now provide the following response.
As you may be aware, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has commenced an
independent investigation and review (Review) of the policing of the occupation on and around
Parliament grounds in Wellington during February and March 2022 (Protest).
Details of the scope of the Review are available on the IPCA’s website
1 and you wil note this
scope includes Police engagement with local and national agencies where Police and those
agencies needed to work together to develop and execute operational plans, and Police
management of intelligence as it related to the Protest.
Whilst this Review is underway, information relating to the issues under investigation and review
is expected to be the subject of examination by the IPCA under its powers of investigation under
1
https://www.ipca.govt.nz/Site/publications-and-media/2022-media-releases/2022-mar-24-
investigation-review-occupation-parliament.aspx
Police National Headquarters
180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone: 04 474 9499. www.police.govt.nz
the IPCA Act 1988. With this Review commenced, there is a strong public interest in al owing
these matters to be considered in the round by the IPCA.
We consider that the information you have requested tends to go to the heart of the matters that
are under investigation and review by the IPCA. Where such information is available, it is
withheld in reliance upon section 9(2)(ba)(i ) of the OIA. It is in the public interest for the Review
to be completed without earlier predetermination of the matters it is considering.
However, I can advise that no written briefings were provided to the Minister of Police by Police
on the topic of establishing the National Strategic Response Plan Workshop. This part of your
request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the information does not exist.
I would also like to clarify that although Police chaired and coordinated the National Strategic
Response Plan Workshop, Police’s role and the purpose of the meetings was not to coordinate
a cross-government response to the Protest. The purpose of the meetings was to share
information and ideas, and to consider emerging risks and mitigation treatments.
The operation to restore order and access to the area around Parliament was carried out by
Police and involved NZ Police staff only, which included Policing Support Units and the Police
Negotiation Team.
Staff from other organisations were often in the vicinity; for example, units from Wel ington Free
Ambulance and Fire and Emergency New Zealand. However, these units were not deployed to
assist the Police or as part of a cross-government response, rather they were deployed by their
own organisations to ensure the safety of al those present, including the protestors.
The IPCA anticipates the Review wil be completed and reported on by 31 March 2023. Police
recognises the importance of transparency in these matters and looks forward to the release of
the IPCA’s report, at which time more detailed information regarding the Police response to the
Protest is likely to be publicly available.
Please note that as part of its commitment to openness and transparency, Police proactively
releases some information and documents that may be of interest to the public. An anonymised
version of this response may be publicly released on the New Zealand Police website.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision if you are not satisfied with the
response to your request. Information about how to make a complaint is available at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Nāku noa, nā
David Greig
Superintendent
New Zealand Police
