45 Pipitea Street
Wellington
7 July 2023
Phone 0800 25 78 87
dia.govt.nz
Micky Turner
[FYI request #19992 email]
Tēnā koe Micky
Your Official Information Act request, reference OIA2223-0064
Thank you for your email of 22 July 2022 to the Department of Internal Affairs (the
Department), requesting the fol owing information under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act):
“All written communication between DIA & Deloitte regarding Three Waters.
Of particular interest is communication regarding this report;
https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Three-waters-reform-
programme/$file/deloitte-report-industry-development-study-&-economic-
impact-assessment.pdf ”
On 5 August 2022, you refined your request to be for the fol owing;
“All written communication, between DIA & Deloitte regarding the following
report;
https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Three-waters-reform-
programme/$file/deloitte-report-industry-development-study-&-economic-
impact-assessment.pdf”
On 2 September 2022 we extended the time to respond to your request by 20
working days to 30 September 2022, under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act.
On 3 October 2022, we advised you that under section 15(1) of the Act the decision
had been made to grant your request. We advised that a formal response would be
provided to you on or before 14 November 2022 and, in accordance with section
16(e) of the Act, it would contain a summary of the correspondence you had
requested.
On 12 December 2022, after further evaluation of your request, we decided that the
initial decision that was communicated to you on 3 October 2022 was not sufficient
to satisfy your request and that a response including the correspondence between
the Department and Deloitte was required.
We again apologise for the unacceptable delay in your request being responded to
fully.
Te Tari Taiwhenua
Department of Internal Affairs
In our letter of 12 December 2022, we set out a timeline of events relating to
correspondence between Deloitte and the Department. Taking that timeline, we
have interpreted your request to be for information from when Deloitte commenced
work on the
Industry Development Study & Economic Impact Assessment report
(Deloitte Report) until when the report was completed.
We have identified more than 300 emails (with attachments) in scope of the request.
As advised, we are releasing these emails to you in tranches. Attached is Tranche
Four which includes correspondence and draft material exchanged between the
Department, Deloitte and other key organisations who provided input and data. As
draft reports and documents are no longer in the very early stages of development,
the Department has decided to release these copies.
As detailed in the attached
Appendix A and throughout al email correspondence, it
has been necessary to withhold information under the fol owing sections of the Act:
• Section 9(2)(a)
– to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased
natural persons
• Section 9(2)(b)(ii) –
to protect information where the making available of the information
would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who
supplied or who is the subject of the information
• 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 of the Crown or members of an
organisation or officers and employees of any public service agency or organisation in the
course of their duty
In accordance with section 9(1) of the Act, we do not consider the withholding of
information is outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the
public interest, to make that information available.
The Department supports providing information which is of public interest. However,
in doing so there runs the risk of information being taken out of the context in which
it has been provided. Therefore, the emails and attachments in this tranche and all
other tranches are intended to be read as a whole.
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the Act, to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman and seek an investigation and review of my decision on your request.
The contact address is: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wel ington 6143.
Alternatively, phone 0800 802 602 or em
ail [email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Rashad Saeedi
Manager, Ministerial Services
Waters Services Reform Programme
