PO Box 14001
Christchurch 8544
New Zealand
Telephone (+64 3) 358 5029
christchurchairport.co.nz
29 March 2023
Email: Mr David Hawkins
Luggate
[FYI request #21953 email]
Tēnā koe Mr Hawkins,
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT 1982 (OIA) – REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION -
CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED (CIAL)
We write further to our email of 2 March 2023, acknowledging receipt of your three OIA
requests of 1 March 2023 seeking the following information (if held by CIAL) in relation to
the proposed Central Otago Airport project.
We have answered your requests in this letter and for completeness we set out each of your
requests in full below.
1.
Request 1: Received 1 March - Briefing to CCC regarding proposed airport at
Tarras
In the full meeting of Christchurch City Council on 15 February 2023, Councillor Aaorn
Keown said “So obviously, early on the airport company showed us modeling that having
Tarras reduces carbon, like the net amount of travel in and out of the South Island.”
Could you please provide:
The date and time of the meeting(s) where this briefing has been given, plus a list of
attendees.
A copy of the minutes recording each meeting, including any discussion points or
associated briefings.
A copy of the briefing document(s) presented at the meeting(s)
A copy of the detailed modelling which sits behind these claims of reduced carbon
emissions.
Please provide details back via this platform, with links out to any relevant documents.
2.
Request 2: Received 1 March – Meetings between CIAL and Waka Kotahi
Please provide meeting dates and attendees for meetings including Waka Kotahi officials
between 1 July 2020 and 24 Feb 2023 and also provide meeting topic, agenda and
minutes.
3.
Request 3: Received 1 March 3.19pm – Meetings between CIAL and Waka
Kotahi
For the period between 20 July 2020 and 24 Feb 2023, the number of distinct queries from
people or groups seeking information or clarification about the Tarras Airport project in
writing including via email.
This includes direct contact with project team, via Christchurch airport employees,
contractors or subcontractors including requests made to [email address]
I am seeking:
1. Total number of requests for information held by the project in these requests
2. Number of requests responded to in part or in full
3. Number of requests not responded to in part or in full
4. Number of requests not responded to in full where the requestor can be identified
as a Central Otago group or resident
5. Reasons for non-response where a request was not responded to in full
CIAL has set out below the requested information where it is able. However, you will note
within this letter that it is occasionally unable to release requested information if it would
prejudice or disadvantage CIAL’s commercial activities. Before we answer your specific
queries, it may be helpful to provide some context to this.
The OIA permits an organisation to refuse to release requested information it holds if the
withholding of such information is necessary to enable the organisation to carry out its
commercial activities or negotiations without prejudice or disadvantage (s 9(i) and s9(j) OIA)
provided that such withholding is not outweighed in the circumstances by the public interest
in making the specific information available. For example, while it may be in the public
interest to understand that CIAL is investigating the feasibility of establishing an airport in
Central Otago that does not mean CIAL must share every detail of its analysis, work or
negotiations within specific work streams.
At present CIAL is under no legal obligation to consult in relation to the Project. To assist
public understanding of the context of the Project and CIAL’s decisions, CIAL has committed
to, and does, proactively publish information as it completes pieces of work which is likely
to be in the public interest to receive on its dedicated Project web-site at
https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/. Until work is completed, it is not capable of being
released. Over time this will see more information voluntarily released.
CIAL is a council-controlled trading organisation that has been specifically established to
operate and manage its business as an independent commercial undertaking for the
purposes of making a profit, and to follow generally accepted commercial practices and
disciplines.
As an airport CIAL has a further overriding obligation under the Airport Authorities Act to act
as a commercial undertaking. It does so in a commercially competitive environment both
domestically and internationally.
Taking each of your specific queries in turn, we respond as follows:
Request 1: Received 1 March – received via fyi.org.nz at 2:58pm: Briefing to CCC
regarding proposed airport at Tarras
(a) The date and time of the meeting(s) where this briefing has been given, plus a list
of attendees.
The comment you refer to is not a comment made by CIAL or any of its officers or employees,
as such we are unable to provide details of what specific meeting is referred to.
Notwithstanding this CIAL has previously provided briefings to CCC on 26 January 2021, 11
May 2021, 14 September 2021, 31 May 2022. Those publicly excluded briefings were part
of an ongoing series of ‘no surprises’ briefings
CIAL does not have a record of the attendees of each briefing other than to note the invitation
was extended to elected Councillors, the CCC Chief Executives, CCHL Chief Executive, CIAL
Chief Executive and CIAL Project Director. Other CCC officers may have been in attendance
at various stages of the briefings.
(b) A copy of the minutes recording each meeting, including any discussion points or
associated briefings.
CIAL has no such minutes.
(c)A copy of the briefing document(s) presented at the meeting(s)
Information in relation to briefings of CCC is withheld by CIAL under Section 9(2)(g) and (i)
of the Act in that its withholding is necessary to maintain the free and frank expression of
opinions by or between CIAL and CCC and to enable CIAL to carry out, without prejudice or
disadvantage, commercial activities.
(d) A copy of the detailed modelling which sits behind these claims of reduced carbon
emissions.
Please see our response above. For general commentary, please see information sheets
“Aviation and Climate” Parts 1-3 at https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/information-
resources/information-papers and the section titled “Christchurch Airport’s approach to
decarbonisation” at https://www.centralotagoairport.co.nz/environment.
Request 2: Received 1 March – received via fyi.org.nz at 3:10pm: Meetings between
CIAL and Waka Kotahi
Please provide meeting dates and attendees for meetings including Waka Kotahi officials
between 1 July 2020 and 24 Feb 2023 and also provide meeting topic, agenda and
minutes.
CIAL confirms that representatives of CIAL and Waka Kotahi have met as follows:
16 April 2021. Nicole Rosie (Waka Kotahi Chief Executive) and Malcolm Johns (CIAL
CEO).
7 April 2021. Ian Duncan, Tony MacColl, Tony Sizemore, Chad Barker and Richard Shaw
(Waka Kotahi), and Rhys Boswell (CIAL).
5 July 2021. James Caygill (Waka Kotahi) and Rhys Boswell (CIAL)
6 July 2022. James Caygill (Waka Kotahi) and Rhys Boswell (CIAL)
23 Sept 2022. Richard Osborne and Chad Barker (Waka Kotahi), and Rhys Boswell (CIAL).
CIAL does not hold any agenda or minutes.
Request 3: Received 1 March 3.19pm – received via fyi.org.nz at 3:19pm:
Quantum of information requests made about the Central Otago Airport Project
For the period between 20 July 2020 and 24 Feb 2023, the number of distinct queries from
people or groups seeking information or clarification about the Tarras Airport project in
writing including via email.
This includes direct contact with project team, via Christchurch airport employees,
contractors or subcontractors including requests made to [email address]
I am seeking:
1. Total number of requests for information held by the project in these requests
CIAL is regularly in contact with number of people, business and community groups,
including their representatives and receives requests for information ranging from verbal
requests, emails and formal requests. Additionally CIAL offers electronic project updates to
those who have signed up to its distribution list. There is no single database that specifically
records all of these requests, noting also that a person or organisation may make multiple
requests within a single item of correspondence. For completeness we also record CIAL does
not have approval to disclose the identity of those groups or individuals.
2. Number of requests responded to in part or in full
Please see the response to 1 set out above.
3. Number of requests not responded to in part or in full
Please see the response to 1 set out above.
4.
Number of requests not responded to in full where the requestor can be identified
as a Central Otago group or resident
Please see the response set out above. CIAL does not specifically record the address or
locations of requesters beyond its electronic distribution list.
5. Reasons for non-response where a request was not responded to in full
Please see the response to 1 set out above.
We trust we have answered your requests for information. If you require any further
information or we have in some way misinterpreted your requests, please let us know.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the decisions
contained in this letter. Information about how to contact the Ombudsman or make a
complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
CIAL LEGAL TEAM
Email: [Christchurch International Airport Limited request email]
