Biodiversity Wananga

Craig Innes made this Official Information request to Hutt City Council

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Hutt City Council should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: Craig Innes

Tena koe,

This is a request for information under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

Please provide the list of all parties invited to a wananga on the issue of the indigenous biodiversity strategy that preceded, and was referred to, in the four public meetings held at the Pelorus Trust Sports House between 13 February and 14 March 2023.

Naku noa, na,

Craig Innes

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From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council

Tçnâ koe Craig

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND MEETINGS ACT 1987: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REQUEST

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 14 March 2023 for information about invitees to the recent wananga on the indigenous biodiversity strategy.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
If the information is no longer required please let us know, it would be much appreciated.

Please note that our response to your information request may be published on Hutt City Council’s website.

Nâku noa, nâ

Susan Sales
Senior Advisor, Official Information

Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
W www.huttcity.govt.nz

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From: venILECM

Hello Craig Innes,

Thank you for your Request for Information submission, it has been received by Hutt City Council and is currently being reviewed.

Your request has been classified as a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request.

If you'd like to follow up on this, please ensure you quote the following:

* Request: Craig Innes - Biodiversity strategy wananga
* Subject: Biodiversity strategy wananga
* Reference #: 406
* Date of submission: 2023-03-20T01:58:42Z

Yours sincerely,

Hutt City Council

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From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council


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Kai ora Craig

 

Thank you for your information request of 14 March 2023, in which you
asked for a list of attendees at the wânanga that discussed the indigenous
biodiversity strategy, prior to the public meetings at Pelorus Trust
Sports House.

 

Contributors from the following organisations and groups were invited to
the wânanga, to provide initial scope and guidance:

In addition, an email was sent on 14 February 2023 to Significant Natural
Areas (SNA) community contacts.  This invited their involvement on behalf
of landowners, either by attending one of the four community sessions or
by organising a separate session for this group.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Please note that this letter may be published on the Council’s website.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Susan Sales

Ringa Âwhina Tâhûhû ki Te Koromatua | Senior Advisor

Te Kaunihera o Te Awa Kairangi | Hutt City Council, [2]30 Laings Road,
Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
Paetukutuku: [3]www.huttcity.govt.nz

 

 

 

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From: Craig Innes

Tena koe,

As far as I can see, the communication dated 14 February did not invite landowners to the wananga in question, nor were details of the wananga provided. It appears that the 14 February email was not sent to the Wainuiomata Rural Community Association or to myself as chair. Please send all details about any communications to landowners or landowner representatives inviting them to participate in the Biodiversity Wananga prior to the four publicly notified presentations.

Below is the text of the email sent to some selected individuals:
****************************************
The Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy

Kia ora,

This e-mail is to keep you in the loop regarding work at Hutt City Council relating to biodiversity. We are still awaiting the release of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPS-IB), and when this happens it will guide a new a conversation with the community around SNAs. The NPS-IB is likely to require councils across the country to add or change their District Plans to protect, maintain, and restore indigenous biodiversity. When we receive this, we will share it with you.

In the meantime, Hutt City Council is starting work with Mana Whenua and community to develop its own Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy that protects and enhances the natural environment (Te Taiao). The high-level strategy will inform Council’s planning and decision-making as it affects Indigenous Biodiversity. The Strategy will set a widely agreed direction for later action and project plans.

We are getting in touch to find out how you would like to be involved in this work. We are running four sessions which will be open to the community, and you are welcome to attend any of these (listed below). If preferable, we could set up a separate session for those in this group. Appreciate if you can let us know what will work best for you.

Our central point of contact is via email at [email address].

Community sessions are being held at Pelorus Trust Sports House, 93 Hutt Park Road, Moera, Lower Hutt at the following times:

• Monday 13 February 2023, 5-5.30pm

• Wednesday 1 March 2023, 7-7.30pm

• Thursday 9 March 2023, 6-6.30pm

• Tuesday 14 March 2023, 6-6.30pm

There will be another opportunity to have your say when the Preliminary Strategy and information about making a submission is made available on the HCC website later this year.

Ngā mihi nui,

Deb Mair
Ecology Advisor
Hutt City Council, 93 Hutt Road, Lower Hutt 5010
P: M: 027 332 4518 W: www.huttcity.govt.nz

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From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council

Tēnā koe Craig

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND MEETINGS ACT 1987: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REQUEST

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 31 March 2023, for copies of correspondence sent to landowners inviting them to participate in the Biodiversity Wananga prior to the four publicly notified presentations.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
If the information is no longer required please let us know, it would be much appreciated.

Please note that our response to your information request may be published on Hutt City Council’s website.

Nāku noa, nā

Susan Sales
Senior Advisor, Official Information

Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
W www.huttcity.govt.nz

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From: Susan Sales
Hutt City Council


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Kai ora Craig

 

The email of 14 February 2023 invited landowners to participate at either
the community sessions or by organising a separate session.

 

The Wānanga was held on 7 November 2022, and landowners and their
representatives were not invited to the Wānanga.  Your information request
is therefore refused under section 17(g) of the Act, on the grounds that
the information is not held by Hutt City Council and we have no reason to
believe that it is held by another authority or agency or department.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Please note that this letter may be published on the Council’s website.

 

 

Ngā mihi

 

Susan Sales

Ringa Āwhina Tāhūhū ki Te Koromatua | Senior Advisor Te Kaunihera o Te Awa
Kairangi | Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower
Hutt 5040, New Zealand

Paetukutuku: [2]www.huttcity.govt.nz

 

 

 

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From: Craig Innes

Tena koe Susan Sales,

Please clarify what is meant by the terms 'landowners' and 'landowners and their representatives' in your reply. In particular, please indicate how the Council determined that the persons invited were representing 'landowners' and what geographic areas these people were representing.

Please also provide the list of recipients of the 14 February email, including any details as to how each recipient was representing a wider group.

Yours sincerely,

Craig Innes

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From: Information Management Team
Hutt City Council


Attachment 14 February 2023.pdf
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Kia ora Craig

Thank you for your correspondence of 3 April 2023, in which you have requested the following official information in relation to the Biodiversity Wananga:
"Please clarify what is meant by the terms 'landowners' and 'landowners and their representatives' in your reply. In particular, please indicate how the Council determined that the persons invited were representing 'landowners' and what geographic areas these people were representing.
Please also provide the list of recipients of the 14 February email, including any details as to how each recipient was representing a wider group."

I have attached a copy of correspondence of 14 February 2023, that was emailed from Hutt City Council to the five SNA group leaders. The recipients of the email include representatives for Wainuiomata rural landowners and Eastbourne. The email addresses of the five recipients are withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the LGOIMA, to protect individual privacy.

The other information you have asked for in your request of 3 April 2023 is not official information in accordance with the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act. Accordingly, it is not able to be addressed in this response. Please email [email address] should you have any further queries on these matters.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this official information response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

Please note that this letter may be published on the Council’s website.

Ngâ mihi
 
Susan Sales
Ringa Âwhina Tâhûhû ki Te Koromatua | Senior Advisor
Te Kaunihera o Te Awa Kairangi | Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
Paetukutuku: www.huttcity.govt.nz

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