John Luke
[FYI request #22577 email]
25 May
Dear John Luke
OIA 22-23-52: NZTE Beachheads Advisors Updates V2
Thank you for your email of 27 April to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), making a
request under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act). You requested the following
information:
Thank you for your recent reply NZTE OIA 22 23 30 Beachhead Advisors Updates.
I did not agreed with you that your decision to not release your list of beachhead advisors,
some are already available online via LinkedIn and via https://www.nzteadvisors.com/.
Two years ago, all your beachhead advisor's profile were available on your website.
Please reconsider your response and I would also like to seek copy of all your internal
communications and emails discussing not releasing the full list of beachhead advisors to me.
Answers to your questions are as follows:
1. The website that you refer to is not a government official website. This information has
not been released by NZTE. NZTE no longer releases personal information on its
Beachhead Advisors via its public website. This is to appropriately manage and
maintain the workflow between customers and advisors, ensuring that business can
continue, between both parties, without disadvantage and disruption to usual
operations. NZTE reserves the right to change the information on any of its websites at
any time without notice as stated on our website under Terms of Use and Engagement.
NZTE’s Beachheads are unique to the agency’s core functions. We stand by our
decision to withhold our list of Beachhead Advisors under sections 9(2)(a) and 9(2)(i) of
the Of icial Information Act to:
• Protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons.
• Enable a Minister of the Crown or any public service agency or organisation
holding the information to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage,
commercial activities.
2. We are withholding all internal communications and emails discussing not releasing the
full list of Beachhead Advisors as disclosure would inhibit advisors and NZTE people
from expressing or recording free and frank advice on OIA requests in the future.
The free and frank discussion of an OIA request allows an agency to go about its usual
activities to formulate a response such as the retrieval, collation and peer-review of the
information requested. Agencies rely on the ability to complete internal consultation with
subject matter experts for free and frank advice. Al internal communications are being
withheld under section 9(2)(g)(i).
T: +64 4 816 8100
F: +64 4 816 8101
W: nzte.govt.nz
W: newzealand.com/business
Level 15, The Majestic Centre, 100 Wil is Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, PO Box 2878, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
You have the right under section 28(3) of the Act to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.govt.nz or freephone: 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Melissa Trochon
Director – Board & Ministerial
