National Headquarters
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
National Headquarters
Spark Central, Level 7
42-52 Wil is Street
Wel ington Central
Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 496 3600
23 May 2023
Alan Thompson
By email: [FYI request #22715 email]
Tēnā koe Alan
Information Request – Rural Fire Cost Breakdowns
I refer to your official information request dated 8 May 2023 asking for a breakdown of costs for
the following 8 incidents:
1. F3330301 Hamner Springs Date 30/09/2021 Area 0.0 ha Total cost $54,816
2. F3368370 Woodhil Forest Date 27/11/2021 Area 28.4 ha Total cost $160,719
3. F3397261 Glendu Bay Date 09/01/2022 Area 239.3 ha Total cost $375,877
4. F3406059 Trentham Date 22/01/2022 Area 15.6 ha Total cost $125,898
5. F3411657 Lake Ohia Date 31/01/2022 Area 0.002 ha Total cost $329,272
6. F3423463 Lake Ohia Date 14/02/2022 Area 0.25 ha Total cost $335,836
7. F3424362 Aranga Date 15/02/2022 Area 10.1 ha Total cost $524,440
8. F3434370 Tongario FP Date 03/03/2022 Area 14.1 ha Total cost $150,533
You also asked that we clarify what the area of the fire for incident F3330301 in Hamner Springs
was.
Your request has been assessed in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act
(OIA). Please find enclosed the cost breakdowns of each of the incidents you indicated. Please
note that it is possible that total costs may increase as additional invoices are received. The
invoices represent the additional cost we incur beyond our fixed cost of maintaining a response
capability.
Regarding the area of the Hamner Springs fire, the incident documents a control ed burn
undertaken by Carbon Forest Services that Fire and Emergency New Zealand had assisted in
preparing a burn plan for and was also present for, to provide advice for the light up.
The burn escaped several times from small areas of the burn boundaries, but conditions were safe
for burning to continue. The operation was then careful y monitored to apportion the bulk of the
costs to the Forest company and only strict suppression costs were attributed to the incident. The
total escaped area was around 10-15 ha. The total burnt area was 250-270 ha.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa nā
Ethan Fett
Acting Manager, Information Requests
encl