Crown Infrastructure Partners Ltd
L10, HSBC Tower, 188 Quay Street
Auckland Central
PO Box 105 321, Auckland 1143
Telephone: +64 9 912 1970
[Crown Infrastructure Partners request email]
www.crowninfrastructure.govt.nz
27 September 2023
Barry Murphy
Email: [FYI request #23575 email]
Dear Mr Murphy
Official information request – Information regarding the Teitei Drive project in the Ruapehu region.
We refer to your request for information under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), received by
Crown Infrastructure Partners (
CIP) on 6 September 2023, as below:
The OIA request is as follows:
1. In holding this communication from the public and not discussing the opportunity and consulting
with ratepayers, was CIP aware that this went against the Local Government Act (LGA)?
2. Was CIP aware that not consulting with the public about the possible land sale or gifting, and not
documenting it in the LTP or having any consultation on the matter, was also a failure in process?
3. Who imposed this requirement for Ministers to announce the project?
4. Why did council have to keep confidential about it after the agreement was signed?
5. Do CIP and ministers believe keeping this confidential was for personal gain in the political
system?
6. Will CIP & Ministers consider re-allocating the $5.2m to allow RDC to purchase existing housing
stock from the market and spread around the district where housing is required, more so outside
of Ohakune where the real housing needs are required?
7. If not reallocating funding, will CIP/Ministers pause this project or cancel the funding based on
the facts provided as the community does NOT believe this is the right place and that consultation
needs to be had on the subject.
The information that you are seeking in questions 1-2, 5-7 are not held by CIP.
In respect of
question 3, please refer to the following link from Treasury’s website regarding the
announcement of projects:
Letter from Hon Shane Jones: Delivery of 'shovel ready' infrastructure projects - Ministerial
instructions and expectations - 24 July 2020 - COVID-19 Information Release - The Treasury
Regarding
question 4, the confidentiality obligations are set out in the funding agreement and will be
supplied in response to your OIA request dated 4 September 2023.
The OIA enables people to request official information from Ministers and agencies, including CIP.
However, the OIA only applies to information that is already held by CIP. There is no obligation on CIP
to
create information in order to respond to a request.
Please note, as previously advised, other questions in this request were transferred to Kāinga Ora or
Ruapehu District Council and they will reply to you directly on those questions.
CIP notes that you are entitled to make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman under section 28(3)
of the OIA.
Yours sincerely
Tanya Hansen
Crown Infrastructure Partners