PO Box 14001
Christchurch 8544
New Zealand
Telephone (+64 3) 358 5029
christchurchairport.co.nz
3 October 2023
Sharon Beattie
Email: c/-
[FYI request #23733 email]
Dear Ms Beattie
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT 1982 (OIA) – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - CHRISTCHURCH
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED (CIAL)
1.
We write further to our email of 5 September 2023, responding to your request of 8 August 2023
(via the third party public platform fyi.org.nz) for the following information pursuant to the OIA:
"... all correspondence, documents and minutes which contain either a) “Sustainable Tarras” b)
“Stop Central Otago Airport (or SCOA”) c) any other groups perceived to be “in opposition” to the
new airport..” (the
Request)
2.
On 5 September 2023 you clarified your request to:
- Let's just go for Sustainable Tarras and Stop Central Otago Airport for now.
- Let's make if from 20 July 2020 to the date of this request.
- Let's limit it to a) all emails and b) internal notes, memos or documents
3.
You also asked “why you waited until the last possible day under the Official Information Act to reject
my request?” CIAL has recently received multiple requests for information via fyi.org.nz website.
Many of these requests appear to be related and the volume significantly exceeds what CIAL would
expect to receive in the ordinary course of its business. Nonetheless, it has still responded to your
request within 20 working days (as per our statutory obligations).
4.
CIAL considers your Request to still be too broad in scope and therefore, is unable to provide you
with this level of information. This Request could cover a substantial amount of material including
emails all of which would need to be identified, extracted and then assembled from multiple sources.
To do so, would involve the diversion of personnel for a substantial period of time to research and
collate the information you are requesting, impacting on CIAL’s ability to carry out other operations.
We also note in that regard the membership of Sustainable Tourism and Stop Central Otago Airport
is not publicly available but is publicly claimed to be in excess of 1000 people. This adds to the
complexity of the research and collation task.
5.
Therefore, your Request is refused under Section 18(f) of the OIA.
6.
CIAL has considered whether it is possible to provide you with a summary of information. Information
within scope of your request is likely to include:
•
Documents and submissions made to public processes,
•
Open letters written by or commented on by those organisations,
•
requests for comment and information from members of the media,
•
CIAL draft and final responses to those requests, and
•
the subsequently published coverage.
We note that documents, submissions and open letters are publicly available, including on website
and social media platforms of those groups. Subsequent coverage is publicly available and includes
parts or all of our responses. Draft responses are prepared for the purpose of discussion and
comment in order to ensure they are accurate and complete and would likely be refused under section
9(2)(g)(i) of the OIA. Equally, any comments made by CIAL employees about the documents,
submissions and open letters questions, coverage or draft responses would likely be withheld under
section 9(2)(g)(i) of the OIA.
7.
CIAL has considered whether charging or extending the timeframe for responding to your request
would help, as required by section 18A of the OIA. However, given the size of the request, the
availability of publicly available information and media coverage, and the likelihood that drafts and
commentary would be withheld, we do not believe this to be a viable option.
8.
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.
9.
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]
