OIA Ref: CAS-01825-F2N7Q8
15 January 2024
Mr Davies
[FYI request #24690 email]
Tēnā koe Mr Davies
Request for information relating to Drinking Water Standards survey responses
Thank you for your email dated 1 December 2023, requesting the fol owing information further to
your earlier request of 8 November 2023:
“..provide the detailed voting information (YES, NO, or DON'T KNOW) for each organization and
group for all 26 survey questions. This information is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of
the col ective stance and perspectives of these entities on the changes to the Drinking-water
Standards for New Zealand.”
We have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
Response
Detailed results of Drinking Water Standards consultation survey
1. Included as an attachment to this response is an Appendix which provides detailed response
information from the Drinking Water Standards (DWS) consultation survey results. The data
provided in Appendix One has been extracted from CitizenSpace, an online survey platform that
Taumata Arowai used as a public consultation tool to support the DWS survey.
2. A total of 77 respondents participated in the DWS survey; 18 were individuals, 59 participated on
behalf of a group or organisation. Columns E and F of Appendix One identify whether a response
was provided on behalf of an organisation and, if so, which organisation.
3. Responses to the substantive DWS survey questions submitted by respondents are set out in
columns Z-CA of Appendix One. Some submitters indicated they would like to answer all survey
questions however did not do so, as indicated by incomplete fields. There were also a small
number of submitters who indicated they would like to submit a prepared response but did not
upload one.
4. Two survey respondents provided prepared responses separate to the survey, which were
received by Taumata Arowai via email. These respondents’ prepared responses accompany the
survey results provided in rows 7 and 20 of Appendix One. The prepared responses are attached
as Appendix Two and Appendix Three to this response.
5. Where indicated, some information has been redacted from Appendix One for some survey
respondents in accordance with the following sections of the OIA:
a. Section 9(2)(a
):
Withholding of information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural
persons, including that of deceased natural persons. We have generally withheld personal
contact details associated with submission made on behalf of organisations, where the
submitter has indicated a preference for their submission not to be released.
Page 1 of 2
b. Section 9(2)(ba)(i):
Protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which
any person has been or could be compel ed to provide under the authority of any enactment,
where the making available of the information would be likely to prejudice the supply of
similar information, or information from the same source, and it is in the public interest that
such information should continue to be supplied. We have withheld the responses of two
individual submitters (as opposed to submitters on behalf of organisations), who indicated a
preference for their submission not to be released.
6. Rationales for withholding grounds in accordance with the OIA are outlined in columns CB and CC
of Appendix One. When assessing the application of the withholding grounds noted above,
factors we have considered include the passage of time since the consultation exercise was
conducted and submissions received, and the nature of the information provided by each
submitter.
7. Taumata Arowai does not consider that the need to withhold the redacted information is
outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make that
information available.
Right to complain
You have the right by way of complaint to the Ombudsman under s 28(3) of the OIA to seek an
investigation and review of this response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Zoe Ogilvie-Burns
Acting Director Policy
Page 2 of 2
