Ref: 2324-1168

Kia ora Adam,

On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 27 November 2023 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:

‘I request under the Official Information Act all information that may be
useful to the public or future government on the lake Onslow power scheme
project.

This was paid for an progressed at great expense to the public and the
information should be maintained so that process isn't lost should a
future government proceed with this project.

I'm happy for this to be an information dump zip file.’

 

Please note that the days from 25 December 2023 to 15 January 2024
(inclusive) are defined as non- working days in the Act and are not
counted in the calculation for the response due date. This may affect the
time period for responding to your request.

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 16 January, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe.  If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].

 

Nâku noa, nâ

Ministerial Services

 

Corporate Services, Finance & Enablement

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 |  PO Box 1473 Wellington 6140

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[MBIE request email]

Kia ora Adam Irish

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act request of 27 November:

“I request under the Official Information Act all information that may be
useful to the public or future government on the lake Onslow power scheme
project. This was paid for an progressed at great expense to the public
and the information should be maintained so that process isn't lost should
a future government proceed with this project. I'm happy for this to be an
information dump zip file.”

 

We would like to clarify the information you are seeking, to ensure we
provide an appropriate and timely response.

 

We note there is a very large amount of information relating to our work
investigating a pumped hydro scheme at Lake Onslow, including:

o reports,
o briefings,
o emails,
o photographs,
o core samples, (currently located in Roxburgh),
o seismic testing data, and
o modelling data.

 

We are hoping to determine if your request is seeking formal advice
produced regarding our work at Lake Onslow, or if it would include email
correspondence, photographs, core samples, seismic testing data, and/or
modelling data.

 

We note if the request includes email correspondence, it would require us
to manually review substantial numbers of staff communications to identify
what, if any, emails are in scope, and would significantly delay our
ability to make a decision on the request.

 

However, if your request for advice does not include correspondence, and
is instead seeking formal advice such as briefings and reports this would
allow us to identify the relevant material and progress a response at a
much faster pace.

 

Further, should a part of the request be assessed as requiring substantial
collation and research, we may need to refuse it under section 18(f) of
the Act.

 

Please note, some documents have been proactively released through the
life of the project and those are in the public domain already.  There
remain many documents to be released and we intend to continue doing so
proactively.  Please see the ‘Key Documents’ section [1]on the main
webpage for the document titles and links to them.

 

As you mention, the Lake Onslow work was at the expense of the public and
the information needs to be stored so that it is available in the future
if needed. 

 

We are in the process of pulling all project information into appropriate
storage systems so that it can be easily accessed in the future if needed.
This information includes physical core samples and seismic data that
requires specialist storage systems, and we are working with relevant
agencies to store that information and to make it available for others to
use.  

 

Our written files are being categorised and filed so that that the work
carried out is very clearly stored and accessible in the future if needed.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Many thanks

 

Programme Director

NZ Battery Project

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-en...

Kia ora Adam Irish,

 

Further to our previous email, we ask that you please respond to the
request for clarification/refinement of your OIA regarding information
pertaining to the pumped hydro scheme at Lake Onslow no later than 4pm 6
December 2023. 

 

If we do not hear from you by then we will unfortunately be required to
refuse your request under section 18(f) of the Act.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Ngâ mihi nui

 

Joanne

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Building Resources and Markets

25 The Terrace – Pastoral House, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011

 

 

 

From: *OIA <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 29 November 2023 2:27 pm
To: [FOI #24882 email]
Subject: DOIA 2324-1168 - Adam Irish, seeking clarification [UNCLASSIFIED]

 

Kia ora Adam Irish

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act request of 27 November:

“I request under the Official Information Act all information that may be
useful to the public or future government on the lake Onslow power scheme
project. This was paid for an progressed at great expense to the public
and the information should be maintained so that process isn't lost should
a future government proceed with this project. I'm happy for this to be an
information dump zip file.”

 

We would like to clarify the information you are seeking, to ensure we
provide an appropriate and timely response.

 

We note there is a very large amount of information relating to our work
investigating a pumped hydro scheme at Lake Onslow, including:

o reports,
o briefings,
o emails,
o photographs,
o core samples, (currently located in Roxburgh),
o seismic testing data, and
o modelling data.

 

We are hoping to determine if your request is seeking formal advice
produced regarding our work at Lake Onslow, or if it would include email
correspondence, photographs, core samples, seismic testing data, and/or
modelling data.

 

We note if the request includes email correspondence, it would require us
to manually review substantial numbers of staff communications to identify
what, if any, emails are in scope, and would significantly delay our
ability to make a decision on the request.

 

However, if your request for advice does not include correspondence, and
is instead seeking formal advice such as briefings and reports this would
allow us to identify the relevant material and progress a response at a
much faster pace.

 

Further, should a part of the request be assessed as requiring substantial
collation and research, we may need to refuse it under section 18(f) of
the Act.

 

Please note, some documents have been proactively released through the
life of the project and those are in the public domain already.  There
remain many documents to be released and we intend to continue doing so
proactively.  Please see the ‘Key Documents’ section [1]on the main
webpage for the document titles and links to them.

 

As you mention, the Lake Onslow work was at the expense of the public and
the information needs to be stored so that it is available in the future
if needed. 

 

We are in the process of pulling all project information into appropriate
storage systems so that it can be easily accessed in the future if needed.
This information includes physical core samples and seismic data that
requires specialist storage systems, and we are working with relevant
agencies to store that information and to make it available for others to
use.  

 

Our written files are being categorised and filed so that that the work
carried out is very clearly stored and accessible in the future if needed.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Many thanks

 

Programme Director

NZ Battery Project

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-en...

Kia ora Adam Irish,

 

Thank you for your email and working with us to make this request
achievable. To ensure we can reach a decision on your request within an
appropriate timeframe we are requesting further refinement.

 

Part of your request asks for any emails “that shows the prior government
holding back a decision or commitment to the project or emails that show
what officials think of the project”.

We appreciate the refinement of the request to these areas of
correspondence but note this would still require every email relating to
the project to be reviewed to determine whether it is in scope and would
require substantial collation and research.

 

We are therefore requesting that you provide a timeframe for the emails
you wish to receive. We suggest the request is narrowed to emails since
the July 2023 Cabinet decision.

 

Further, and with regards to due particularity, we request that you
clarify what you mean by “emails that show what officials think of the
project”. It may be useful to note that officials’ thoughts on the Project
would be captured as advice and recommendations to the minister as
briefings which is already included in the request.

 

Even with these scope refinements, we expect that meeting this request
will require an extension beyond the standard 20 working days. We will
advise the expected completion date once the scope is confirmed.

 

Please reply with this refined scope by 4pm Monday 11 December 2023 or we
may need to refuse this part of the request under section 18(f) of the
Act.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

Ngâ mihi nui

 

Joanne

Ministerial Services

Building Resources and Markets

 

Kia ora Adam,

 

Please find attached a response to your request of 27 November 2023.

 

Ngâ mihi nui

 

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Building Resources and Markets

25 The Terrace – Pastoral House, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011