7 February 2024
Alex Olsen
[FYI request #25231 email]
Dear Mr Olsen
Thank you for your email dated 18 December 2023 to Kāinga Ora – Homes and
Communities requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act):
1) Copies of all briefing papers and advice provided to ministers discussing to the
review into Kainga Ora announced on 18 December 2023.
2) A list of all meetings held between Kainga Ora officials and ministers, chief
executives of other agencies or their officials where the review of Kainga Ora was
discussed. For each meeting, please provide the date, titles and agencies of the
people involved and a brief description of what aspects of the review were discussed.
I have discussed your request with relevant staff and responded to your questions below. I
can also advise you that Kāinga Ora welcomes the review and the opportunity to share with
our new Ministers all the hard work we have done over the past year to improve our
performance across a number of parts of the business. We are working closely with the
reviewers to ensure they have all the necessary information, material, and context to support
their review.
As a Crown Entity, Kāinga Ora is committed to responding to and delivering on the
Government’s housing priorities, expectations, and aspirations for social housing in New
Zealand. We are looking forward to meeting further with our Ministers this year to
understand those priorities in greater detail, as well as to brief them on the various
programmes and activities we have under way.
1) Copies of all briefing papers and advice provided to ministers discussing to the
review into Kainga Ora announced on 18 December 2023.
Kāinga Ora did not provide Ministers’ offices with briefings or advice about the review prior to
its announcement. I am therefore refusing this part of your request under section 18(e) of the
Act, ‘… that the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or,
despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.’
For more information about the independent review, you can visit HUD’s website at
https://www.hud.govt.nz/news/independent-review-of-kainga-ora/.
You can also view the Terms of Reference for the independent review here:
https://www.hud.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Documents/Terms-of-Reference-Kainga-Ora-
Review.pdf.
2) A list of all meetings held between Kainga Ora officials and ministers, chief
executives of other agencies or their officials where the review of Kainga Ora was
discussed. For each meeting, please provide the date, titles and agencies of the
people involved and a brief description of what aspects of the review were discussed.
Two meetings were held between Kāinga Ora officials and Ministers prior to the
announcement of the independent review. I have provided the accompanying table of the
meetings, the attendees, and a brief description (table 1 refers).
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response.
Information about how to make a complaint is available online at https://www.ombudsman.
parliament.nz or by phone on 0800 802 602.
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases our responses to official information
requests where possible. Our response to your request may be published at
https://kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-request/ with your personal
information removed.
Yours sincerely
Gareth Stiven
General Manager - Strategy Finance and Policy
Table 1: Meetings between Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities staff and Ministers
related to the 18 December 2023 announcement
Meeting Date
Attendees
Description
30 November
Ministers:
-
Introductory meeting
2023
Hon Chris Bishop, Minister of
discussing the role of
Housing
Kāinga Ora and the new
Hon Tama Potaka, Associate
Government’s intentions
Minister of Housing
for housing.
Kāinga Ora:
Vui Mark Gosche, Board Chair
19 December
Ministers:
-
Introduction of Kāinga
2023*
Hon Chris Bishop, Minister of
Ora Board and (including
Housing
Chief Executive of
Hon Tama Potaka, Associate
Kāinga Ora) to Ministers
Minister of Housing
-
Discussion of the current
Kāinga Ora:
role of Kāinga Ora and
1982
Andrew McKenzie, Chief
the terms of reference for
Executive
the Government’s
Vui Mark Gosche, Board Chair
independent review of
John Duncan, Deputy Chair
Kāinga Ora.
ACT
Robin Hapi, Board Member
Professor Philippa Howden-
Chapman, Board Member
Major Campbell Roberts, Board
Member
John Bridgman, Board Member
Sir John Hansen, Board Member
Nicole Anderson, Board Member
Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development:
RELEASED UNDER THE
INFORMATION
Andrew Crisp, Chief Executive
Brad Ward, Deputy Chief
Executive - Organisational
Performance.
* Fiona Mule, Board Member, was unable to attend this meeting.
OFFICIAL
