OIAD-929
20 February 2024
Jean Roberts
[FYI request #25476 email]
Dear Jean Roberts
Thank you for your email of 23 January 2024 to the Ministry for the Environment (the
Ministry) requesting the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I refer to my previous request, and would like to clarify that Questions, 6, 7, 8, and 10
does not refer to cases that went to ERA, but cases that went to Mediation.
In Q7 and Q10, I do not mean cases resolved / decided in ERA, but cases decided /
resolved and you are required to pay under the Employment Relations Act 2000.
Below is a response to your follow up questions from your previous request.
(in the last 3 years) How much money – in total- were paid to settle these cases / or
pay the fee required by ERA broken down by year?
No costs were incurred to settle any of the personal grievances brought against the Ministry.
How much money was covered by the Ministry’s liability insurance?
No costs were covered by the Ministry’s liability insurance.
(in the last 3 years) How much money – in total – were paid to external Legal
consultants to defend the cases filed in ERA or to prepare the responses to the case
broken down by year?
The Ministry has not incurred legal costs to defend personal grievances.
If a case is found against the Ministry (the Ministry lost), what are the consequences
to the Manager involved in the incident?
This would be considered on a case-by-case basis should this situation happen. In the past
three years no cases were found against the Ministry.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Of ice of the Ombudsman of
my response relating to this request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The
relevant details can be found on their website at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Please note that due to the public interest in our work the Ministry for the Environment
publishes responses to requests for official information on our
OIA responses page shortly
after the response has been sent.
If you have any queries about this, please feel free to contact our Ministerial Services team:
[email address]. Yours sincerely
Adelyn Wischnowsky
General Manager – People & Capability
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
