File ref: LCO-01, OIA-15-E-138
03 July 2015
Tom Williams
By email: [FYI request #2721 email]
Dear Tom
OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST – INCIDENTS OF COVERT FILMING
I refer to your email of 12 May 2015 in which you asked:
“Can you please list the number of instances by region where the Department
of Conservation has deployed covert filming or still photography in 2014 and
so far in 2015?”
As a general comment, the Department deploys cameras on or overlooking Public
Conservation Lands and waters, primarily in three settings:
(1)
to ensure public safety and protection of public property;
(2)
species and habitat monitoring; and
(3)
for compliance or enforcement purposes.
The majority of deployments are overt by nature and openly sign-posted for the
information of the general public.
Against that backdrop, the following table summarises the occasions covert filming or still
photography was deployed on Public Conservation Lands and waters. Each occasion was
for compliance or enforcement purposes primarily dealing with vandalism, unauthorised
extraction of timber or breaches of whitebaiting regulations:
Region
2014
2015
Northern North Island
1
Central North Island
1
Lower North Island
1
North West South Island
1
2
Eastern South Island
1
Southern South Island
1
Total
3
5
Yours sincerely
Geoff Owen
Acting Director, Conservation Services
Lower North Island
for Director-General
OIA-15-E-138 Tom Wil iams - Incidents of Covert Filming 2014-2015 - DOC-2534017