Eli Templeton
No address provided
Via email: [email address]
19 September 2024
Kia ora Mr Templeton
Official Information Act request dated 2 September 2024
We refer to your email dated 2 September 2024 requesting information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). The answers to your specific questions are set
out below.
Request One: How much did TVNZ spend on parties or holding events in 2021, 2022,
and 2023? Could you break this down by specific events or instances of spending?
Response One: TVNZ does not record information in the manner that you have
requested; that is, we do not have a financial reporting category for all parties or
events across the business. For context, TVNZ holds a variety of different events for
different purposes; for example, internal events such as Christmas parties which are
staff only, and external events such as programme launches for advertisers, and larger
events for advertisers and content partners. Collating this information for each year
will require substantial research and collation, and a charge for provision will therefore
apply. The charge is $304. This has been calculated on an hourly rate of $76 per the
Charging Guidelines, Please let us know if you would like to proceed with your request.
Request Two: So far in 2024, how much has the TVNZ chief executive been
reimbursed for expenses incurred while undertaking work activity? What were the
figures for the entire years in 2023, 2022 and 2021?
Response Two: Please note that for the purposes of this response (including all
answers within this letter):
“Travel” expenses include all expenses that have been coded to “travel” in our
financial reporting software. This means that expenses such as meals, parking
and transport are included as “travel” if incurred while on business travel.
Accordingly, the figure set out in response 2 does not include expenses
claimed while traveling.
Finally, all figures in our responses reflect TVNZ’s financial year (which runs 1
July to 30 June).
For FY24, the CEO was reimbursed for $523 in expenses (as above, this excludes
travel coded expenses).
Figures for each of 2021, 2022 and 2023 require a level of research and collation (in
part due to a change in IT systems during this period). A charge for provision of this
information will therefore apply. The charge is $304. This has been calculated on an
hourly rate of $76 per the Charging Guidelines, Please let us know if you would like to
proceed with your request.
Request Three: How much did TVNZ spend overall on staff travel in 2021, 2022, and
2023? Can you provide a breakdown of flights versus other travel? And: how much
was spent on business or premium economy flights during these years?
Response Three: The overall spend is set out in the table below.
Financial Year
Flight Costs
Total Travel Expenditure
(Includes Flight Costs)
FY22 (1 July 2021-30 June 2022)
$156,034
$893,772
FY23 (1 July 2022-30 June 2023)
$373,584
$1,385,127
FY24 (1 July 2023-30 June 2024)
$153,541
$840,958
Note that the higher figure in FY23 has been driven by significant news events
requiring increased news travel costs including the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the
Commonwealth Games, and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Whether spend was for business, premium economy, or economy cannot be made
available without significant research and collation, so this aspect of the request is
declined in accordance with section 18(f) of the Act. However, in accordance with the
Act’s principle of transparency and to assist with your query, we refer you to our
Travel Policy which provides:
Class of Travel
Domestic - economy class
International
o Australia and Pacific Islands – economy class
o Other – premium economy with CEO approval
In exceptional circumstances the Chief Executive Officer may approve business
class travel. Factors such as total travel time, time spent away from NZ and
obligations immediately following travel will be considered.
Request Four: How much has been spent on travel for the TVNZ chief executive this
year? What were the figures for the entire years in 2023, 2022, and 2021?
Response Four: For FY24, TVNZ spent $28,008 in travel for the CEO. As above, all
figures in our responses represent TVNZ’s financial year (1 July to 30 June).
Figures for each of 2021, 2022 and 2023 require a level of research and collation (in
part due to a change in IT systems during this period) and wil require us to consult
with former CEOs to request their views on the provision of this information. A charge
for provision of this information will therefore apply (in respect of the collation
element, not the consultation element). As above, the charge is $304. This has been
calculated on an hourly rate of $76 per the Charging Guidelines, Please let us know if
you would like to proceed with your request.
Request Five: How much has been spent on travel for members of the TVNZ executive
team this year? What were the figures for the entire years in 2023, 2022, and 2021?
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Response Five: This information is as follows:
Financial Year
Travel Costs
(Note travel costs include expenses incurred
while traveling, including meals,
accommodation, all forms of transport etc).
FY22 (1 July 2021-30 June 2022)
$42,401
FY23 (1 July 2022-30 June 2023)
$51,028
We are unable to provide these figures for FY24 without significant collation or
research due to a change in our executive structure and financial reporting, which
means that costs are now attributed to each executive function (e.g. Operations,
News and Current Affairs, Revenue etc) rather than attributed to the executive team
as a whole. The request for travel expenditure for the executive team in FY24 is
therefore declined in accordance with section 18(f) of the Act.
Request Six: How much did TVNZ spend overall on Uber, taxis, or equivalent in 2023,
2022, and 2021?
Response Six: This information is as follows:
Financial Year
Domestic Taxi Costs (including Uber etc)
FY22 (1 July 2021-30 June 2022)
$35,519
FY23 (1 July 2022-30 June 2023)
$88,954
FY24 (1 July 2023-30 June 2024)
$36,027
Note:
Taxi costs are included in travel costs, so these costs form part of the
responses above; they are not in addition to travel costs.
These figures relate only to domestic travel. Overseas transport is attributed
to a different code in our financial reporting system and cannot be separately
identified without significant collation or research. This aspect of your request
is therefore declined in accordance with section 18(f) of the Act.
Please also note the following relevant excerpt from our Travel Policy:
Public transport should be used wherever it is reasonable and safe to do so. If
taxis are used, use Uber in the first instance and share the ride with colleagues
where possible to help reduce costs.
Request Seven: How much has the TVNZ chief executive spent on Uber, taxis, or
equivalent this year? What were the figures for the entire years in 2023 and 2022?
Response Seven: TVNZ does not record information in the manner that you have
requested; that is, we do not have a financial reporting category for all of the CEO’s
road transport (whether uber or taxi or otherwise). Collating this information for each
year will require substantial research and col ation in the form of manually reviewing
every receipt for each of these years. This request is therefore declined on the basis
of section 18(f) of the Act.
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Request Eight: How much have members of the TVNZ executive team spent
specifically on Uber, taxis, or equivalent this year? What were the figures for the entire
years in 2023, 2022 and 2021?
Response Eight: We are unable to provide these figures for FY24 without significant
collation or research due to a change in our executive structure and financial
reporting, which means that costs are now attributed to each executive function (e.g.
Operations, News and Current Affairs, Revenue etc) rather than attributed to the
executive team as a whole. The request for travel expenditure for the executive team
in FY24 is therefore declined in accordance with section 18(f) of the Act.
Request Nine: What has been the financial cost associated with the legal challenges
faced by TVNZ in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court this
year?
Response Nine: The invoiced amount of external legal cost for proceedings in the
Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court regarding action taken by
the E tū Union over the cancellation of programmes earlier this year is $275,798.15.
Please note that section 28 of the Act sets out the circumstances in which you may
make a complaint to the Ombudsman in order to seek an investigation and review of
this decision.
Yours sincerely,
Official Information Requests Team
TVNZ
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