OIA24-0737
6 November 2024
Nick Young
[FYI request #28695 email]
Dear Nick Young
Thank you for your email of 8 October 2024 requesting information relating to the Ministry for
Primary Industries (MPI)
Improving our Efficiency change proposal. Your request has been
considered under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (OIA).
As part of the Budget 2024/25 programme, MPI was asked by the Government to find savings of
7.5 percent per annum starting from the financial year starting 1 July 2024.
MPI launched consultation on its
Improving our Efficiency change proposal on 21 March 2024. The
change aimed at ensuring MPI continues to deliver its core functions effectively and with greater
efficiency.
MPI received around 1,500 submissions. MPI carefully considered all feedback, and final
decisions were released on 16 May.
The total number of net disestablished positions across MPI is slightly higher than the
original proposal at 391 compared with 384 in March.
Importantly, MPI has not made any reductions to frontline services and statutory roles, such
as veterinarians, animal welfare, fishery and food compliance officers, or biosecurity teams at
the border.
MPI have reduced the impact on affected staff through holding vacancies, offering early
redundancy, and retaining additional roles in some business units.
You requested the following:
In early 2024, MPI commenced a range of structural changes across the organisation in
order to meet Government’s savings goals. Could you please provide:
•
The individual staff and industry submissions (identified as either staff or industry)
made on the change proposals for New Zealand Food Safety and Corporate
Services
•
Correspondence with submitters
•
Analysis of submissions
Copies of the full submissions are withheld in accordance with the following sections of the OIA:
• 9(2)(a) –
to protect the privacy of natural persons.
• 9(2)(ba)(i) -
protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or
which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of
any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely to
prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source, and
it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied.
Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen Street
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
mpi.govt.nz
• 9(2)(g)(i) –
to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and
frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members
of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or organisation in the
course of their duty.
MPI is satisfied that in the circumstances of this case, the withholding of the information is
not outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable in the public interest to
make the information available.
However please note that documents relating to the
Improving our Efficiency change process are
being proactively released on MPI’s website soon. The final decision documents provide general
feedback themes and the response and decision to the feedback, broken down by business unit.
•
Expected savings
The savings from the FTE reduction component of MPI’s overall operating efficiencies
initiative is expected to be $32.5 mil ion in the 2024/25 financial year.
Should you have any concerns with this response, I would encourage you to raise these with
the Ministry for Primary Industries at
[email address]. Alternatively, you
are advised of your right to also raise any concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman.
Contact details are: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143 or at
[email address].
Yours sincerely
Kaye Ryan
Director, People & Capability
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