7/04/2025
John Finnegan
[FYI request #30424 email]
Tēnā koe John
OIA: 1344701 – Payments to contractors for SESTA service
Thank you for your email of 14 March 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting
the fol owing information:
1. Could you tel me, what payments the contractors for your SESTA service receive?
2. How it is paid, is it paid per pupil, per km, or per run.
3. And is this the same rate for al contractors or does it change according to location.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Information pertaining to the release of individual payment details made to the Ministry’s transport
operators is withheld under commercial sensitivity. I am withholding details to part one of your
request under section 9(2)(b)(i ) of the Act, to protect information where the making available of the
information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who is
the subject of the information.
As required under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in releasing the
information withheld. I do not consider the public interest considerations favouring the release of
this information are sufficient to outweigh the need to withhold it at this time.
Regarding part two of your request, the Ministry’s Specialised School Transport Assistance
(SESTA) transport operator’s payments are made up of the fol owing:
Per km sedan rate.
Per km other rate (i.e. vans or Transport Mobility Vehicles).
Fixed flagfal fee of $5 per route.
Regarding part three of your request, provider rates differ around the country and are based on a
competitive rate achieved via an open market tender.
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details wil be removed.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision
on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wel ington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Rhona Hewitt
Acting Group Manager
Te Pae Aronui | School Transport
OIA: 1344701
