Dear Erika,

I refer to your request of 27 March 2025. As consultations necessary to make a decision on your request are such that a response cannot reasonably be given within the original time limit, the University has extended the time limit for your request until 28 May 2025 under section 15A(1)(b) of the OIA. We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable.

You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are dissatisfied with this extension.

Yours sincerely,

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland 

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Dear Erika,

 

I refer to your request of 28 March 2025. The University’s response
follows.

 

I understand that your request to the University of Auckland is further to
your request to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the
subsequent correspondence as published here:
[1]https://fyi.org.nz/request/30133-hate-ex...

 

The response to you from Ministerial Services on Behalf of Bridget White,
Executive Director National Security Group, states in part:

 

“As explained in my letter to you, Hate and Extremism Insights Aotearoa
(HEIA) is an independent research group and operates out of the University
of Auckland. As such, DPMC is not responsible for and does not hold the
information you have requested around their governance and operations.
Some information about their work and about the costs of research is
available in the Auckland University Annual Report
(2023: [2]https://www.auckland.ac.nz/assets/about-...).”

 

Hate & Extremism Insights Aotearoa is mentioned briefly on page 32 of the
University’s 2023 Annual Report, as follows:

 

“UniServices has supported and helped initiate a number of new companies
in 2023. These are consistent with Taumata Teitei themes, including
improving health and well-being, and research and innovation, but also SDG
goals that have a global, sustainable impact. These include:

• Hate & Extremism Insights Aotearoa (HEIA) – a system that assesses
online behaviour and associated threat levels of violence and extremism.”

 

Hate & Extremism Insights Aotearoa (“HEIA”) is the trading name for
Research And Analysis Limited, a registered NZ Limited Company
([3]https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/co/8...). HEIA is not owned by
the University of Auckland, and has not been engaged by the University of
Auckland as an independent contractor. Dr Chris Wilson, a Senior Lecturer
in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, is
HEIA’s director, but his role as HEIA’s director is not part of his role
as an employee of the University of Auckland.

 

The University of Auckland does not have the requested financial
information or outcome/KPI information about HEIA and is not deemed to
hold any such information as Dr Wilson’s employer or through a contracting
arrangement under sections 2(4)-(5) of the Official Information Act 1982
(“OIA”). If you wish to request information about HEIA we suggest you
contact them through the contact email address published on its website:
[4][email address]. This constitutes a refusal of your request under
section 18(g) of the OIA.

 

You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Landon Watt
Legal Advisor
Office of the Vice-Chancellor

Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland  

 

 

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