2 May 2025
H Carter
By email:
[FYI request #30615 email]
Ref:
SBOIA25-655
Dear H Carter
Partial transfers of your request for information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 4 April 2025
to the Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown. You requested:
“1. The latest available fertility rate data, detailed by each Te Whatu Ora district,
including any analysis or reports highlighting trends related to declining birth rates
over the past five years. Please include sources, methodologies, and criteria used to
collect and analyse this data. (Likely to be addressed by Health and Statistics New
Zealand.)
2. Information on existing or proposed multi-agency policies, strategies, or initiatives
aimed at addressing declining fertility rates, promoting sustainable population growth,
and supporting young families holistically across sectors. Additionally, please include
any policy evaluations, reports, or reviews conducted on their effectiveness.
(Relevant agencies: Health, Social Development, Education, Immigration, Housing,
Economic Development.)
3. Details on current inter-agency efforts and initiatives targeted at improving
women’s health, reproductive education, maternity care, and family planning. Please
include ongoing or planned initiatives, pilots, or proposals related to these areas.
(Primarily addressed by Health, with contributions from Education and Social
Development.)
4. Comprehensive details of programs and policies across Health, Education,
Corrections, Social Development, Transport, Housing, and Digital Infrastructure
providing support to parents, including mental health services, parental leave
policies, childcare, education resources, corrections rehabilitation programs,
transport accessibility, social assistance, and the use of technology to improve
service delivery. (Relevant agencies: Health, Education, Corrections, Social
Development, Transport, Housing, Economic Development.)
5. The most recent population pyramid data and demographic projections, with
breakdowns by age, gender, and district. Please include any cross-agency studies,
reports, or reviews examining demographic shifts, their implications, and proposed
responses. (Primarily Statistics New Zealand, Health, and Immigration.)
6. Information on policies addressing the economic and workforce implications of
declining population, including workforce shortages, immigration strategies,
economic development plans, housing availability, and related digital infrastructure
improvements. (Relevant agencies: Immigration, Social Development, Housing,
Economic Development, Digital Infrastructure.)
7. A detailed summary of your responsibilities, priorities, and initiatives as Minister of
Health in collaborating with other ministers and departments (Education, Corrections,
Social Development, Transport, Housing, Immigration, Economic Development,
Digital Infrastructure, etc.) to respond effectively to population decline. Please include
formal or informal coordination mechanisms between agencies such as working
groups, interdepartmental meetings, or policy forums.”
The information you have requested in parts 1 and 5 of your request is more closely
connected with the portfolio of the Minister of Statistics, Hon Dr Shane Reti. Therefore, this
office has decided to partially transfer parts 1 and 5 of your request to Hon Dr Shane Reti
under section 14(b)(i ) of the Act. You can expect to hear from Hon Dr Shane Reti in due
course.
The information requested in parts 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 of your request is more closely
connected to the functions of Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health. Accordingly,
this office is transferring these parts of your request to both agencies under section 14(b)(i )
of the Act. You can expect to hear from Health NZ and the Ministry in due course.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Reef Stewart
Ministerial Advisor
