8 July 2025
D Greenhalgh
[FYI request #31163 email]
Tēnā koe D Greenhalgh
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00089738
Thank you for your email on 3 June 2025, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ)
for the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
“I would like to request the following information in relation to the institutions that manage and
set policy for ambulance services:
•
Does the organisation "Ambulance NZ" stil exist? What is/was its role? If defunct, when
did it become so and to which agency did its responsibilities transfer to?
•
Does the "National Ambulance Sector Office" still exist? What is/was its role? If defunct,
when did it become so and to which agency did its responsibilities transfer to?
•
Is the "New Zealand Ambulance Major Incident and Emergency Plan" that was
previously published by Ambulance NZ until at least 2011 still in use? If not, what is its
replacement and who is responsible for publishing it? Please provide a copy of the most
recent version of the plan or its replacement.
I understand the AMPLANZ or replacement may be an operationally sensitive document, so if
any information is deemed not to be exempt from release, I ask this be redacted as opposed to
the document being withheld in full, if possible.”
Response
For sake of clarity, I will address each question in turn.
•
Does the organisation "Ambulance NZ" stil exist? What is/was its role? If defunct, when
did it become so and to which agency did its responsibilities transfer to?
Ambulance New Zealand was a non-government organisation registered under the Charities
Register. It was deregistered as at 30/6/2024. This is publicly available information and is available
here:
https://register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=c15d1353-db89-
dc11-98a0-
0015c5f3da29&redirectUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fregister.charities.govt.nz%2FCharitiesRegist
er%2FSearch%3FSubmitted%3DTrue%26CharityNameSearchType%3DContains%26Char
ityName%3DAmbulance%2BNew%2BZealand
•
Does the "National Ambulance Sector Office" still exist? What is/was its role? If defunct,
when did it become so and to which agency did its responsibilities transfer to?
The National Ambulance Sector Office was transferred from the Ministry of Health to Health NZ
upon or shortly after Health NZ’s establishment on 1 July 2022. It was then renamed the
“Ambulance Team” but retains similar functions as part of Health NZ. It is still jointly funded by
Health NZ and the Accident Compensation Corporation but is based in Health NZ. More
information on the Ambulance Team as it is now can be found here:
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/corporate-information/about-us/expert-groups/ambulance-
team
•
Is the "New Zealand Ambulance Major Incident and Emergency Plan" that was previously
published by Ambulance NZ until at least 2011 still in use? If not, what is its replacement
and who is responsible for publishing it? Please provide a copy of the most recent version
of the plan or its replacement.
•
I understand the AMPLANZ or replacement may be an operationally sensitive document, so
if any information is deemed not to be exempt from release, I ask this be redacted as
opposed to the document being withheld in full, if possible.”
The New Zealand Ambulance Major Incident and Emergency Plan (AMPLANZ) has not been
discontinued or superseded. Attached in
Appendix One are the 2016 versions (owned and
published by Ambulance New Zealand).
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. All requester data, including your name and
contact details, will be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Sasha Wood
Head of Government Services
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Document Schedule: Appendix One
Document Date
Title
Decision on release
Number
1
Sept 2016 New Zealand Ambulance Major incident
Release in ful
and Emergency Plan (AMPLANZ) – Part
1 The Plan
2
Sept 2016 AMPLANZ – Part 2 Consistent operation Released in full
at the scene
3
Sept 2016 AMPLANZ – Part 3 Ambulance Service
Released in full
approach
4
Sept 2016 AMPLANZ – Part 4 National crisis
Released in full
coordination centre
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Health NZ, PO Box 793,
Wellington 6140, New Zealand