Reference: 20250428

7 August 2025

Dr Hil
[FYI request #31271 email]

Dear Dr Hil

Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request, received on 11 June
2025. Your request was:

Please provide all correspondence between The Treasury and Transpower NZ
Ltd (including, but not limited to, communications with the Chief Executive, GM
People, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Head of Health and Safety, and
Senior Principal Engineer) involving any and al  matters pertaining to or
associated with the subject of COVID-19 during the period from 1 January 2021
to 30 June 2022.

As outlined in the Treasury’s letter dated 9 July 2025, we have interpreted the scope of
your request to include only correspondence that specifically related to the subject of
COVID-19, such as COVID-19 processes and policies, or the impacts of COVID-19 on
business operations and procedures. Correspondence where COVID-19 is not the
primary subject has been excluded from your request.

As noted in the same letter, your request was extended by 20 working days. The
extension was required because of the need to search through a large quantity of
information and undertake necessary consultations before a decision could be made
on your request.

Information being released:

Item
Date
Document Description
Decision
1.    16 April 2021  2020/2021 Strategic Issues Letter
Release relevant part in full
except personal information
2.    June 2021
Transpower Business Plan
Release relevant part in full
3.    20 August
Email: Transpower Friday 20 August update for
Release relevant part in full
2021
Minister for SOEs
except personal information
4.    27 August
Email: Impact of Alert Level changes on
Release in full except
2021
Transpower
personal information

1 The Terrace
PO Box 3724
Wel ington 6140
New Zealand
tel.  +64-4-472-2733

https://treasury.govt.nz

5.    27 August
Email: Transpower Friday August 27 update for
Release relevant part in full
2021
Minister for SOEs
except personal information
6.    10 September  Email: Fortnightly update to shareholding
Release relevant part in full
2021
Ministers
except personal information
7.    22 October
Email and attachment: Agenda for Minister
Release relevant part in full
2021
Clark/Transpower meeting 27 October
except personal information
8.    12 November  Email: No surprises: Transpower consulting on
Release in full except
2021
COVID-19 policy
personal information
9.    24 November  Email: Transpower proposed COVID-19 Policy
Release in full
2021
10.   7 December
Email: Transpower COVID-19 Policy
Release in full
2021
11.   7 December
Email: COVID-19 Policy
Release in full except
2021
personal information
12.   28 January
Email: Contact by agencies regarding critical
Release relevant part in full
2022
worker status
except personal information
13.   10 March
Email: Update on COVID-19 Leave Scheme
Release in full
2022
eligibility
14.   14 December  Letter: Transpower update
Release relevant part in full
2021
except personal information
15.   31 January
Email and attachment: Transpower's Q2 letter to  Release relevant part in
2022
Shareholding Ministers
part
16.   8 February
Email and attachment: Select Committee full
Release relevant part in
2022
written questions
part
17.   28 February
Email and attachment: Transpower's 2022/23
Release relevant part in full
2022
Strategic Issues Letter
except personal information
18.   29 April 2022  Email and attachment: Transpower's Q3 letter to  Release relevant part in full
Shareholding Ministers
except personal information

I have decided to release the relevant parts of the documents listed above, subject to
information being withheld under the following sections of the Act, as applicable:
•
section 9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of
deceased natural persons,
•
section 9(2)(ba)(i) – to 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, and
2

•
direct dial phone numbers of officials, under section 9(2)(k) – to prevent the
disclosure of information for improper gain or improper advantage. This reduces
the possibility of staff being exposed to phishing, social engineering and other
scams. This is because information released under the OIA may end up in the
public domain, for example, on websites including Treasury’s website.

Some information has been redacted because it is not covered by the scope of your
request. This is because the documents include matters outside your specific request.

In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section
9(1) of the Act.

Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and enclosed
documents may be published on the Treasury website.

This reply addresses the information you requested. 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

Juston Anderson
Principal Advisor, Commercial and Institutional Performance

3

link to page 5 link to page 7 link to page 9 link to page 10 link to page 13 link to page 15 link to page 18 link to page 22 link to page 23 link to page 24 link to page 25 link to page 26 link to page 28 link to page 29 link to page 31 link to page 35 link to page 40 link to page 43 Table of Contents
1.
2020-2021 Strategic Issues Letter
1
2.
Transpower Business Plan
3
3.
Transpower Friday 20 August update for Minister for SOEs
5
4.
Impact of Alert Level changes on Transpower
6
5.
Transpower Friday August 27 update for Minister for SOEs
9
6.
Fortnightly update to shareholding Ministers
11
7.
Agenda for Minister ClarkTranspower meeting 27 October
14
8.
No surprises Transpower consulting on COVID-19 policy
18
9.
Transpower proposed COVID-19 Policy
19
10.
Transpower COVID-19 Policy
20
11.
COVID-19 Policy
21
12.
Contact by agencies regarding critical worker status
22
13.
Update on COVID-19 Leave Scheme eligibility
24
14.
Letter_Transpower Update
25
15.
Transpower Q2 letter to Shareholding Ministers
27
16.
Select Committee full written questions
31
17.
Transpower 2022-23 Strategic Issues Letter
36
18.
Transpower Q3 letter to Shareholding Ministers
39

Item 1
Page 1 of 42
16 April 2021
Hon Grant Robertson
Hon Dr David Clark
Minister of Finance
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Parliament Buildings
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON
Dear Ministers
2020/2021 Strategic Issues Letter
Thank you for your 2021/22 Owner Expectations letter of 22 March 2021. Our response includes the
matters you have specifically raised as well as commentary on other matters we think will be helpful
to understand the context within which the Company is operating.
COVID-19
We acknowledge your concern that Transpower should continue to support the Government’s
pandemic response and, in particular, to consider the impact on our staff and suppliers. We
successfully managed our business throughout the first year of the pandemic and being able to
continue this is an ongoing focus. We remain poised, through our staff and service providers, to
maintain full operations in the event of further pandemic disruptions.  Where they remain
appropriate, we continue to maintain support arrangements for our suppliers.
not in scope

Item 1
Page 2 of 42

not in scope
Please let me know if any further information or explanation is required.

Yours sincerely
s9(2)(a)
Pip Dunphy
Chair

7

Item 2
Page 3 of 42

Business Plan
Date: June 2021

Item 2
Page 4 of 42
1.3 Impact of COVID-19
COVID – 19 presented a difficult and disruptive period for all New Zealand businesses, including
Transpower. The closure of New Zealand’s borders, the initial national lockdown, subsequent alert
level changes and the effects of the pandemic internationally have caused ongoing disruption to
our international supply chains, to our works programme, and to the ways we carry out our work.
We are proud that our people have adapted to evolving circumstances and, under considerable
uncertainty, managed to deliver our 2020 workplan to forecast. When the initial COVID-19
lockdown came into effect, we took actions to support the industry and recognise our
responsibility as providers of essential services. To support our customers and suppliers, we
proactively extended our terms of credit and increased the frequency of our payment runs to
weekly. Following the level 4 lockdown we adjusted our workplan and work practices to ensure we
could continue the work needed to keep the lights on, while ensuring our people were safe.
We have an effective and well-rehearsed COVID-19 crisis management plan and operational
practices, and we continue to build the resilience of our global supply chain.
We have considered the impact of COVID-19 on our future workplan and we are well prepared to
continue delivering on our maintenance, capital and operational plans as New Zealand and the
world emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. This view is built into the assumptions upon which our
business plan and the forecasts are based.
TRANSPOWER NEW ZEALAND | BUSINESS PLAN
7

Item 3
Page 5 of 42
From:
s9(2)(a)
To:
^Parliament: Danni Thian
Cc:
Daniel Madley [TSY]; Aaron Gill [TSY]; Maruta Kanepa [TSY]; Raewyn
Subject:
Moss Transpower Friday 20 August update for Minister for SOEs
Date:
Friday, 20 August 2021 4:56:54 pm
Attachments:
not in scope
Good evening Danni,

not in scope
COVID-19
Transpower and its service providers are well-practiced at working within COVID alert
level restrictions
All staff are working from home except for our Control Centre and Warehouse staff who
have additional measures in place to ensure staff health and safety

Have a great weekend,
s9(2)(a)
Corporate Communications Manager
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington 6140

P s9(2)(k)
M
transpower.co.nz

Item 4
Page 6 of 42
From:
s9(2)(a)
Sent:
  Friday, 27 August 2021 4:56 pm
To:
Daniel Madley [TSY]
Subject:
  RE: Impact of Alert Level changes on Transpower
Categories:
Transferred to SharePoint
Here you go
Transpower does not believe the lockdown will have a material impact on our ﬁnancial performance.
The following was the disclosure we made in the recent accounts:
Covid-19 Pandemic
The Directors have considered the eﬀects on business opera ons and ﬁnancial statements
caused either directly or indirectly by COVID-19. The eﬀect on the overall results is not
material due to the majority of Transpower’s revenue being regulated, the short period of the
lockdowns within this ﬁnancial year and the con nua on of essen al services during the year.
Global supply chain risks remain elevated with access to strategic stock and specialist
capabili es an ongoing challenge.  While our project por olios remain largely on track,
mi ga on of these risks where possible remains a key management
focus.
Approximately 90% of our capital works and maintenance expenditure con nue as essen al works
with the key areas stopped being Tower Pain ng and Facili es such as buildings and ground
maintenance. The only other work type that has been signiﬁcantly impacted is civil works where
bubble management between civil contractors and electrical contractor can’t be maintained.
However, all of this is correct for L4 na onal lockdown. As most of the country moves to L3 midway
through next week, more of the work will come back online.
From: Daniel Madley [TSY] <[email address]>
Sent: Friday, 27 August 2021 3:37 PM
To: s9(2)(a)
Subject: RE: Impact of Alert Level changes on Transpower
Cyber Security Warning – External E-Mail CAUTION: Please ensure
you take EXTRA CARE when opening any links or attachments.
Hi s9(2)(a) apologies for the delay in responding. It would be helpful to have a consolidated statement
from Transpower if you believe the lockdown will have no impact/material impact on your ﬁnances.
Opera onal ma ers are eﬀec vely the same as last year so I can reuse this. It would also be helpful to
get a short list of what essen al work is proceeding and what has been stopped.

Item 4
Page 7 of 42

I’m happy to receive the informa on by Monday midday so please don’t do a Friday a ernoon rush.

Regards,

Daniel Madley (he/him) | Analyst, Commercial Performance | Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury
Mobile: s9(2)(k)
| Email: [email address]

From: s9(2)(a)
Sent: Friday, 27 August 2021 2:31 pm
To: Daniel Madley [TSY] <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Impact of Alert Level changes on Transpower

Hi Daniel,

Im hoping that this request has been answered adequately, as per our mee ng yesterday as I have not
seen anything further from my colleagues who are in the COVID response team?

If not – let me know and I will chase ASAP

From: Daniel Madley [TSY] <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 23 August 2021 5:55 PM
To: s9(2)(a)
Cc: s9(2)(a)
Maruta Kanepa [TSY]
<[email address]>; Aaron Gill [TSY] <[email address]>
Subject: Impact of Alert Level changes on Transpower

Cyber Security Warning – External E-Mail CAUTION: Please ensure
you take EXTRA CARE when opening any links or attachments.
[IN-CONFIDENCE]

A ernoon s9(2)(a)

Since early last year, the Treasury has reported regularly to shareholding Ministers on the impacts of
COVID-19 on the Crown’s por olio.

In light of the recent Alert Level change, we would like some further informa on to be er understand:
the impacts (ﬁnancial, opera onal and other), the Alert Level change has had, or is expected to
have, on the business
the opera onal changes the business has undertaken in response to the Alert Level change,
including in rela on to your essen al workers and infrastructure projects, and
any other informa on shareholding Ministers should be aware of.

This informa on will help us to iden fy any pressure points across the por olio.

Item 4
Page 8 of 42
I acknowledge that Transpower has recently been providing regular updates of the work in northern
Canterbury to restore the HVDC line. It would be helpful if this informa on is included in the above.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could respond to this query by midday on Friday 27 August. I am
very happy to discuss this further if you have any ques ons, and it may also be useful to discuss it at
our scheduled mee ng on Thursday if you wish.
Regards,
Daniel Madley (he/him) | Analyst, Commercial Performance | Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury
Mobile: s9(2)(k)
| Email: [email address]
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
The information in this email is confidential to the Treasury, intended only for the addressee(s), and may also be legally
privileged. If you are not an intended addressee:
a. please immediately delete this email and notify the Treasury by return email or telephone (64 4 472 2733);
b. any use, dissemination or copying of this email is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Item 5
Page 9 of 42
From:
s9(2)(a)
To:
^Parliament: Danni Thian
Cc:
Daniel Madley [TSY]; Aaron Gill [TSY]; s9(2)(a)
Subject:
Transpower Friday August 27 update for Minister for SOEs
Date:
Friday, 27 August 2021 5:04:11 pm
Good evening Danni,

COVID-19 Response
As demonstrated by the HVDC repair, Transpower and its service provider partners are
effective at working under different Alert Level restrictions.
The prolonged period of Alert Level 4 for Auckland and north, and the move to Alert Level
3 for the rest of the country next week, is not expected to have any material impact on
the business
Our Control Centres and Warehouses remain on Alert Level 4 restrictions regardless of
location and out of bounds for any and all visitors. Company travel is restricted to
‘essential’ staff and can only be used for work that is essential to maintaining the Grid or
market system
Beyond our Control Centres and Warehouses, all other staff are equipped to work from
home and will continue to do so until regions return to Alert Level 2.

not in scope

Item 5
Page 10 of 42
not in scope
s9(2)(a)
Corporate Communications Manager
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington 6140
P s9(2)(k)
M
transpower.co.nz

Item 6
Page 11 of 42
From:                                                      s9(2)(a)
Sent:                                                         Friday, 10 September 2021 11:28 am
To:                                                            Daniel Madley [TSY]
Cc:                                                             Maruta Kanepa [TSY]
Subject:                                                   RE: Fortnightly update to shareholding Ministers

Hi Both,

A couple of items for you

COVID:
In line with our Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) we scaled up our incident
response ac vi es as soon as it was apparent New Zealand would go to Alert Level 4:
Our core Incident Management Team moved to daily mee ngs; we established Incident
Management Teams for our core func ons (System opera ons, Grid and Informa on and
Communica on technology)
We ensured that our people can work from home safely and that any travellers
underway for business could return home safely before the travel grace period ended
Transpower’s opera ng centres and warehouses operate in protected mode, including
reconﬁgura on of oﬃces and processes for social distancing and contact-less shi
handover
Transpower’s Grid Delivery Division reviewed all work underway and agreed a deﬁni on
of ‘essen al work’ with its Service Providers. All non-essen al work such as tower
pain ng was paused.
The electricity desk at the NCMC was re-established with a Transpower employee taking
care of the informa on ﬂow between the NCMC and the electricity sector
Authorisa on le ers for essen al travel were reissued to ensure essen al staﬀ had proof
of a valid reason for travelling for work during alert level 4
We ramped up our communica on with our staﬀ and partners to ensure all were
informed and aligned
In the weeks following the ini al announcement, we;
Sent out oﬃce equipment (predominantly desk chairs and screens) to those staﬀ who
had requested it to support them working safely and comfortably from home
Con nued to engage with our Service providers to ensure essen al work was con nuing
We moved two of our Tower painter companies to pay now being impacted by level 4
lockdown
Reviewed and updated our Pandemic protocols for the control centres and warehouses
for working under alert levels 3 and 4 for a prolonged period
Undertook work ahead of the establishment of borders around Auckland to ensure
essen al work in the region can con nue to cross the border when required for essen al
work while adhering to MoH COVID protocols including surveillance tes ng
Moved to weekly payment intervals for our suppliers
Reviewed and updated our Transpower Alert Level Response Plan.
not in scope

Item 6
Page 12 of 42
not in scope

From: Daniel Madley [TSY] <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, 7 September 2021 1:55 pm
To: s9(2)(a)
@transpower.co.nz>
Cc: Maruta Kanepa [TSY] <[email address]>
Subject: Fortnightly update to shareholding Ministers

Cyber Security Warning – External E-Mail CAUTION: Please ensure
you take EXTRA CARE when opening any links or attachments.
[UNCLASSIFIED]

A ernoon s9(2)(a)

We will be providing a further fortnightly update to shareholding Ministers next week.

In light of the country s ll under Alert Level restric ons, we would like an update on the issues you
raised previously and any new issues arising:
the impacts (ﬁnancial, opera onal and other) the Alert Level restric ons have had, or
are expected to have, on the business
the opera onal changes the business has undertaken in response to the Alert Level
restric ons, and
any other informa on shareholding Ministers should be aware of.

This informa on will help us to iden fy any pressure points across the por olio.

Item 6
Page 13 of 42
Could I please ask you to provide Maruta and myself with an update (if any) by 10am next Monday 13
September?

Many thanks for your me.

Regards,

Daniel Madley (he/him) | Analyst, Commercial Performance | Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury
Mobile:s9(2)(k)
| Email: [email address]

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
The information in this email is confidential to the Treasury, intended only for the addressee(s), and may also be legally
privileged. If you are not an intended addressee:
a. please immediately delete this email and notify the Treasury by return email or telephone (64 4 472 2733);
b. any use, dissemination or copying of this email is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Item 7
Page 14 of 42
From:                                                       s9(2)(a)
Sent:                                                         Friday, 22 October 2021 4:11 pm
To:                                                            Daniel Madley [TSY]; [email address]
Cc:                                                            s9(2)(a)
Subject:                                                   Agenda for Minister Clark/Transpower mee ng 27 October
A achments:                                         Shareholding Minister mee ng 27 October 2021.pdf

Kia ora Daniel and Danni
Please ﬁnd a ached the slide deck with agenda points for Transpower’s mee ng with the Minister
next week.
Daniel, thanks for mee ng Diana and I today and for your comments regarding keeping the mee ng
content  ght so Minister Clark has the opportunity to engage – we have passed this informa on
along. Danni, it would be great to meet for coﬀee this side of Christmas if you can send along any
availability?

Take care all and enjoy the long weekend.

s9(2)(a)
(she/her)
Senior Corporate Communications Advisor
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington
T +64  s9(2)(k)
M +64
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of this message and attachments.

Item 7
Page 15 of 42
Agenda
• not in scope
•
•
Emerging issues

Item 7
Page 16 of 42
Emerging issues

Item 7
Page 17 of 42
Covid-19 impacts
•
Staff wellbeing
•
Availability of talent
•
Need for access to international
talent pool
•
Supply chain impacts

Item 8
Page 18 of 42
From:
s9(2)(a)
To:
^Parliament: Danni Thian
Cc:
Daniel Madley [TSY]; s9(2)(a)
Subject:
No surprises: Transpower consulting on COVID-19 policy
Date:
Friday, 12 November 2021 3:30:02 pm
Good afternoon.
Transpower’s Board has approved management commencing a consultation process around
COVID-19 vaccinations. At the core of the proposed policy will be a requirement for those
working on or visiting our premises to be fully vaccinated.
Given the materiality of the issues and the sensitivities around the consultation, the Board has
also agreed to our CEO, Alison Andrew, travelling to Wellington from Auckland next week to lead
the process. Alison is expected to be in Wellington for approximately 2 weeks. In addition to the
important consultation processes, while in Wellington, Alison will be able to meet with staff,
regulators, and policy makers who are delivering and tracking the responses to the events of 9
August and provide a sense of visible felt leadership in Transpower’s head office.
Alison will meet all government requirements including having all the relevant documentation
and a negative COVID-19 test. In addition, she will meet all of Transpower’s control measures
including being full vaccinated.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Kind regards
s9(2)(a)
Head of Communications
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1021, Wellington 6140
P s9(2)(k)
M
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If
you are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If
you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of this message and
attachments.
Thank you.

Item 9
Page 19 of 42
Fro
m:                                                      Alison Andrew
Sent  :                                                        Wednesday, 24 November 2021 4:47 pm
Subject  :                                                  Transpower proposed COVID-19 Policy

Kia ora

As a key stakeholder of Transpower, I wanted to let you know about steps we are taking to protect our
staﬀ and those that interact with us on our premises, from COVID-19.

The health and safety of our people and our workplace is always Transpower’s number one priority. As
a lifeline u lity we have a responsibility to New Zealanders and, to the communi es we serve to
ensure that we can con nue to operate to the fullest extent possible.

COVID-19 poses a signiﬁcant risk to our staﬀ and our ability to operate. While we already have a range
of controls in place, we face an imminent increase in community transmission which means we need
to take addi onal measures to manage the risk.

Vaccina ons are an important part of our tool kit in managing this risk. We recently surveyed our staﬀ
on their views on vaccina ons and the vast majority support vaccina on against COVID-19 as part of
our protec ve tool kit. These views have helped to inform our decisions about the way forward for
Transpower.

As a result, we have developed a dra  COVID-19 policy which contains a requirement for all staﬀ and
those working on, or visi ng our premises, to be fully vaccinated. This means that in addi on to our
employees, the proposed policy will require anyone who enters Transpower premises (whether to
work or visit) to be fully vaccinated. Evidence of vaccina on will be required.

Our proposed implementa on plan will see the policy take eﬀect on 13 December 2021. A er that
date there will be a requirement for our contractors, consultants, suppliers and visitors to be fully
vaccinated to be able to enter Transpower premises.

We are currently consul ng with staﬀ on the dra  policy and expect to make a ﬁnal decision on the
policy in the week commencing 6 December 2021. Once we have made a ﬁnal decision we will be
back in touch with the details.

Transpower’s Board and leadership team are very mindful that the world we all ﬁnd ourselves in now
is new and challenging territory. The proposed policy is not one we have taken lightly. We believe it is
the right path for Transpower, to protect our staﬀ and those that work with us, and to ensure we can
keep the lights on for New Zealander
s.

Please ensure that this is circulated to the relevant people in your organisa on.

If you have any ques ons please do not hesitate to contact me or Brighid Kelly, our General Manager
People.

Ngā mihi
ALISON ANDREW
Chief Executive
Transpower New Zealand Ltd

Item 10
Page 20 of 42
Fro
m:                                                      Alison Andrew
Sent  :                                                        Tuesday, 7 December 2021 9:37 am
Subject  :                                                  Transpower COVID-19 Policy

Kia ora

Last month I wrote to you to about the steps Transpower was taking to protect our staﬀ and those
that interact with us on our premises, from COVID-19.

As New Zealand transi ons to the Government’s COVID-19 Protec on Framework (traﬃc light system)
Transpower has had to carefully consider how we con nue to operate to the fullest extent possible
while COVID-19 is in the community.

We have now completed our consulta on process on our dra  COVID-19 policy and have released our
ﬁnal decision. From 15 December 2021, all staﬀ and those working on or visi ng our premises must
be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This policy applies to everyone who enters Transpower
premises – employees, service providers, contractors, consultants, suppliers and visitors. We will be
using My Vaccine Pass to manage access to all our premises for visitor
s.

If your organisa on has provided Transpower with an undertaking that all staﬀ accessing our premises
will comply with the requirements of our COVID-19 policy, there will not be a requirement for
individual staﬀ to show evidence of vaccina on. If no undertaking has been provided, then your staﬀ
will need to provide their My Vaccine Pass when assessing our premise
s.  Should your staﬀ member
have a security access card to Transpower oﬃces, please be aware that access will be denied if we do
not have evidence of vaccina on before 15 December 2021.

You can read more about the policy on our website.

We ﬁrmly believe this policy is the right path for Transpower, to protect our staﬀ and those that work
with us, and to ensure we can keep the lights on for New Zealanders. The health and safety of our
people and our workplace is always Transpower’s number one priority. As a lifeline u lity we have a
responsibility to New Zealanders and, to the communi es we serve to ensure that we can con nue to
operate to the fullest extent possible.

Please circulate this email to the relevant people in your organisa on so that they are aware of the
policy. When an in-person mee ng with a Transpower staﬀ member is arranged, the guest will receive
an email from their host reminding them of the policy and le ng them know that evidence of full
vaccina on will be required on entry to our premise
s.

We understand that some of our stakeholders and suppliers are implemen ng their own COVID-19
policies. We assure you that from 15 December 2021 only our vaccinated employees will a end your
premises.

Thank you for your understanding and support. If you have any ques ons please do not hesitate to
contact me or Brighid Kelly, our General Manager, People.

Ngā mihi
ALISON ANDREW
Chief Executive
Transpower New Zealand Ltd

Item 11
Page 21 of 42
From:                                                       s9(2)(a)
Sent:                                                         Tuesday, 7 December 2021 9:13 am
To:                                                            Danni Thian; Daniel Madley
Cc:                                                             Raewyn Moss
Subject:                                                   COVID-19 Policy

Morena

A er consul ng with staﬀ we have made the decision to implement a COVID-19 policy. From 15
December 2021, all staﬀ and those working on or visi ng our premises must be fully vaccinated
against COVID-19. This policy applies to everyone who enters Transpower premises – employees,
service providers, contractors, consultants, suppliers and visitors. We will be using My Vaccine Pass to
manage access to all our premises for visitors.

Emails to stakeholders and suppliers will be going out today and we have informa on on our website
regarding the policy.

Please let me know if you have any ques ons.

Kind regards
s9(2)(a)

s9(2)(a)
Head of Communications

Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1021, Wellington 6140
s9(2)(k)
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you
are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase al  copies of this message and attachments.
Thank you.

Item 12
Page 22 of 42
not in scope
From: s9(2)(a)
Sent: 28 January 2022 12:16 pm
To: Daniel Madley [TSY]
Cc: s9(2)(a)
; Maruta Kanepa [TSY]
Subject: RE: Contact by agencies regarding cri cal worker status

Hi Daniel, in short yes. Transpower works very closely with the NEMA Life Line Liaison Electricity Desk,
who is a Transpower employee and a member of our COVID-19 Incident Management Team. He is
working with MBIE on this.

Have a good weekend.

s9(2)(a)

From: Daniel Madley [TSY] <[email address]>
Sent: Friday, 28 January 2022 10:17 am
To: s9(2)(a)
nspower.co.nz>
Cc:
@transpower.co.nz>; Maruta Kanepa [TSY]
<[email address]>
Subject: Contact by agencies regarding cri cal worker status

[IN-CONFIDENCE]

Good morning s9(2)(a)

Could you please let me know if Transpower has been contacted by MBIE or an another agency in
rela on to cri cal worker status? I understand that this informa on is being gathered as part of the
work around sourcing rapid an gen tests.

My understanding is that the Government has ini ated a two-stage process to determining cri cal
worker status which will provide all businesses the opportunity to be included if they weren’t

Item 12
Page 23 of 42
captured by the ﬁrst pass. In the ﬁrst instance, MBIE/other agency would have contacted the en es
that they think are cri cal by nature. If you haven’t been contacted, we will let MBIE know.

Regards,

Daniel Madley | Senior Analyst, Commercial Performance | Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury
s9(2)(k)
| [email address]

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
The information in this email is confidential to the Treasury, intended only for the
addressee(s), and may also be legally privileged. If you are not an intended
addressee:
a. please immediately delete this email and notify the Treasury by return email or
telephone (64 4 472 2733);
b. any use, dissemination or copying of this email is strictly prohibited and may be
unlawful.

Item 13
Page 24 of 42
From:                                                       Jenny Reid [TSY] <[email address]> on behalf of
Maureena van der Lem [TSY]
<[email address]>
Sent:                                                         Thursday, 10 March 2022 10:24 am
Subject:                                                   Update on COVID-19 Leave Scheme eligibility

Follow Up Flag:                                      Fol ow up
Flag Status:                                             Completed

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Tēnā koe

I am emailing to update you on State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and Mixed Ownership Model
companies’ (MOMs) eligibility to apply for the Leave Support Scheme and Short-Term Absence
Payment (the COVID-19 Leave Schemes).

As you may be aware, State Sector Organisa ons, including SOEs and MOMs, are currently ineligible
to apply for the COVID-19 Leave Schemes unless they receive an excep on to become eligible to
apply.

SOEs and MOMs wil  be eligible to apply for the COVID-19 Leave Schemes for employees self-isola ng
from 14 March 2022. Some companies already have an excep on to apply for one or both of the
COVID-19 Leave Schemes – these companies are able to con nue to apply for employees self-isola ng
before this date.

There is no obliga on on SOEs and MOMs to apply for the COVID-19 Leave Schemes. If SOEs and
MOMs do wish to apply, they wil  be required to assess their and their employees’ situa on against
the eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 Leave Schemes, as set out online and in the relevant
applica on declara ons, before applying.

There are changes being made to the COVID-19 Leave Schemes to reﬂect Phase 2 and 3 of the
Government’s Omicron plan, and the Ministry of Social Development’s website and applica on
declara ons wil  be updated on 14 March 2022 to reﬂect these changes.

Please direct any general ques ons regarding the COVID-19 Leave Schemes to the Ministry of Social
Development via its COVID-19 Supports phone number (0800 40 80 40), and any ques ons regarding
this email update to your Treasury Rela onship Manager.

Nāku i  noa, nā
Maureena

Maureena van der Lem | Poutaki/Manager, Commercial Performance | Te Tai Ōhanga – The
Treasury

Item 14
Page 25 of 42


Date:
14 December 2021
Title:
Transpower update
To:
Minister of Energy and Resources
Cc:
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Minister of Finance
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
The Treasury
From:
Alison Andrew, Chief Executive
Action:
For your information
Contact:
s9(2)(a)
, Head of Communications

s9(2)(a)
@transpower.co.nz
s9(2)(k)

Summary
not in scope
4.  Transpower has introduced a COVID-19 Policy that requires all staff and those working on or
visiting our premises to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This applies to everyone who
enters Transpower premises – staff, service providers, contractors, consultants, suppliers, and
visitors.

not in scope
1

Item 14
Page 26 of 42



COVID-19 Policy
16. As New Zealand transitions to the COVID-19 Protection Framework, Transpower has had to
carefully consider how we continue to operate to the fullest extent possible while COVID-19 is in
the community.

17. We recently asked our staff about their views on vaccinations as a protective measure and have
consulted with them on a draft COVID-19 Policy. This feedback helped to inform our decision to
implement a vaccination and testing policy.

18. This policy came into effect on 15 December 2021 and requires all staff and those working on or
visiting our premises to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This applies to everyone who
enters Transpower premises – staff, service providers, contractors, consultants, suppliers, and
visitors.

19. We firmly believe this policy is the right path for Transpower, to protect our staff and those that
work with us. The health and safety of our people and our workplace is our top priority, and as a
lifeline utility we have a responsibility to New Zealanders to ensure that we can continue to
operate to the fullest extent possible.

20. Alongside this we are working with others in the sector in response to questions provided by
DPMC in regards to identifying mitigations around any potential damage or resilience issues as a
result of COVID-19 as the country transitions to the COVID-19 Protection Framework. As the
System Operator we remain concerned for the sector’s ability to maintain services without a
vaccination mandate as a layer of protection, the impact of close contacts of a COVID-19 positive
case being required to isolate for seven days, and differing advice from DHBs in managing
COVID-19 positive cases in the workplace. A response has been provided to DPMC and we are
awaiting a response on our suggestions.

3

Item 15
Page 27 of 42
From:                                                       s9(2)(a)
Sent:                                                         Monday, 31 January 2022 9:49 am
To:                                                            '[email address]';
'[email address]'
Cc:                                                             'Daniel Madley [TSY]'; s9(2)(a)
Subject:                                                   Transpower's Q2 le er to Shareholding Ministers
A achments:                                         Q2 2022 Chair quarterly le er to Ministers.pdf

Kia ora koutou
Find a ached our Q2 le er to Shareholding Ministers and accompanying opera onal and ﬁnancial
performance results, being released today.
Please let me know if you require any further informa on.
s9(2)(a)

s9(2)(a)
(she/her)
Senior Corporate Communications Advisor
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington
T +s9(2)(k)
M +s9(2)(k)
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of this message and attachments.

Item 15
Page 28 of 42
31 January 2022
Hon Grant Robertson
Hon Dr David Clark
Minister of Finance
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Parliament Buildings
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON
Dear Ministers
REPORT FOR THE THREE-MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021
not in scope

Item 15
Page 29 of 42
Report for the Quarter Ended 31 December 2021


not in scope
•  COVID-19
After consulting with staff on a draft policy we implemented a COVID-19 Policy on 15
December 2021 which requires all staff working on, and anyone visiting, Transpower
premises (offices and worksites) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The
vaccination requirement applies to our employees, contractors, consultants, service
providers and visitors.  Staff support the Policy and most have been able to meet the
vaccination requirement. We have been engaging with staff members who remain un-
vaccinated, and therefore unable to meet our employment requirement, to find a solution
and, in the interim, they are working from home. We are working with s9(2)(ba)(i) staff who are
not vaccinated, therefore not able to meet our COVID-19 Policy requirement. We have an
s9(2)(ba)(i)
additional
staff who are on leave, and we are yet to determine their vaccination
s9(2)(ba)(ii)
status,  This will occur once they conclude their period of leave.  We will soon implement
the additional control of Rapid Antigen Testing to support face to face engagement
between staff, with our service providers, and to ensure our Control Rooms (which
operate the power system in real time) and Warehouse staff can continue to operate
critical services.
not in scope

4

Item 15
Page 30 of 42
Report for the Quarter Ended 31 December 2021

not in scope
Please let me know if you require any further explanation or details regarding this letter.

Yours sincerely,
s9(2)(a)

Pip Dunphy
Chair

Cc Minister of Energy and Resources

6

Item 16
Page 31 of 42
From:                                                       s9(2)(a)
Sent:                                                         Tuesday, 8 February 2022 9:48 am
To:                                                            [email address]
Cc:                                                             Maruta Kanepa [TSY]; [email address]
Subject:                                                   Select Commi ee full wri en ques ons
A achments:                                         FINAL 2020 2021 Select Commi ee annual review ques ons 1-
145.pdf

Hi Daniel
I managed to get this oﬀ to the Commi ee earlier on Friday a ernoon, apologies I didn’t send it along
right away.
Prep is going well for Thursday, hopefully we can catch up a erwards on the hearing and our list of
mee ng ac ons from last week.
Many thanks and hope you had a great long weekend.
s9(2)(a)

s9(2)(a)
(she/her)
Senior Corporate Communications Advisor
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington
T  s9(2)(k)
M
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of this message and attachments.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.
The content of this email, including any attachment, is intended for the named recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or communication
of the Office of the Clerk. It may contain privileged material and/or confidential information.
If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you must not copy it, distribute it or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this email
in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email. Although this email has been scanned for viruses, this email is not guaranteed to be
free of viruses and should be checked by your own security mechanisms. No liability is accepted for any loss or damage arising from the use of this
email or its attachments.

Item 16
Page 32 of 42
2020/21 Annual Review of Transpower New Zealand Ltd

2020/21 Annual review of Transpower
Submission to the Transport & Infrastructure Select Committee
Responses to written questions 1–145
Annual Review Hearing: 09:15 – 10:00, Thursday 10 February 2022

Item 16
Page 33 of 42
not in scope
COVID-19
120.
What impact, if any, has Covid-19 had on your organisation’s property plans or requirements?
No impact on our property plans or requirements.
121.
What effect has COVID-19, and staff working from home, had on the organisation’s property requirements?
No effect on our property requirements.
122.
Has Covid-19 led to change in the organisation’s policies re staff working from home or flexible working
arrangements? If so, please provide details.
There have been no changes to our policies in this reporting period. We temporarily deployed screens and other IT equipment to support the
productivity of staff who required additional equipment.  We have now provided staff with an equipment grant to assist them to establish at-
home workstations.
123.
Was your organisation prepared for the effects of Covid-19 on the way the organisation went about its core business?
What lessons have been learned as a result? Would, in hindsight, your organisation have done anything differently?
Transpower was and remains well prepared for the effects of COVID-19. Transpower has adopted a universal approach to incident
management utilising the Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) approach, as used by Civil Defence and Emergency
Management, and emergency services organisations such as NZ Police, and Fire and Emergency NZ. CIMS provides a clear structure
and defined roles for managing through incidents.
Transpower’s business continuity plan is based on CIMS and on having staff in key positions adequately trained in the CIMS
procedures. To this effect, we have trained a substantial cohort of employees since 2016 and continue to provide training for new staff
in key positions on an annual basis. To date, 170 people have completed the base CIMS2 training and within that number, 30 people
have completed the advanced CIMS4 course.
In addition to the Business Continuity Plan, our Pandemic Plan provides further guidance and sets out how Transpower will respond to
a pandemic emergency event. This has been developed for Transpower locations in accordance with the Business Continuity Plan? and
our Emergency Preparedness Procedures.
91

Item 16
Page 34 of 42
Transpower undertook a review to capture lessons learned late in 2020 and again after the lockdowns in 2021. Key lessons learned
since the start of COVID-19 are:
•  Transpower worked well with its service providers to provide clarity on the definition of ‘essential work’, policy interpretations,
supply chain, stock levels of critical components and active projects.
•  Timely adjustment of payment terms for vendors (more frequent and faster payments) and customers (deferred payment
options) helped our partners and customers to get through the most difficult periods.
•  Transpower staff were equipped to work from home and seamlessly adjusted to the various COVID-19 response levels and
associated lockdowns.
•  We maintained clear Incident Management structure, roles, responsibilities and communication lines for prolonged nationwide
events with significant regional differences.
In hindsight, we would have
•  Ensured more pro-active response for a (possible) pandemic, including documented plans and templates specific to a pandemic,
easier access to information such as suppliers, supply locations and logistics arrangements, and a better understanding of PPE
stock levels.
•  A better appreciation of the leading role Transpower plays in the sector, amidst its service providers
•  A better representation of the logistics and supply function on Transpower’s standing Incident Management Team.
We have incorporated these lessons in our approach and continue to regularly review our COVID-19 response based on the latest
Government guidelines to ensure it stays fit for purpose.
124.
What specific information technology issues did your organisation experience as a result of COVID-19 and how were
these addressed? Did your organisation need to purchase additional IT equipment (e.g. laptops, printers etc) and was your
network able to manage with increased demand for remote access (e.g. some departments had to limit remote access at
certain times) and how did this impact on the way the organisation did its job? What was the total cost for Covid-19 related IT
expenses and how does this breakdown?

In 2019/20 the lifecycle programme to replace monitors was accelerated (by months) to accommodate the increased demand in monitors.
There was no discernible impact in productivity or costs. Additional equipment (monitors) was obtained by accelerating the lifecycle
replacement programme. Additional distribution costs of s9(2)(ba)(i) were incurred with the distribution of monitors and office chairs.
92

Item 16
Page 35 of 42
In 2020/21 no additional costs were incurred.
In 2021/22 Transpower purchased approximately s9(2)(ba)(i) of additional equipment and incurred s9(2)(ba)(i) distribution costs to enhance existing working
from home capabilities during the additional lockdowns. Transpower incurred an additional s9(2)(ba)(i) cost as we made a grant available of up to
s9(2)(ba)(i)
to enable staff to acquire the necessary office equipment to support productivity and to provide a safe work environment whilst working
from home.
125.
What specific effect, if any, did Covid-19 have on your organisation’s total FTEs?
There was no impact on total FTE in 2020/21.
126.
Were additional staff/contractors employed as a result of Covid-19 – if so:
a.  how many
b.  at what total cost
c.  are these permanent additions to staff; if not, what is the average length of contract
d.  for what specific purpose
e.  were these staff seconded from other organisations – if so specify the total number from each and provide a
breakdown of the roles seconded staff were engaged to fill.
There were no additional staff/contractors employed as a result of COVID-19.
127.
Were any of the organisation’s staff seconded to work on the All of Government Covid-19 response? If so, how many
and in what capacity?
No staff were seconded.
not in scope
93

Item 17
Page 36 of 42
From:
s9(2)(a)
Sent:
  Monday, 28 February 2022 12:46 pm
To:
[email address];
[email address]
Cc:
[email address]; Daniel Madley [TSY];
Maruta Kanepa [TSY]; s9(2)(a)
Subject:
  Transpower's 2022/23 Strategic Issues Le er
A achments:
20220228 Strategic Issues Le er.pdf
Tēnā koutou katoa
Please ﬁnd a ached Transpower’s Strategic Issues Le er in response to the Le er of Expecta ons sent
20 December 2021.
We look forward to further conversa ons on the contents of the le er. Please let me know if you have
any further queries.
Thanks,
s9(2)(a)
(she/her)
Senior Corporate Communications Advisor
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington
T  s9(2)(a)
M
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of this message and attachments.

Item 17
Page 37 of 42
28 February 2022
Hon Grant Robertson
Hon Dr David Clark
Minister of Finance
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Parliament Buildings
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON
Dear Ministers
2022/2023 Strategic Issues Letter
Thank you for your 2022/23 Owner Expectations letter of 20 December 2021. Below is our update on
strategic issues and responses on the specific matters identified in your letter.
Your expectations
COVID-19
We acknowledge your on-going concern that Transpower should continue to support the
Government’s pandemic response. We, and the rest of the electricity industry, provide an essential
service to New Zealand, powering homes, hospitals and workplaces at a time New Zealand needs it
the most. As such, we are continuing to work with our stakeholders to ensure that Transpower
remains prepared and ready to:
• Build, operate and maintain the National Grid safely and efficiently. Doing so will enable the
decarbonisation and electrification of the New Zealand economy; and
• Fulfil our role of System Operator to operate the electricity market in real time.
With the emergence of new virus variants, and Omicron in particular, we are putting in place
contingency plans and building organisational resilience to maintain our core activity to keep the
power system operating. We may need to continually adapt our COVID-19 workplace policy as
management of COVID-19 evolves in our communities. The impact of significant staff absences due
to illness, as has been evident overseas, will mean we have to continually flex our workforce and work
priorities to resource our critical functions. While we have secured a number of Rapid Antigen Tests,
our ability to access them throughout the pandemic will play a key role in allowing our more critical
workers to return to work safely.
not in scope

Item 17
Page 38 of 42
not in scope
I look forward to meeting with you to discuss the contents of this letter. Please let me know if any
further information or explanation is required.
Yours sincerely
s9(2)(a)
Dean Carroll
Acting Chair
CC: Minister of Energy and Resources
5

Item 18
Page 39 of 42
From:                                                       s9(2)(a)
Sent:                                                         Friday, 29 April 2022 3:48 pm
To:                                                            '[email address]';
'[email address]'
Cc:                                                             '[email address]';
'[email address]'; '[email address]';
'[email address]'; s9(2)(a)
Subject:                                                   Transpower's Q3 le er to Shareholding Ministers
A achments:                                         Q3 2022 Chair quarterly le er to Ministers.pdf

Kia ora koutou
Find a ached our Q3 le er to Shareholding Ministers and accompanying opera onal and ﬁnancial
performance results, being released today.
Please let me know if you require any further informa on.
s9(2)(a)

s9(2)(a)
(she/her)
Senior Corporate Communications Advisor
Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Waikoukou, 22 Boulcott Street, PO Box 1021, Wellington
T  s9(2)(k)
M
transpower.co.nz
CAUTION: This message and any attachments contain information that is CONFIDENTIAL and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this email message or attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of this message and attachments.

Item 18
Page 40 of 42

29 April 2022

Hon Grant Robertson
Hon Dr David Clark
Minister of Finance
Minister for State Owned Enterprises
Parliament Buildings
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON
WELLINGTON

Dear Ministers

REPORT FOR THE THREE-MONTH ENDED 31 MARCH 2022
not in scope

Item 18
Page 41 of 42
  Report for the Quarter Ended 31 March 2022

not in scope
•  COVID-19
As part of business continuity planning Transpower undertook significant planning on
how we could continue to operate with a 25% reduction in staff due to the Omicron
variant of COVID-19.  We have been fortunate with only a small number of staff testing
positive thus far, meaning that we have been able to navigate the outbreak without too
many challenges.  We consulted during early April on changes to our COVID-19 policy in
light of the evolution of the pandemic and as Government settings, the level of vaccine
uptake, testing and the prevalence of the disease in the community changes.  After
reviewing the risk assessment that supports our policy, we have removed the
requirement for employees to be vaccinated and require those who are not vaccinated to
participate in a regular Rapid Antigen Testing programme during this phase of the
pandemic.  This took effect from mid-April.

4

Item 18
Page 42 of 42
Report for the Quarter Ended 31 March 2022

not in scope

Please let me know if you require any further explanation or details regarding this letter.
Yours sincerely,
s9(2)(a)

Dean Carroll
Acting Chair

5

Document Outline