Thank you for contacting Hon. Penny Simmonds, Member of Parliament for
Invercargill, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Vocational
Education and Associate Minister for Social Development & Employment.
The Minister considers all correspondence important, however, as she
receives a large amount of correspondence, it is not always possible to
provide a personal response.
Please note the following guidelines:

* If you are an Invercargill constituent contacting the Minister about
an issue, then your email will be passed to her electorate office.
* Invitations and requests to meet with the Minister will be considered
and a staff member will be in touch with you in due course.
* Requests for official information will be managed in accordance with
provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, which may include a
transfer to a more relevant Minister or agency.
* If your email falls outside of the Minister's portfolio
responsibilities, expresses a personal view, or is copied to multiple
Members of Parliament, then your opinion will be noted and your
correspondence may be transferred to another office, or there may be
no further response to you.

Thank you once again for taking the time to write; it is very much
appreciated.
The Office of Hon. Penny Simmonds
(Please note that this acknowledgement is an automatically generated
email.)

Kia ora Tyler,
 
Thank you for your email of 27 June 2025 in which you submitted an
Official Information Act request, which reads as follows:
 
I’m interested about how MfE ended up providing an extra $1,000,000
towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and what involvement the Minister or
staff from her office had.
 
1. When was the Minister (or representatives/staff in her office) first
asked to contribute extra money towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme? and
by who?
2. Was the Minister/staff in her office ever asked for an amount other
than $1,000,000 to contribute towards the scheme?
3. If the Minister was the decision maker, when did the Minister decide to
contribute an extra $1,000,000 to the scheme?
4. Please provide all communications from you/ staff in your office,
including emails, txts, app based messages, etc… relating to extra funds
for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme 5. Please provide all communications
between you/staff in your office and Hon Todd McClay/representatives/staff
in his office regarding the Tarawera Sewerage scheme.
6. Please ensure communications in number 4 above include any
communications with Minister of Finance/her office and the Prime Ministers
Office.
7. Please ensure communications provided in number 4 above include any
communications with Rotorua Lakes Council staff or elected members or
Tarawera residents/representatives.
8. Why did the Minister decide not to make the announcement herself,
instead passing the announcement to someone without responsibility for the
funding, Rotorua MP Hon Todd McClay.
9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to
the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
Minister Simmonds is considering your request in accordance with the Act,
and you can expect a response by Friday, 25 July 2025.
 
Kind regards,
 

Office of Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment | Minister for Vocational Education
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment
MP for Invercargill
 
P: 04 817 6815
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

Authorised by Hon Penny Simmonds, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
 
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Tyler Smith <[1][FOI #31422 email]>
Sent: Friday, 27 June 2025 10:43 pm
To: Penny Simmonds (MIN) <[2][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
Dear Penny Simmonds,
 
I’m interested about how MfE ended up providing an extra $1,000,000
towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and what involvement the Minister or
staff from her office had.
 
1. When was the Minister (or representatives/staff in her office) first
asked to contribute extra money towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme? and
by who?
2. Was the Minister/staff in her office ever asked for an amount other
than $1,000,000 to contribute towards the scheme?
3. If the Minister was the decision maker, when did the Minister decide to
contribute an extra $1,000,000 to the scheme?
4. Please provide all communications from you/ staff in your office,
including emails, txts, app based messages, etc… relating to extra funds
for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme 5. Please provide all communications
between you/staff in your office and Hon Todd McClay/representatives/staff
in his office regarding the Tarawera Sewerage scheme.
6. Please ensure communications in number 4 above include any
communications with Minister of Finance/her office and the Prime Ministers
Office.
7. Please ensure communications provided in number 4 above include any
communications with Rotorua Lakes Council staff or elected members or
Tarawera residents/representatives.
8. Why did the Minister decide not to make the announcement herself,
instead passing the announcement to someone without responsibility for the
funding, Rotorua MP Hon Todd McClay.
9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to
the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Tyler Smith
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
 
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[3][FOI #31422 email]
 
Is [4][Penny Simmonds request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Penny Simmonds? If so, please contact us using
this form:
[5]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
 
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[6]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
 
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #31422 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[FOI #31422 email]
4. mailto:[Penny Simmonds request email]
5. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
6. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

hide quoted sections

Dear Tyler,
 
Thank you for the below OIA request. In order to continue processing your
request, we are seeking clarification on part 9: Please provide any
briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to the Tarawera Sewerage
Scheme.
 
Could you please let us know if your request pertains to the recent
variation, or to the lifecycle of the entire project.
 
A response by Friday 17 July would be very helpful to assist the timely
processing of your request.
 
Kind regards,
 
 

Nicola Tynan (she/her)
Private Secretary – Environment | Office of Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment | Minister for Vocational Education
Associate Minister for Social Development | MP for Invercargill
 
[mobile number]
Email: [1][email address] Website: [2]www.beehive.govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

_____________________________________________
From: Penny Simmonds (MIN) <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, 30 June 2025 9:42 AM
To: [FOI #31422 email]
Cc: Penny Simmonds (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
 
Kia ora Tyler,
 
Thank you for your email of 27 June 2025 in which you submitted an
Official Information Act request, which reads as follows:
 
I’m interested about how MfE ended up providing an extra $1,000,000
towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and what involvement the Minister or
staff from her office had.
 
1. When was the Minister (or representatives/staff in her office) first
asked to contribute extra money towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme? and
by who?
2. Was the Minister/staff in her office ever asked for an amount other
than $1,000,000 to contribute towards the scheme?
3. If the Minister was the decision maker, when did the Minister decide to
contribute an extra $1,000,000 to the scheme?
4. Please provide all communications from you/ staff in your office,
including emails, txts, app based messages, etc… relating to extra funds
for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme 5. Please provide all communications
between you/staff in your office and Hon Todd McClay/representatives/staff
in his office regarding the Tarawera Sewerage scheme.
6. Please ensure communications in number 4 above include any
communications with Minister of Finance/her office and the Prime Ministers
Office.
7. Please ensure communications provided in number 4 above include any
communications with Rotorua Lakes Council staff or elected members or
Tarawera residents/representatives.
8. Why did the Minister decide not to make the announcement herself,
instead passing the announcement to someone without responsibility for the
funding, Rotorua MP Hon Todd McClay.
9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to
the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
Minister Simmonds is considering your request in accordance with the Act,
and you can expect a response by Friday, 25 July 2025.
 
Kind regards,
 

Office of Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment | Minister for Vocational Education
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment
MP for Invercargill
 
P: 04 817 6815
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

Authorised by Hon Penny Simmonds, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
 
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Tyler Smith <[3][FOI #31422 email]>
Sent: Friday, 27 June 2025 10:43 pm
To: Penny Simmonds (MIN) <[4][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
Dear Penny Simmonds,
 
I’m interested about how MfE ended up providing an extra $1,000,000
towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and what involvement the Minister or
staff from her office had.
 
1. When was the Minister (or representatives/staff in her office) first
asked to contribute extra money towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme? and
by who?
2. Was the Minister/staff in her office ever asked for an amount other
than $1,000,000 to contribute towards the scheme?
3. If the Minister was the decision maker, when did the Minister decide to
contribute an extra $1,000,000 to the scheme?
4. Please provide all communications from you/ staff in your office,
including emails, txts, app based messages, etc… relating to extra funds
for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme 5. Please provide all communications
between you/staff in your office and Hon Todd McClay/representatives/staff
in his office regarding the Tarawera Sewerage scheme.
6. Please ensure communications in number 4 above include any
communications with Minister of Finance/her office and the Prime Ministers
Office.
7. Please ensure communications provided in number 4 above include any
communications with Rotorua Lakes Council staff or elected members or
Tarawera residents/representatives.
8. Why did the Minister decide not to make the announcement herself,
instead passing the announcement to someone without responsibility for the
funding, Rotorua MP Hon Todd McClay.
9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to
the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Tyler Smith
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
 
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #31422 email]
 
Is [6][Penny Simmonds request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Penny Simmonds? If so, please contact us using
this form:
[7]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
 
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[8]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
 
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/
3. mailto:[FOI #31422 email]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[FOI #31422 email]
6. mailto:[Penny Simmonds request email]
7. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....
8. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Tyler,

 

Regarding your Official Information Act request, there is a clarification
question on point 9:

 

9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to
the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme

 

Please clarify whether your request is limited to the recent $1m variation
or is it life of the project? This project goes back to 2017.

 

Please respond to me to advise by 4.00pm on Friday, 18 July.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Ngā mihi,

Amy

 

 

Amy Stapleton (she/her)

Press Secretary | Office of Hon Penny Simmonds 

Minister for the Environment | Vocational Education

Associate Minister for Social Development & Employment

 

Mobile: +64 21 890 692  

Email: [email address]   Website:
[1]www.Beehive.govt.nz  

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand 

 
 

Authorised by Hon Penny Simmonds, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.

 

Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
[2]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/
2. https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

HI Tyler,

Thanks for providing that clarification.

You can expect a response by Friday, 25 July 2025.

Ngā mihi,
Amy

Amy Stapleton (she/her)
Press Secretary | Office of Hon Penny Simmonds 
Mobile: +64 21 890 692

-----Original Message-----
From: Tyler Smith <[FOI #31422 email]>
Sent: Friday, 18 July 2025 8:21 PM
To: Amy Stapleton <[email address]>
Subject: Re: PSME-OI-25-030 - Official Information request - Tarawera Sewerage Scheme

Dear Amy Stapleton,

Just the most recent $1m top up.

Thank you

Tyler Smith

-----Original Message-----

Kia ora Tyler,

 

Regarding your Official Information Act request, there is a clarification question on point 9:

 

9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme

 

Please clarify whether your request is limited to the recent $1m variation or is it life of the project? This project goes back to 2017.

 

Please respond to me to advise by 4.00pm on Friday, 18 July.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Ngā mihi,

Amy

 

 

Amy Stapleton (she/her)

Press Secretary | Office of Hon Penny Simmonds 

Minister for the Environment | Vocational Education

Associate Minister for Social Development & Employment

 

Mobile: +64 21 890 692  

Email: [email address]   Website:
[1]https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.B...   

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand 

 
 

Authorised by Hon Penny Simmonds, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.

 

Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at [2]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

 

 

References

Visible links
1. https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.b...
2. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www....

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #31422 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

hide quoted sections

Dear Tyler,

 

Thank you for your email, dated 27 June 2025, for the following
information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):

 

I’m interested about how MfE ended up providing an extra $1,000,000
towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and what involvement the Minister or
staff from her office had.

 

1. When was the Minister (or representatives/staff in her office) first
asked to contribute extra money towards the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme? and
by who?

2. Was the Minister/staff in her office ever asked for an amount other
than $1,000,000 to contribute towards the scheme?

3. If the Minister was the decision maker, when did the Minister decide to
contribute an extra $1,000,000 to the scheme?

4. Please provide all communications from you/ staff in your office,
including emails, txts, app based messages, etc… relating to extra funds
for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme 5. Please provide all communications
between you/staff in your office and Hon Todd McClay/representatives/staff
in his office regarding the Tarawera Sewerage scheme.

6. Please ensure communications in number 4 above include any
communications with Minister of Finance/her office and the Prime Ministers
Office.

7. Please ensure communications provided in number 4 above include any
communications with Rotorua Lakes Council staff or elected members or
Tarawera residents/representatives.

8. Why did the Minister decide not to make the announcement herself,
instead passing the announcement to someone without responsibility for the
funding, Rotorua MP Hon Todd McClay.

9. Please provide any briefings/memos/cabinet papers/emails/etc related to
the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme

 

The response to your request is attached.

 

Kind regards,

 

Office of Hon Penny Simmonds

Minister for the Environment | Minister for Vocational Education

Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment
MP for Invercargill
 

P: 04 817 6815

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

Authorised by Hon Penny Simmonds, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.