29 September 2025
File Ref: OIAPR-1274023063-41762
Chris Stevens
By email: [FYI request #31561 email]
Tēnā koe Chris
Request for information 2025-298
I refer to your request for information dated 13 July 2025, which was received by Greater
Wellington Regional Council (Greater Wellington) on 13 July 2025. Due to a system error, we
were unaware of your request until 3 September. We apologise for the delay in our response.
You have requested the following:
“
Pursuant to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, I request the
following information:
1. Scope of Request
All written communications (including but not limited to emails, Microsoft Teams messages,
and WhatsApp or other instant messaging platforms including SMS) sent or received by elected
councillors and/or council staff that:
Relate to, reference, or concern the Council’s submission on the Regulatory Standards Bill, or
Discuss the content, preparation, purpose, or political implications of the submission.
2. Participants
This request applies to communications:
•
Between councillors themselves,
•
Between councillors and council staff,
•
Between councillors and any political parties or party representatives with which they
are affiliated, where the subject matter relates to the Council’s submission, and
Wellington office
Upper Hutt
Masterton office
0800 496 734
PO Box 11646
PO Box 40847
PO Box 41
www.gw.govt.nz
Manners St, Wel ington
1056 Fergusson Drive
Masterton 5840
[Wellington Regional Council request email]
6142
•
Any communications that Nigel Corry, Luke Troy or Monica Fraser were party to, where
the subject matter relates to the Council's submission.
3. Timeframe:
Please limit this request to communications created or received between 1 April 2025 and 13
July 2025.”
Greater Wellington’s response follows:
Attached are communications for the period requested between persons and groups for the
matters as requested.
We have withheld some emails between officers and members under section 7(2)(f)(i) of the
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (the Act) in order to maintain the
effective conduct of public affairs through free and frank expression of opinions by or between
or to members or officers or employees of any local authority in the course of their duty.
We have also withheld officer mobile numbers, and the names and contact information of non-
public service employees under section 7(2)(a) of the Act to protect the privacy of natural
persons.
We have marked the withholding of information in the attachment accordingly.
We have considered whether the public interest in the requested information outweighs
Greater Wellington’s need to withhold certain aspects of the requested communications. As a
result, we do not consider that the public interest outweighs Greater Wellington’s reason for
withholding some parts of the emails under the grounds identified above.
We have also deleted certain information on the basis that it is not relevant or does not fall
within the scope of your request. This is marked accordingly in the attachment.
Greater Wellington’s submission, which was attached to some communications, can find the
submission at this link here:
https://www.gw.govt.nz/document/23434/regulatory-standards-
bill-greater-wellington-regional-council-submission/
If you have any concerns with the decision(s) referred to in this letter, you have the right to
request an investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Local
Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
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Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information
requests where appropriate. Our response to your request will be published shortly on Greater
Wellington’s website with your personal information removed.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Monica Fraser
Pou Whakarae
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