Docusign Envelope ID: E76D591D-564D-4827-A68D-1ECCC80FC70E
New Zealand Institute
for Public Health and
Forensic Science
29 August 2025
By Em
ail: [FYI request #31855 email]
Dear Spencer,
Official information request for EMF and Smart Meter Health Assessments
I refer to your official information request received by the New Zealand Institute for Public Health
and Forensic Science Limited (‘PHF Science’) (previously Institute of Environmental Science and
Research Limited (‘ESR’)) on Saturday 2 August 2025 for the following information:
“Copies of any reports, memoranda, or scientific assessments authored, commissioned, or
reviewed by ESR regarding the health or safety risks of electromagnetic field (EMF) or
radiofrequency (RF) exposure from residential electricity smart meters, since 2010.
Any ESR laboratory or technical data assessing:
The cumulative or peak EMF emissions from smart meters;
Comparisons of smart meter EMF exposure against NZS 2772.1:1999 or ICNIRP guidelines;
Potential risks to electromagnetic hypersensitive (EHS) individuals.
Any correspondence between ESR and the Ministry of Health, MBIE, WorkSafe, or the Electricity
Authority regarding EMF health risk assessments or recommended public health thresholds.”
As per our email on the 15 August 2025, part of the information to which your request relates,
namely any reports, memoranda or scientific assessments authored or reviewed by ESR and any
ESR laboratory or technical data is believed to be more closely connected with the functions of the
Ministry of Health. Because of this, part of your request was transferred to the Ministry of Health to
respond to.
Our Response
In response to your request for any correspondence between ESR and the above-named
organisations, we have found two emails to the Electricity Authority. These have been attached to
this email and are titled:
RE Radio-frequency fields_Redacted
Re Radio-frequency fields (1)_Redacted
New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science Limited
Kenepuru Science Centre: 34 Kenepuru Drive, Kenepuru, Porirua 5022 | PO Box 50348, Porirua 5240, New Zealand
www.phfscience.nz T: +64 4 914 0700
Docusign Envelope ID: E76D591D-564D-4827-A68D-1ECCC80FC70E
Please note, contact details that are not publicly available have been redacted under s9(2)(a) of
the Official Information Act 1982 where withholding of the information is necessary to “protect the
privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons”.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely,
John McCarthy
Group Leader Health Surveillance
