[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora

Thank you for the information request below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before the 19th of September 2025. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address].

Ngā mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education | MC
education.govt.nz

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes
He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga

-----Original Message-----
From: Letty Smith <[FOI #32109 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 24 August 2025 4:11 pm
To: Enquiries National <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Use of small desk fans

[You don't often get email from [FOI #32109 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Ministry of Education,

I am curious as to what rules there are around having a small personal or desk fan in work places associated with your organisation.

Are there any rules? What are those rules? Who imposed those rules (for instance, senior leadership team, leaders of a particular site, building owner)? Please provide as much detail as possible.

Please also set out how many sites associated with your organisation, and how many employees normally located at those locations.

Yours faithfully,

Letty Smith

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Letty

 

OIA: 1352600 – use of small desk fans

 

Thank you for your email of 24 August 2025 to the Ministry of Education
(the Ministry) requesting the following information:

 

 1. I am curious as to what rules there are around having a small personal
or desk fan in work places associated with your organisation. Are
there any rules?  What are those rules? Who imposed those rules (for
instance, senior leadership team, leaders of a particular site,
building owner)?  Please provide as much detail as possible.
 2. Please also set out how many sites associated with your organisation,
and how many employees normally located at those locations.

 

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

 

In response to part one of your request, the Ministry guidelines do not
permit the use of small desk fans, in accordance with our National
Accommodation Standards. The guidance for Ministry staff, which is
included in the Ministry of Education Accommodation Design Standards, is
as follows:

“Personal fans, heaters and other appliances also introduce risks, since
they can cause imbalance in the air conditioning and heating controls and
these are not permitted. Appliances which are approved for use in Ministry
offices must comply with commercial-use safety ratings”.

The Ministry’s Accommodation Design Standards were last updated in 2023.

 

In response to part two of your request, please find a table at the end of
this email, showing a headcount of Ministry employees broken down by
office locations.

 

This data is as of 1 September 2025 and includes all active Ministry
employees on a fixed term or permanent employment agreement, including
those seconded to another department (external secondment), and excluding
casuals and individuals on long-term or parental leave. The office
location is based on an employee’s working location i.e. where an employee
is stationed, which includes the office location of frontline staff who
typically work out in the sector.

 

Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to
review my decision on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the
Act. You can do this by writing to [1][email address] or to
Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

  

Nāku noa, nā,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | CM

[2]education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes

[3]Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Table: Headcount of Ministry of Education employees broken down by office
location

 

Office Location Headcount
Ashburton Office 2
Auckland Mt Eden Office 376
Blenheim Office 20
Christchurch Office 338
Dunedin Office 94
Gisborne Office 47
Greymouth Office 11
Hamilton Office 252
Horowhenua/Kapiti Centre 34
Invercargill Office 48
Kaitaia Centre 21
Kerikeri Centre 19
Lower Hutt Office 171
Manukau Office 211
Masterton Centre 26
Motueka Office 7
Napier Office 123
National Office 1 The Terrace 1107
National Office 25 The Terrace 330
Nelson Office 66
Northwest Office 110
Palmerston North Office 79
Porirua Office 48
Rotorua Office 76
Rural South - Timaru 11
Southern Lakes Centre 20
Taranaki Office 54
Taupo Centre 24
Tauranga Office 131
Thames Centre 8
West Auckland Centre 76
Whakatane Centre 32
Whanganui Office 64
Whangarei Office 117
Grand Total 4153

 

 

 

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DISCLAIMER:
This email and any attachments may contain information that is
confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this
email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in
error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the
email and attachments. The Ministry of Education accepts no
responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after
transmission from the Ministry.

References

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2. http://www.education.govt.nz/
3. https://www.education.govt.nz/

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