Industrial Hemp Innovation, Bioeconomy, and Interagency Oversight (2020–2025)

SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Response to this request is delayed. By law, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment should normally have responded promptly and by (details and exceptions)

From: SPENCER JONES

Dear MBIE,

Under the OIA, I request the following information from 1 January 2020 to 2 September 2025:

Bioeconomy/Innovation Role
Documents or reports identifying iHemp in MBIE’s bioeconomy or innovation frameworks (e.g., 2023 bioeconomy report, circular economy initiatives).

Funding/Contracts
Records of MBIE-administered funding, pilot programs, or partnerships involving iHemp (e.g., Callaghan Innovation projects).

Interagency Communications
All communications with MoH, MPI, MfE about hemp regulation, duplication, or efficiency reforms.

Policy/Efficiency Reviews
Any reviews or papers assessing inefficiencies or overlaps in iHemp regulation.

Please confirm which teams/databases were searched, and which keywords used.

Yours faithfully,
Spencer Jones

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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()

📌 FYI.org.nz Annotation – Industrial Hemp OIA Package (2020–2025)

This set of requests follows earlier OIAs (#31349 and related responses OIAD-1653 and OIAD-1707) where both MPI and MfE issued blanket refusals under section 18(e), claiming no records exist. The Ministry for the Environment later acknowledged limited consultation with MPI and MoH, but still asserted no information was held.

Given the contradictions between these refusals and publicly available information — including evidence of funding (e.g., MPI’s SFFF grants, Callaghan Innovation projects), regulatory review activity (2025 Minister Seymour review), and interagency roles already acknowledged in legislation — I am submitting a coordinated package of requests to MoH, MPI, MBIE, and ESR/PHF Science.

The purpose is to:

1. **Clarify interagency roles and responsibilities** (MoH, MPI, MBIE, MfE, ESR);
2. **Test for duplication or inefficiency** in licensing, food regulation, environmental oversight, and bioeconomy policy;
3. **Confirm existence of government funding and pilot projects** that have already been publicly reported;
4. **Ensure transparency in search efforts**, including which units/databases were checked, and whether transfers under s14 were considered.

This approach is designed to establish a clear, cross-agency record before pursuing any further escalation. It is in the public interest given hemp’s role in climate mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and New Zealand’s emerging bioeconomy.

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From: NoReplyMinisterialServices
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment


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Kia ora Spencer Jones,
 
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 2/09/2025 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
 
Under the OIA, I request the following information from 1 January 2020 to
2 September 2025:

Bioeconomy/Innovation Role
Documents or reports identifying iHemp in MBIE’s bioeconomy or innovation
frameworks (e.g., 2023 bioeconomy report, circular economy initiatives).

Funding/Contracts
Records of MBIE-administered funding, pilot programs, or partnerships
involving iHemp (e.g., Callaghan Innovation projects).

Interagency Communications
All communications with MoH, MPI, MfE about hemp regulation, duplication,
or efficiency reforms.

Policy/Efficiency Reviews
Any reviews or papers assessing inefficiencies or overlaps in iHemp
regulation.

Please confirm which teams/databases were searched, and which keywords
used.
 
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 30/09/2025, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].
 
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 |  P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140

References

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1. mailto:[MBIE request email]

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From: NoReplyMinisterialServices
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment


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Attachment OIA Response letter DOIA REQ 0020484 Spencer Jones.pdf
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Kia ora Spencer
 
Please see attached our response to your request for information under the
Official Information Act 1982.

Ngā mihi nui,

Ministerial Services
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140
 

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From: SPENCER JONES

Subject: Request for Clarification – DOIA-REQ-0020484 (Industrial Hemp Innovation, Bioeconomy and Interagency Oversight 2020-2025)

Kia ora Nerissa Smith / MBIE Ministerial Services Team,

Thank you for your response dated 30 September 2025 (ref DOIA-REQ-0020484) to my OIA regarding Industrial Hemp Innovation, Bioeconomy and Interagency Oversight (2020–2025). I appreciate the detailed outline of your search process and the links provided.

After reviewing the response in full, I would appreciate clarification on three specific points to ensure the record is complete and accurate under sections 13 and 15 of the Act:

Previously Released Papers
– Your letter refers to “two papers previously released to you.”
Could you please identify these by title, date, and release reference number, and confirm whether they were supplied under this OIA or a prior request?
If they were not attached to this release, please provide copies or links.

Consultation with the Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
– Your response notes consultation with MPI and MoH but makes no mention of MfE, despite my request specifically including that agency.
Please confirm whether MfE was consulted and, if so, whether any correspondence, minutes, or records were identified or considered out of scope.

Internal Briefings and Advice
– While the Finding the Way (Coriolis 2023) report is helpful, please confirm whether any internal MBIE documents—such as ministerial briefings, aide memoires, or working notes—referenced industrial hemp within the Circular & Bioeconomy Research Programme or related innovation initiatives between 2020 and 2025.
If such material exists, please provide copies or specify any withholding grounds under sections 6 or 9.

For transparency, this clarification is made under section 13 of the OIA (assistance to requesters). If it is necessary to refine or transfer any aspect, please advise accordingly.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
[email address]

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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()

Clarification of DOIA-REQ-0020484

This post is a clarification request to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) regarding my earlier OIA on *Industrial Hemp Innovation, Bioeconomy and Interagency Oversight (2020–2025)* — Ref: **DOIA-REQ-0020484**, response dated **30 September 2025**.

The purpose of this clarification is to ensure the public record of MBIE’s response is complete and transparent. It focuses on:

1. Identification and access to the **“two papers previously released”** referenced in MBIE’s letter;
2. Confirmation of whether **the Ministry for the Environment (MfE)** was consulted during MBIE’s searches; and
3. Verification of any **internal MBIE briefings or ministerial advice** concerning industrial hemp under the Circular & Bioeconomy Research Programme.

This clarification is made under **section 13** of the Official Information Act 1982 (assistance to requesters) and is not a new OIA.
It seeks only to confirm or supply information already referred to in MBIE’s response so that the official record is accurate, transparent, and accessible for public interest review.

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From: NoReplyMinisterialServices
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment


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Kia ora Spencer Jones,
 
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 7/10/2025 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
 
Subject: Request for Clarification – DOIA-REQ-0020484 (Industrial Hemp
Innovation, Bioeconomy and Interagency Oversight 2020-2025)

Kia ora Nerissa Smith / MBIE Ministerial Services Team,

Thank you for your response dated 30 September 2025 (ref DOIA-REQ-0020484)
to my OIA regarding Industrial Hemp Innovation, Bioeconomy and Interagency
Oversight (2020–2025). I appreciate the detailed outline of your search
process and the links provided.

After reviewing the response in full, I would appreciate clarification on
three specific points to ensure the record is complete and accurate under
sections 13 and 15 of the Act:

Previously Released Papers
– Your letter refers to “two papers previously released to you.”
Could you please identify these by title, date, and release reference
number, and confirm whether they were supplied under this OIA or a prior
request?
If they were not attached to this release, please provide copies or links.

Consultation with the Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
– Your response notes consultation with MPI and MoH but makes no mention
of MfE, despite my request specifically including that agency.
Please confirm whether MfE was consulted and, if so, whether any
correspondence, minutes, or records were identified or considered out of
scope.

Internal Briefings and Advice
– While the Finding the Way (Coriolis 2023) report is helpful, please
confirm whether any internal MBIE documents—such as ministerial briefings,
aide memoires, or working notes—referenced industrial hemp within the
Circular & Bioeconomy Research Programme or related innovation initiatives
between 2020 and 2025.
If such material exists, please provide copies or specify any withholding
grounds under sections 6 or 9.
 
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 5/11/2025, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].
 
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 |  P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140

References

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1. mailto:[MBIE request email]

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From: SPENCER JONES

Response to Acknowledgment – Clarification Request DOIA-REQ-0020484 (Industrial Hemp Innovation, Bioeconomy, and Interagency Oversight 2020–2025)

Kia ora Ministerial Services Team,

Thank you for your email of 14 October 2025 acknowledging my clarification request (DOIA-REQ-0020484) under the Official Information Act 1982, sent on 7 October 2025. I appreciate your commitment to respond by 5 November 2025 and your provision for notifying any extension.

To assist in addressing my clarification request and ensuring a complete public record, I provide the following regarding the “two papers previously released” referenced in your 30 September 2025 response (DOIA-REQ-0020484):

1. Previously Released Papers
I believe these refer to documents released under OIA request DOIA-REQ-0016727 (fyi.org.nz/request/31350, dated 21 August 2025):
• Draft Hemp Position Paper 28 May 2019 (705K PDF, “Hemp Position Paper 28 May 2019.pdf”).
• Hemp Sector Position additional info (123K PDF, “Hemp sector position additional info.pdf”).
Please confirm if these are the intended documents. If so, as they predate my requested timeframe (1 January 2020–2 September 2025), they may not fully address my original request. If other documents were meant, please provide their titles, dates, release reference numbers, and copies or links, as requested.

2. Consultation with the Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
Your 30 September response noted consultations with MPI and MoH but omitted MfE, despite my request explicitly including this agency. Please confirm whether MfE was consulted and, if so, whether any correspondence, minutes, or records were identified (and deemed out of scope or withheld). If MfE was not consulted, please advise why, given the request’s scope, and whether a transfer under section 14 was considered.

3. Internal Briefings and Advice
While the Finding the Way (Coriolis 2023) report is appreciated, please confirm whether any internal MBIE documents—such as ministerial briefings, aide memoires, or working notes—referenced industrial hemp within the Circular & Bioeconomy Research Programme or related innovation initiatives between 1 January 2020 and 2 September 2025. If such materials exist, please provide copies or specify withholding grounds under sections 6 or 9, including the public interest test under section 9(1).

For transparency, I reiterate that this clarification seeks to complete the record under section 13 of the OIA. If any part requires refinement or transfer (e.g., to MfE), please advise promptly. I can be reached at [your email address] for any queries.

Thank you for your ongoing efforts to promote transparency in New Zealand’s industrial hemp and bioeconomy policy.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

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