Thank you for contacting the Help Enquiry Portal  
  
Your enquiry regarding "Official Information request - International
Travel" has been received and will be assigned to the appropriate
Horizons Staff Member.

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Friday, 0800 - 1700, excluding Public Holidays).  If this enquiry is
urgent, please call 0508-800800 to speak to the after-hours operator.
You can add details to your enquiry by replying to this message.

Thanks

Help Team

Thank you for contacting the Help Enquiry Portal  
  
Your enquiry regarding "Re: Official Information request -
International Travel" has been received and will be assigned to the
appropriate Horizons Staff Member.

The Enquiry Portal is not monitored outside of business hours (Monday -
Friday, 0800 - 1700, excluding Public Holidays).  If this enquiry is
urgent, please call 0508-800800 to speak to the after-hours operator.
You can add details to your enquiry by replying to this message.

Thanks

Help Team

Dear Frank,

Official information request for information around international flights
taken by HRC staff  

I acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 8
September 2025 for information around international flights taken by
Horizons Regional Council staff.

We received your request on 8 September 2025. We will endeavour to respond
to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 6
October 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.

Yours sincerely

 

LGOIMA Admin

[https://bit.ly/3k26P3T]

Dear Michael McCartney (Chief Executive of Horizons Regional Council)

This OIA covers the period for the last 5 years, up to an including today,
this being 8 September 2025.

Please provide the following information regarding international flights
taken by Horizons Regional Council staff, used in conducting council
business – including those related to shared service agreements with other
councils and/or council holdings companies.

1. Please provide the date, origin and destination, airline and class of
travel (e.g. business class) for all international flights.

2. Please provide a description of the purpose of each trip, specific to
the service provided to the ratepayer by council.

3. Please provide the justification for each trip, specifically detailing
the benefit to the ratepayer outlined in the travel request documentation
that you or someone authorized to sign on your behalf have signed prior to
flights having been booked.

4. Please provide copies of the cost benefit analysis undertaken for each
trip as part of the travel request and sign-off process.

5. Please provide details of how each instance of travel was assessed
again council all climate-change / sustainability policies, prior to
travel being signed off, including the specific reason that the work could
not be undertaken remotely via video conferencing.

Yours faithfully,
Frank

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32262 email]

Is [Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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.

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

 

Dear Frank,

Official information request for international flights taken by HRC staff 

 

I refer to your official information request dated 8 September for
information around international flights taken by Horizons Regional
Council staff. 

 

The information you have requested is below and attached. As requested,
this information covers the period 8 September 2020 to 8 September 2025
and includes travel related to shared service agreements with other
councils and/or council holdings companies.

 

1.                 Please provide the date, origin and destination,
airline and class of travel (e.g. business class) for all international
flights.
See attached.

 

2.                Please provide a description of the purpose of each
trip, specific to the service provided to the ratepayer by council.
See attached.

 

3.               Please provide the justification for each trip,
specifically detailing the benefit to the ratepayer outlined in the travel
request documentation that you or someone authorized to sign on your
behalf have signed prior to flights having been booked.
Specific information regarding benefit to the ratepayer is not gathered as
part of the travel authorisation process, however, our travel policy
states:

 

For overseas travel, there must be a significant benefit to Horizons for
investing in the travel for staff and at a minimum the travel should:

·         Bring new knowledge and expertise to Horizons; and

·         Contribute significantly to Horizons’ current or future work
plans and strategies; and

·         Enhance the staff members’ knowledge and experience relevant to
their position; and

·         Be an integral part of the staff members’ current KRA’s; and

·         Not negatively impact on the work programme of that team.

4.                Please provide copies of the cost benefit analysis
undertaken for each trip as part of the travel request and sign-off
process.
This is also not part of the process, however, our policy requires
economical flight choices to be made.

5.                Please provide details of how each instance of travel
was assessed again council all climate-change/sustainability policies,
prior to travel being signed off, including the specific reason that the
work could not be undertaken remotely via video conferencing.
In all instances, attending in person was required in order to gain the
sufficient level of information sought for the purpose of the trip and/or
video conferencing was not possible/practical.

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
us by return email.

 

Yours sincerely

 

LGOIMA Admin

[https://bit.ly/3k26P3T]

Dear Michael McCartney (Chief Executive of Horizons Regional Council)

This OIA covers the period for the last 5 years, up to an including today,
this being 8 September 2025.

Please provide the following information regarding international flights
taken by Horizons Regional Council staff, used in conducting council
business – including those related to shared service agreements with other
councils and/or council holdings companies.

1. Please provide the date, origin and destination, airline and class of
travel (e.g. business class) for all international flights.

2. Please provide a description of the purpose of each trip, specific to
the service provided to the ratepayer by council.

3. Please provide the justification for each trip, specifically detailing
the benefit to the ratepayer outlined in the travel request documentation
that you or someone authorized to sign on your behalf have signed prior to
flights having been booked.

4. Please provide copies of the cost benefit analysis undertaken for each
trip as part of the travel request and sign-off process.

5. Please provide details of how each instance of travel was assessed
again council all climate-change / sustainability policies, prior to
travel being signed off, including the specific reason that the work could
not be undertaken remotely via video conferencing.

Yours faithfully,
Frank

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

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32262 email]

Is [Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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.

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