Information on the Product Stewardship Scheme
Kate A made this Official Information request to Ministry for the Environment
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Kate A to read a recent response and update the status.
From: Kate A
Tēnā koe
Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information. I have itemised my request into clear sections, consistent with the Ombudsman’s guidance for specificity and ease of processing.
1. Correspondence with Specified Organisations
Please provide all correspondence (including emails, letters, file notes, and meeting records) between the Ministry for the Environment and the following organisations, from 1 January 2025 to the present:
a) The Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe)
b) A-Gas New Zealand
c) Beijer Ref and any subsidiaries
d) RefDestruct
e) Heat Pump Suppliers Association
f) Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers of New Zealand (IHRACE)
2. Synthetic Refrigerants Product Stewardship Scheme
Please provide all briefings, memos, and advice prepared by the Ministry for, or provided to, the Minister for the Environment regarding the synthetic refrigerants product stewardship scheme, from 1 January 2025 to the present.
3. Meeting-Specific Briefings and Notes
Please provide all briefing papers, meeting notes, memos, or other advice prepared by the Ministry for the Minister for the Environment in advance of, or following, the following meetings:
a) A-Gas New Zealand meeting with Mitchell Williamson – 5 March 2025
b) Chemical Destruction Services meeting with Clifton Madgwick, Michelle Kazor, and Aimie Hines – 27 March 2025
c) Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe) meeting with Janine Brinsdon and Michelle Kazor – 1 April 2025
d) Heat Pump Suppliers Association meeting with Darryl Rochester and Greg Picker – 15 May 2025
4. Timeliness of Response
I draw your attention to section 15(1)(b) of the Official Information Act, which requires that information be made available “as soon as reasonably practicable.” The Ombudsman has also made clear that agencies should not delay releasing information until the maximum statutory timeframe, nor hold all material for release in a single batch if some is available earlier.
Accordingly, I request that the material covered by this request be released progressively and without undue delay, in tranches if necessary, as soon as it is identified and ready for release.
Ngā mihi nui,
Kate A
From: Taku Mahi
Ministry for the Environment
Kia ora Kate A,
Thank you for your Official Information Act request received on
02/10/2025.
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in
any event no later than 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 to that timeframe.
Please note the Ministry for the Environment will release responses to
selected OIA requests on our [1]OIA responses page shortly after the
response has been sent.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at
[MFE request email].
Please note that this Taku Mahi inbox is not monitored.
Ngâ mihi nui
Ministerial Services Team
Ministry for the Environment – Manatû Mô Te Taiao
Email: [MFE request email] Website: [2]www.mfe.govt.nz
8 Willis Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011
References
Visible links
1. http://www.mfe.govt.nz/about-us/official...
2. http://www.mfe.govt.nz/
From: Rebecca Archibald
Ministry for the Environment
Tçnâ koe Kate,
Thank you for your below Official Information Act (OIA) requesting the
following information:
“Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information. I have itemised my request into clear sections, consistent
with the Ombudsman’s guidance for specificity and ease of processing.
1. Correspondence with Specified Organisations
Please provide all correspondence (including emails, letters, file notes,
and meeting records) between the Ministry for the Environment and the
following organisations, from 1 January 2025 to the present:
a)The Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe)
b)A-Gas New Zealand
c)Beijer Ref and any subsidiaries
d)RefDestruct
e)Heat Pump Suppliers Association
f)Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers of
New Zealand (IHRACE)
2. Synthetic Refrigerants Product Stewardship Scheme
Please provide all briefings, memos, and advice prepared by the Ministry
for, or provided to, the Minister for the Environment regarding the
synthetic refrigerants product stewardship scheme, from 1 January 2025 to
the present.
3. Meeting-Specific Briefings and Notes
Please provide all briefing papers, meeting notes, memos, or other advice
prepared by the Ministry for the Minister for the Environment in advance
of, or following, the following meetings:
a)A-Gas New Zealand meeting with Mitchell Williamson – 5 March 2025
b)Chemical Destruction Services meeting with Clifton Madgwick, Michelle
Kazor, and Aimie Hines – 27 March 2025
c)Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe) meeting
with Janine Brinsdon and Michelle Kazor – 1 April 2025
d)Heat Pump Suppliers Association meeting with Darryl Rochester and Greg
Picker – 15 May 2025”
Clarification of your request
We are currently preparing a response to your request. However, in
assessing the scope of your request, we consider it is very broad and
likely captures a large amount of information. In its current format, the
Ministry may be unable to respond to your request in a reasonable
timeframe and would need to consider refusal under section 18(f) of the
Act.
We therefore invite you to refine your request by:
o Reducing the scope of part one of your request to correspondence with
one or two organisations of most interest.
o Clarifying the scope of part one and two of your request by
identifying which aspect(s) of the Synthetic Refrigerants Product
Stewardship Scheme are of most interest, i.e.
o data reporting requirements
o training requirements
o domestic destruction facility standards
o the Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerant’s role as the
Product Steward Organisation
o The role of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme in the
destruction/export of synthetic refrigerants
o Progress on the drafting and implementation of the scheme’s
regulations
We consider that refining your request would target the information that
you consider to be most relevant to your interest, while also enabling us
to respond in a reasonable timeframe. If you could please confirm whether
you are willing to refine this part of your request by 5pm Tuesday 21
October that would be greatly appreciated.
The Ministry understands that you have also submitted an identical request
to the Minister for the Environment, Hon. Penny Simmonds. Please be
advised that any refinement to this request will likewise apply to the
request submitted to the Minister.
Please note that, regardless of whether a refinement is made, the Ministry
may need to refine further and/or extend the timeframes to respond to your
request in accordance with section 15A(1) of the Act.
Thank you in advance and please reach out if you have any questions or
concerns.
Ngâ mihi nui
Rebecca Archibald-Williams
Advisor – Official Information and Proactive Release | Kaitohutohu
Ministerial Services | Ngâ Pûnaha Minita
Ministry for the Environment | Manatû Mô Te Taiao
show quoted sections
From: Kate A
Tēnā koe Rebecca,
Thank you for your email of 16 October.
I appreciate the Ministry’s consideration of my request. I do not wish to refine the subject matter of Parts 1 and 2 at this stage, but I am open to discussing practical arrangements for staged release if the volume proves larger than anticipated.
To assist both parties in ensuring the request can be met without undue difficulty, I ask the Ministry to:
1 - Provide an estimate of the volume of correspondence identified under Part 1 of my request, broken down by organisation if possible.
2 - Provide an estimate of the number of briefings, memos, or advice papers that fall within Part 2 of my request (synthetic refrigerants product stewardship scheme, from 1 January 2025). My expectation is that the number of such documents will be modest, likely fewer than 25 in total this year, which should be readily manageable within the Act’s requirements.
For clarity, I am not lodging a new request for official information. I am asking the Ministry to provide these estimates as part of its duty under section 18B of the OIA to assist me in making my request manageable.
I also note:
Part 3 of my request is inherently narrow and specific to particular meetings. The relevant briefing notes and papers will already exist as stand-alone documents. In line with section 15(1)(b) of the Act and Ombudsman guidance on progressive release, I ask that this material be released without delay and well within the 20-working-day statutory timeframe.
More generally, I ask that the Ministry adopt a progressive release approach across all parts of the request, releasing material as it is identified and cleared, rather than holding everything until the final day of the deadline.
Ngā mihi nui,
Kate A
From: Rebecca Archibald
Ministry for the Environment
Tēnā koe Kate,
Thank you for your email of 17 October.
Regarding part 1 of your request, our initial search of our email archive
system has captured over 3,000 results. The time and resource commitment
required to assess and review this volume of correspondence to determine
what is in scope of this request is substantial. As it stands, the
Ministry would likely need to consider refusal under section 18(f) of the
Act due to the significant administrative efforts required.
To assist us in progressing your request, we would appreciate your help in
narrowing the scope of this part of your request. Specifically, could you
please clarify the topics or themes of information you are seeking in the
correspondence with the listed organisations? This will enable us to
refine our search terms and focus on the material most relevant to your
interests, while also ensuring efficient use of our resources.
For part 2, we have identified 31 documents that fall in the current scope
of this part of your request. We are in the process of assessing these for
release and will provide you with an update in due course.
Please note that, regardless of whether a refinement is made, the Ministry
may need to refine further and/or extend the timeframes to respond to your
request in accordance with section 15A(1) of the Act.
Thank you in advance and please reach out if you have any questions or
concerns.
Ngā mihi nui
Rebecca Archibald-Williams
Advisor – Official Information and Proactive Release | Kaitohutohu
Ministerial Services | Ngā Pūnaha Minita
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
show quoted sections
From: Kate A
Tēnā koe Rebecca,
Thank you for your update of 20 October. I appreciate the Ministry providing further detail on the search results.
Part 1 – Correspondence
You note that the initial search captured over 3,000 results. To help me make an informed decision about whether refinement is necessary, could the Ministry please:
Provide a breakdown of the approximate number of results by organisation (e.g., A-Gas, Cool-Safe, IHRACE); and
Confirm whether that figure includes duplicates, internal forwards, or newsletters or other generic stakeholder updates, and what search filters or parameters were applied.
Understanding the distribution by organisation will assist me in narrowing the scope in a meaningful and evidence-based way.
Parts 2 and 3 – prioritisation
Given that the Ministry has already identified 31 documents under Part 2 and that the materials under Part 3 are discrete ministerial briefings for specified meetings, I ask that these two parts be prioritised for assessment and release. Receiving them first would materially assist me in refining the correspondence component of my request.
Clarification regarding the Minister’s Office
For clarity, this correspondence and any subsequent consultation relate only to my request to the Ministry for the Environment. I do not intend to rescope or limit the parallel request made to the Minister for the Environment, as the quantity of relevant correspondence held by the Minister’s Office is expected to be far lower than the 3,000 items identified within the Ministry’s systems. If this assumption is incorrect, I would appreciate an opportunity to rescope my request to the Minister, rather than a refusal under section 18(f).
Please note that this correspondence forms part of the consultation process under section 18(b) of the OIA and is not a new request for official information.
Ngā mihi nui,
Kate
From: Rebecca Archibald
Ministry for the Environment
Tçnâ koe Kate,
Please find below the breakdown of the approximate number of email results
by organisation:
o The Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe) =
2572
o A-Gas New Zealand = 147
o Beijer Ref and any subsidiaries = 0
o Refdestruct = 38
o Heat Pump Suppliers Association = 219
o Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers of
New Zealand (IHRACE) = 110
These figures reflect all emails exchanged between the domain
‘mfe.govt.nz’ and the respective company domains. As your request was for
“all correspondence,” the results may include duplicates, internal
forwards, newsletters, and other generic stakeholder updates. Please note
that removing these would require a manual review, which is not feasible
due to the significant results until we narrow the search terms.
Is there a specific topic or theme information you are seeking in the
correspondence with the listed organisations? Would you like to refine the
correspondence search to be emails specifically about the “Synthetic
Refrigerants Product Stewardship Scheme”? Or would you consider excluding
certain organisations from the scope?
To reiterate, without narrowing the scope of the first part of your
request, the Ministry would need to consider refusal under section 18(f)
of the Act due to the significant administrative efforts required, as well
as extensive consultation that may be necessary in order to make a
decision on this request.
Please be assured that we have continued progressing the remainder of your
request while awaiting clarification on the correspondence.
Ngâ mihi nui
Rebecca Archibald-Williams
Advisor – Official Information and Proactive Release | Kaitohutohu
Ministerial Services | Ngâ Pûnaha Minita
Ministry for the Environment | Manatû Mô Te Taiao
show quoted sections
From: Kate A
Tēnā koe Rebecca,
Thank you for providing the organisational breakdown and further clarification.
To assist the Ministry in progressing the request efficiently, I propose the following approach:
Part 1 – Correspondence
Please proceed for now with the approximately 500 items of correspondence identified with A-Gas NZ, RefDestruct, the Heat Pump Suppliers Association, and IHRACE. This represents a substantial narrowing from the original scope and should be readily manageable within the Act’s requirements. The Ministry may exclude duplicates, automated messages, and other clearly administrative traffic at its discretion.
I do not wish to exclude the correspondence with Cool-Safe altogether. However, I propose that this portion be addressed after the release of information under Parts 2 and 3. Receiving those materials first will allow me to frame any subsequent, more targeted follow-up on the Cool-Safe correspondence. This sequencing is a practical staging of the same request rather than a change of subject matter.
Should the Ministry nonetheless consider refusal under section 18(f), I note that the remaining volume is modest for an agency of this size. The Ombudsman’s published guidance on “large or broadly framed requests” recognises that processing several hundred emails is normally considered reasonable where standard filtering tools can remove duplicates and clearly irrelevant material. In such circumstances, refusal under 18(f) would be difficult to justify when other options remain available.
Parts 2 and 3 – Priority
As previously discussed, please prioritise assessment and release of these parts. Having those documents will materially assist in refining any further request concerning the Cool-Safe correspondence.
Please note that this correspondence forms part of the consultation process under section 18B of the OIA and does not constitute a new request for official information.
Ngā mihi nui,
Kate
From: Penny Simmonds (MIN)
Dear Kate
Thank you for your email of 2 October 2025 requesting the following under
the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information. I have itemised my request into clear sections, consistent
with the Ombudsman’s guidance for specificity and ease of processing.
1. Correspondence and Advice with Specified Organisations
Please provide all briefings, memos, meeting advice notes, and
correspondence (including emails, letters, and file notes) between you and
your office staff, and the following organisations, from 1 January 2025 to
the present:
a) The Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe)
b) A-Gas New Zealand
c) Beijer Ref and any subsidiaries
d) RefDestruct
e) Heat Pump Suppliers Association
f) Institute of Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers of
New Zealand (IHRACE)
2. Synthetic Refrigerants Product Stewardship Scheme Please provide all
briefings, memos, and advice prepared for you or your office regarding the
synthetic refrigerants product stewardship scheme, from 1 January 2025 to
the present.
3. Meeting-Specific Briefings and Notes
Please provide all briefing papers, meeting notes, memos, or other advice
prepared for your office in advance of, or following, the following
meetings:
a) A-Gas New Zealand meeting with Mitchell Williamson – 5 March 2025
b) Chemical Destruction Services meeting with Clifton Madgwick, Michelle
Kazor, and Aimie Hines – 27 March 2025
c) Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants (Cool-Safe) meeting
with Janine Brinsdon and Michelle Kazor – 1 April 2025
d) Heat Pump Suppliers Association meeting with Darryl Rochester and Greg
Picker – 15 May 2025
My office does not hold any further information relating to parts 2 and 3
of your request that is not already held by the Ministry for the
Environment (the Ministry), who I understand has also received a similar
request from you. In these circumstances, I consider it is more
appropriate for the Ministry to respond to these parts of your request,
therefore the information requested will be provided in the departmental
Official Information Act request you have made to the Ministry for the
Environment.
I am also extending the timeframe for response to part 1 of your request
under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as consultations necessary to make a
decision on the request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably
be made within the original timeframe.
We will now respond to your request on, if not before, 28 November 2025,
which is an extension of 20 working days.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Office of
the Ombudsman of my decisions relating to this request, in accordance with
section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant details can be found at:
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Penny Simmonds
Minister for the Environment | Minister for Vocational Education
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment
MP for Invercargill
P: 04 817 6815
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Penny Simmonds, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence (note: this contains the same information already available above).
Offensive? Unsuitable?
Requests for personal information and vexatious requests are not considered valid requests for Official Information (read more).
If you believe this request is not suitable, you can report it for attention by the site administrators
Report this requestAct on what you've learnt
Similar requests
Greenhouse gas emissions
To Ministry for the Environment by International Climate Safe Travel Institute
