Dear Ministry for the Environment,

Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information covering the period 1 January 2024 to present.

1. Email and message correspondence
All email correspondence, Microsoft Teams messages, and meeting notes exchanged between:
• Hakarangi Tichborne (General Manager – Tūmatakōkiri)
• Marie Helson (Business Partner – People & Capability, Tūmatakōkiri)
• Matthew Gutschlag (Manager – People & Capability)
• Tracey Kaio (General Manager – People & Capability)
• and/or any other member of the People & Capability (HR) team,
where any of the following terms appear in the subject line or body:
complaint, concern, psychological safety, wellbeing, bullying, performance, PIP, misconduct, explore stage, investigation, or restructure.

2. HR advice or guidance provided
Any briefing notes, templates, or advice documents supplied by People & Capability or Legal to:
• Hakarangi Tichborne,
• the DCE –Tūmatakōkiri, or
• any other senior leader
regarding the management of staff complaints, performance processes, restructures, or wellbeing/psychological-safety risks within Tūmatakōkiri during this period.

3. Records of oversight and escalation
Any correspondence, minutes, or notes showing when:
• HR,
• the DCE – Tūmatakōkiri, or
• the Chief Executive
were first informed of psychological-safety, bullying, or wellbeing concerns within the Tūmatakōkiri directorate, and any subsequent follow-up, mitigation, or review actions undertaken.

4. Internal reporting and risk registers
Any internal reporting, risk registers, or summary documents produced by People & Capability (HR) relating to staff complaints, wellbeing, or psychological-safety concerns within Tūmatakōkiri since 1 January 2024, including any reference to trends, high-risk individuals or teams, or escalation to senior leadership.

5. Leadership awareness and outcomes
Any correspondence, briefing notes, or meeting records showing when the DCE – Tūmatakōkiri, GM Tūmatakōkiri, or Chief Executive were informed of concerns relating to bullying, psychological safety, or retention risks within Tūmatakōkiri, and any outcomes, actions, or decisions arising from these discussions.

6. Quantitative correspondence data
Please confirm the total number of emails and Teams messages captured by the search terms used in response to this request, broken down by sender (e.g., Hakarangi Tichborne, Marie Helson, or other HR staff).

7. HR policy and guidance
Please provide the current internal guidance or policy used by People & Capability for determining whether staff complaints are investigated, redirected, or deemed resolved informally, and any changes to that guidance since 1 January 2024.

8. HR escalation records
Please provide any records or trackers showing how many matters were escalated by Hakarangi Tichborne to HR for advice or intervention since 1 January 2024, and the outcomes recorded.

9. Complaints or correspondence indicating HR process concerns
Please provide any emails, Teams messages, or briefing notes (including those received from staff or exchanged between Hakarangi Tichborne, Marie Helson, Matthew Gutschlag, Tracey Kaio, or other HR/Legal staff) that:
• refer to concerns about HR processes not being followed correctly,
• note departures from or inconsistencies with HR policy or the Public Service Commission’s “Speaking Up” standards,
• raise issues of procedural fairness, bias, or conflicts of interest, or
• reference the need for independent advice, escalation, or HR review of process integrity.
For the purpose of the email/Teams search, please include key terms such as:
“process not followed”, “procedural fairness”, “breach of policy”, “bias”, “conflict of interest”, “inappropriate handling”, “HR failure”, “HR advice ignored”, “informal handling”, “no investigation”, “speak up”, “model standards”, “PSC”, “WorkSafe”, or “psychological safety”.

Clarifications
• This request concerns process and governance, not the personal details of employees.
• Please release documents with necessary redactions rather than withholding in full.
• Information that is no longer under active consideration should not be withheld under s 9(2)(f)(iv); any reliance on that ground should apply only to genuinely live, deliberative material.
• If any parts are withheld, please provide the remainder and state the precise statutory grounds for each withholding.
• Please interpret this request broadly, capturing all relevant correspondence, meeting notes, attachments, and draft material held in MfE’s document management or messaging systems.

For the purposes of this request, the term “complaint” includes any expression of concern, allegation, or report - whether formal or informal, written or verbal - raised by a staff member, contractor, or representative that relates to workplace behaviour, leadership conduct, bullying or harassment, wellbeing or psychological safety, cultural safety, or procedural fairness.

This includes but is not limited to:
concerns raised in emails, Teams chats, exit interviews, or performance discussions;
matters logged through HR or People & Capability channels (including “informal” or “off-the-record” cases); and
feedback or concerns raised through staff hui, lessons-learned exercises, or surveys.

This request is made in the public interest to promote transparency around HR–leadership decision-making, wellbeing, governance, and compliance with the Public Service Commission’s Speak Up Model Standards.

Yours faithfully,

Te Okiwa

Tēna koe,

My name is Te Okiwa Maclean, TVNZ journalist.

Yours sincerely,

Te Okiwa