4 December 2025
OIAD-1802
Chris McCashin
Tēnā koe Chris
Thank you for your email of 22 October 2025 requesting the following under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act) of the Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry):
…It is noted that the Ministry for the Environment has publicly stated there is no evidence
to suggest that geoengineering activities are currently taking place in New Zealand. In
accordance with the OIA, I request the following information regarding all claims, public
correspondence, and internal investigative or evaluative work relating to geoengineering
in New Zealand since 1 January 2005
Public Correspondence and Claims
The total number of complaints, reports, emails, and messages received from the public
relating to allegations, concerns, or evidence of geoengineering occurring in New
Zealand. Copies of all correspondence, emails, messages, and any evidence provided by
the public regarding geoengineering for the requested timeframe.
Investigative Actions and Assessments:
Detailed outline of any and all investigations, research, studies, or assessments
conducted by the Ministry relating to claims of geoengineering. The names or descriptions
of the team(s) or staff units responsible for investigating or evaluating such claims, and
their terms of engagement or reference. Any documentation or results from environmental
testing (e.g., rainwater, soil tests, air-quality etc etc) connected to claims or suspicions of
geoengineering. All reports, findings, or analyses produced by or for the Ministry that
address, refute, or otherwise relate to public claims of geoengineering in New Zealand.
Internal Communications and Decision-Making:
Copies of any internal memos, meeting notes, email correspondence, or other
communications between Ministry staff relating to geoengineering claims and/or the
Ministry’s responses to these claims. Any documentation explaining the Ministry’s
rationale or criteria for choosing to investigate, or not investigate, specific complaints or
claims regarding geoengineering. I request that this information covers the period from 1
January 2005 to the present day. If any part of my request is likely to be refused under
the Act, I ask that you consider releasing any information that can be made available.
On 18 November 2025, the Ministry advised you by email that the timeframe for responding to your
request had been extended by 10 working days under section 15A(1)(a) of the Act, as the request
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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necessitated a search through a large quantity of information and meeting the original time limit
would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the department.
I have identified 40 documents in scope of part one of your request, for “
Public Correspondence
and Claims”, as listed in the document schedule below.
I am releasing 29 documents to you in part, with some information withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act to protect the privacy of natural persons.
Some information in these documents is also redacted as out of scope of the request, as they are
administrative discussions not regarding geoengineering.
I am refusing 11 documents in full under section 18(d) of the Act as they are already publicly
available. Links are provided within the document schedule below. Some information has been
withheld under section 9 of the Act in these documents.
We have interpreted the part of your request for
“Internal Communications and Decision-Making” as referring to internal discussions on geoengineering policy and decision-making, rather than
internal discussion regarding previous Official Information Act requests and correspondence.
I am refusing parts two and three of your request, for “
Investigative Actions and Assessments” and
“
Internal Communications and Decision-Making”, under section 18(e) of the Act, as the document
alleged to contain the information requested does not exist. There are no documents that contain
the information that you have requested for parts two and three of your request.
In terms of section 9(1) of the Act, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances, the withholding of
information in this request is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable to
make the information available in the public interest.
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:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Please note that due to the public interest in our work, the Ministry publishes responses to requests
for official information shortly after the response has been sent on our website at:
https://environment.govt.nz/about-us/official-information-act-requests/. If you have any queries
about this, please feel free to contact our Ministerial Services team at:
[email address]. Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Kenward
Manager – Hazardous Substances Policy
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
2
Document schedule
# Date
Code
Title
Decision
Grounds
Link/Notes
1. 18 Mar
Email and
Re_ Response to your email to the Environmental Release in part
9(2)(a)
2011
attachments Protection Authority
2. 22 Mar
Email and
Aircraft spraying incident in Warkworth, Auckland
Release in part
9(2)(a)
Some information is redacted from the attachments under section 9(2)(a) of the Act
2011
attachments
to protect the privacy of natural persons, as these attachments contain potentially
identifying information.
3. 12 Dec
Email and
OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST_ _
Release in part
9(2)(a), 18(d)
Attachment 2 refused under section 18(d) of the Act as it is publicly available at:
2022
attachment
_CLOUD-SEEDING_ (RAIN CREATION) HAS
https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/assets/documents/Mike-Harvey-Atmospheric-
BECOME A POPULAR TERM MASKING A
Geoengineering.pdf
MUCH BROADER RANGE OF APPLICATIONS
THAT HAVE COME TO BE KNOWN AS
_GEOENGINEERING
4. 29 Mar
Email and
[No subject]
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2013
attachment
5. 1 Jun
Email and
Re Climate Change Contribution Consultation
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2015
attachment
6. 20 Nov
Email
RE_ Atmospheric Aerosol forcing and SRM
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2015
research in NZ
7. 8 Dec
Email and
Attention – Manager for Climate Change Analysis Release in part
9(2)(a)
2015
attachments
8. 8 Dec
Email
Attention – Manager for Climate Change Analysis Release in part
9(2)(a)
2015
9. 12 Feb
Email
Atmospheric Aerosol forcing and SRM research in Release in part
9(2)(a)
2016
NZ
10. 10 Mar
Email
MfE website
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2016
11. 5 Apr
Email
FW_ Request for destruction of OIA Memo 16-D-
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2016
00142
12. 15 Apr
Email and
RE_ Response from the Office of Hon Dr Nick
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2016
attachments Smith - OIA Request
13. 20 Apr
Email and
FW_ Request for destruction of OIA Memo 16-D-
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2016
attachments 00142
14. 18 Jan
Email
RE_ Information request regarding matters
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2018
relating to climate_control_engineering as
mitigation for climate change
15. 10 Oct
Email and
Our skies are being poisoned and so are we.
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2018
attachments
16. 18 Oct
Email
Re_ Our skies are being poisoned and so are we. Release in part
9(2)(a)
2018
17. 12 Mar
Email
RE_ Summary of all public correspondence on
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2019
chemtrailing in NZ.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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# Date
Code
Title
Decision
Grounds
Link/Notes
18. 25 Mar
Email
Climate change and Geoengineering
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2022
19. 18 Aug
Email
Re_ Official Information request regarding the
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2023
Chemical Trailing (geoengineering) that is being
conducted over New Zealand
20. 30 Oct
Email
Man made weather
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2023
21. 11 Apr
Email
Sprayed over our area in Northland Tues, weather Release in part
9(2)(a)
2024
bomb by Thursday, same pattern as the last 2
years...
22. 4 Jun
Email
Artificial Modification of Earth's Climate Systems
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2024
(AKA Geoengineering)
23. 4 Oct
Email
Geoengineering
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2024
24. 20 Oct
Email
Weather modification
Release in part
9(2)(a)
Some information has been redacted as out of scope.
2024
25. 12 Nov
Email
[No subject]
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2024
26. 5 Dec
Email and
Official Information Act Request _ 5 December
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2024
attachment
2024
27. 27 Mar
Email
Chem trails Geoengineering increase
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2025
28. 30 Apr
Email
Request for Information Regarding Atmospheric
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2025
Modification and Geoengineering Activities
29. 1 May
Email
Official Information Act request – NZ links with
Release in part
9(2)(a)
2025
DARPA, UN, WEF & deliberate climate-
modification programmes
30. 18 May Email
OIA request
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://fyi.org.nz/request/4022-information-regarding-received-communications-and-
2016
any-action-or-no-action-taken#incoming-13122
31. 8 Jan
18-D-02187 Chemical trails
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://environment.govt.nz/assets/OIA/Files/18-D-02187.pdf
2019
32. 18 Jan
OIAD-108
Atmospheric spraying "chemtrails" in New
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://environment.govt.nz/oia-releases/atmospheric-spraying-chemtrails-in-new-
2022
Zealand
zealand/
33. 28 Jan
Email
RE_ Response to your Official Information Act
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://fyi.org.nz/request/20917-geoengineering#outgoing-35816
2023
request - reference OIAD-454
34. 3 May
Email
Solar Geo Engineering in New Zealand
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://fyi.org.nz/request/22002-solar-geo-engineering-in-new-zealand
2023
35. 14 Nov
OIAD-737
Cloud seeding or Geoengineering
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://environment.govt.nz/oia-releases/737/
2023
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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# Date
Code
Title
Decision
Grounds
Link/Notes
36. 21 Feb
OIAD-970
Request all reports and enquiries received by the
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://environment.govt.nz/oia-releases/atmospheric-aerosol-geoengineering-
2024
public regarding Atmospheric aerosol
chemtrails-aircraft-emissions-stratospheric-aerosol-injection-or-solar-radiation-
geoengineering, Chemtrails, Aircraft emissions,
management/
Stratospheric aerosol injection or Solar radiation
management since 2010
37. 27 Oct
OIAD-1356
Information and documentation related to
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://environment.govt.nz/oia-releases/information-and-documentation-related-to-
2024
geoengineering studies conducted or
geoengineering-studies-conducted-or-commissioned-by-the-ministry-for-the-
commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment
environment/
38.
29 Oct
OIAD-1200
Request about weather modification information
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://environment.govt.nz/oia-releases/request-about-weather-modification-
2024
information/
39. 28 Jul
OIAD-1698
Official Information Request Regarding
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://fyi.org.nz/request/30286-official-information-request-regarding-
2025
Geoengineering Activities and National
geoengineering-activities-and-national-engagement#incoming-128692
Engagement
40. 22 Oct
OIAD-1802
Geoengineering Claims and Related
Refuse in ful
18(d)
https://fyi.org.nz/request/32626-geoengineering-claims-and-related-correspondence-
2025
Correspondence/Investigations
investigations#incoming-134469
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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