5 February 2026
OIAD-1815
Phoebe Robertson
Tēnā koe Phoebe
Thank you for your email of 3 November 2025 requesting the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) of the Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry):
1. Governance and Executive-Level Reporting
Copies of all reports, briefings, minutes, presentations, or discussion papers
provided to any of the following since 1 January 2023:
• the Chief Executive,
• any Deputy Chief Executive,
• the Executive Leadership Team, and/or
• the Audit & Risk Committee,
that relate to or reference:
• staff wellbeing, stress, morale, or culture,
• bullying, harassment, or psychological harm,
• psychosocial or mental-health risk management,
• health, safety, and wellbeing performance, or
• retention and turnover concerns linked to workplace culture.
Please include any attachments, appendices, or summary dashboards referenced in
those materials.
2. Risk Registers and Organisational Health Reporting
Copies of all risk-register entries, hazard logs, or risk-review summaries maintained
or discussed at the executive or governance level that reference:
• staff wellbeing or psychological safety,
• workplace culture or leadership risk, or
• psychosocial hazards or stress-related risks,
during the same period.
3. Escalations and External Engagement
Copies of any emails, briefings, or memoranda exchanged between:
• the Chief Executive,
• any Deputy Chief Executive, or
• members of the Audit & Risk Committee,
that discuss or reference:
• escalations or concerns about bullying, psychological harm, or wellbeing issues,
• engagement or correspondence with WorkSafe NZ, the Public Service
Commission, or any other external agency about psychosocial or wellbeing matters,
or
• any decision-making relating to staff safety, culture, or mental-health risk.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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4. Assurance Frameworks and Reviews
Copies of any frameworks, internal audits, self-assessments, or guidance
documents that describe how the Ministry provides governance oversight of
psychosocial risk, wellbeing, or staff safety, including:
• any changes, reviews, or updates made since 1 January 2023, and
• any documentation evidencing how senior leaders monitor or report on
organisational culture or psychological safety.
5. Internal Surveys and Analysis
Copies of any staff-survey results, pulse checks, or analysis shared with the
Executive Leadership Team or Audit & Risk Committee since 1 January 2023 that
include findings or metrics relating to:
• stress, burnout, morale, or psychological safety; or
• staff confidence in raising issues or accessing safe channels for support.
6. Critical Health and Safety Events
Copies of all incident reports, notifications, or summaries received or recorded by
the Ministry since 1 January 2023 that relate to:
• serious harm, attempted self-harm, or suicide involving a current or former
employee;
• critical wel being or psychological safety incidents; or
• acute mental-health events that required medical, emergency, or external
intervention.
Please include:
• any internal incident report forms (including Vault or equivalent system entries),
• notifications or reports made to WorkSafe NZ, the Public Service Commission, or
other agencies, and
• any debriefs, reviews, or follow-up actions taken by leadership, HR, or health and
safety teams.
7. Governance and Reporting
Copies of any briefings, emails, or reports provided to:
• the Chief Executive,
• any Deputy Chief Executive, or
• the Audit & Risk Committee,
that discuss or reference any of the incidents above.
8. Review or Remediation Actions
Copies of any reviews, investigations, or lessons-learned reports undertaken by or
for the Ministry in response to any such incidents since January 2023.
On 27 January 2026, I notified you of the Ministry’s decision on your request and advised
that we would provide you with the documents that we were releasing to you no later than 5
February 2026.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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I have identified 34 documents in scope of the first, second, and fourth parts of your request,
as outlined in the document schedule below.
I am releasing these documents in part, some as excerpts as per section 16(1)(e) of the Act,
with some information withheld under the following sections of the Act:
6(d)
as the making available of that information would be likely to endanger the
safety of any person.
9(2)(a)
to protect the privacy of natural persons.
9(2)(ba)(i) to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or
which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the
authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information
would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information, or information
from the same source, and it is in the public interest that such information
should continue to be supplied.
9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank
expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or
members of an organisation or officers and employees of any public service
agency or organisation in the course of their duty.
9(2)(h)
to maintain legal professional privilege.
I have identified five emails in scope of the third part of your request, as outlined in the
document schedule below.
I am releasing one email to you in part, with some information withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act to protect the privacy of natural persons.
I am withholding the remaining four emails in full under the following sections of the Act:
6(d)
as the making available of that information would be likely to endanger the
safety of any person.
9(2)(a)
to protect the privacy of natural persons.
I have identified five documents in scope of the fifth part of your request, as outlined in the
document schedule below.
I am releasing one to you as an excerpt as per section 16(1)(e) of the Act.
I am releasing four to you in part as excerpts as per section 16(1)(e) of the Act, with some
information withheld under section 9(2)(ba)(i) of the Act to protect information which is
subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled
to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the
information would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from
the same source, and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be
supplied.
I have identified 11 notifications, one email, and one document in scope of the sixth, seventh,
and eighth parts of your request, as outlined in the document schedule below.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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I am withholding all of these in full under the following sections of the Act:
6(d)
as the making available of that information would be likely to endanger the
safety of any person.
9(2)(a)
to protect the privacy of natural persons.
The Ministry recorded a single critical incident as described in the sixth part of your request
between 1 January 2023 and 3 November 2025. While this incident was not officially
classified as a notifiable event under WorkSafe’s criteria, the Ministry proactively notified
WorkSafe in the interest of good practice. It was subject to a comprehensive investigation
conducted in accordance with WorkSafe’s standards and expectations. The investigation
has since concluded, with WorkSafe determining that no further action is required.
As part of the investigative process, the Ministry received nine recommendations, all of
which have been implemented. I am disclosing the following recommendation topics to you,
as their release does not pose any risk to individual safety or privacy:
1. Ministry sick leave policy
2. Ministry return-to-work procedures
3. Employee Assistance Programme.
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 a
t: 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
Tracey Kaio
General Manager – People and Capability
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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Document schedule
#
Part
Date
Title
Decision
Grounds
1 1, 2, 4
March 2023
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q2 2022-2023
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i)
2 1, 2, 4
June 2023
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q3 2022-2023
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i)
3 1, 2, 4
August 2023
Organisational Health Report August 2023 (excerpt)
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
4 1, 2, 4
August 2023
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q4 2022-2023
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
5 1, 2, 4
October 2023
Organisational Health Report September 2023 (excerpt)
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
6 1, 2, 4
October 2023
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q1 2023-2024
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
7 1, 2, 4
December 2023
Risk Deep Dive - Safety and Wellbeing 2023
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(g)(i), 16(1)(e)
8 1, 2, 4
February 2024
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q2 2023-2024
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
9 1, 2, 4
February 2024
Te Pūrengi Minutes - Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q2 2023-2024
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 9(2)(g)(i), 16(1)(e)
10 1, 2, 4
April 2024
People & Capability Data April 2024 (excerpt)
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
11 1, 2, 4
May 2024
People and Capability Dashboard May 2024 (excerpt)
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
12 1, 2, 4
June 2024
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q3 2023-2024
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
13 1, 2, 4
July 2024
Audit and Risk Committee minutes July 2024
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
14 1, 2, 4
September 2024 Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q4 2023-2024
Released in part
9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
15 1, 2, 4
November 2024
Audit and Risk Committee minutes November 2024
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(g)(i), 16(1)(e)
16 1, 2, 4
November 2024
Te Pūrengi Governance (Risk Workshop) meeting pack
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
17 1, 2, 4
November 2024
Te Pūrengi Governance meeting minutes – Tuesday, 11 November 2024
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
18 1, 2, 4
December 2024
Audit and Risk Committee minutes December 2024
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
19 1, 2, 4
December 2024
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q1 2024-2025
Released in part
6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
20 1, 2, 4
December 2024
Te Pūrengi Minutes - Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q1 2024-2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 9(2)(g)(i), 16(1)(e)
21 1, 2, 4
March 2025
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q2 2024-2025
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i), 16(1)(e)
22 1, 2, 4
March 2025
Te Pūrengi Minutes - Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q2 2024-2025
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(g)(i), 9(2)(h), 16(1)(e)
23 1, 2, 4
March 2025
Operational Risk Assessment - Health, Safety and Wellbeing March 2025
Released in part
6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(g)(i)
24 1, 2, 4
April 2025
Audit and Risk Committee minutes April 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
25 1, 2, 4
May 2025
Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q3 2024-2025
Released in part
6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i)
26 1, 2, 4
May 2025
Te Pūrengi Minutes - Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q3 2024-2025
Released in part as an excerpt 6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(g)(i), 16(1)(e)
27 1, 2, 4
July 2025
HSW Good Governance Discussion - July 2025
Released in part
9(2)(a)
28 1, 2, 4
July 2025
Te Pūrengi Minutes - HSW Good Governance Discussion - July 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
29 1, 2, 4
July 2025
Audit and Risk Committee minutes July 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
30 1, 2, 4
September 2025 Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q4 2024-2025
Released in part
6(d), 9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 9(2)(g)(i)
31 1, 2, 4
September 2025 Te Pūrengi Minutes - Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report Q4 2024-2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
32 1, 2, 4
September 2025 Audit and Risk Committee minutes September 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
33 1, 2, 4
September 2025 People and Capability Update - September 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 16(1)(e)
34 1, 2, 4
September 2025 Risk and Assurance Report - September 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 16(1)(e)
#
Part
Date
Title
Decision
Grounds
35 3
October 2023
Email: Week ahead - w/c 13 Nov
Withheld in full
9(2)(a)
36 3
November 2023
Email conversation between James Palmer and three other people
Withheld in full
6(d), 9(2)(a)
37 3
November 2024
Email: Agenda item #4 for TP Monday
Withheld in full
6(d), 9(2)(a)
38 3
November 2024
Email to Te Pūrengi
Withheld in full
6(d), 9(2)(a)
39 3
June 2025
Email: Te Pūrengi Good HSW Governance discussion - Tuesday 1 July
Released in part
9(2)(a)
40 5
March 2024
To Reo Results - March 2024
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
41 5
March 2024
Te Pūrengi Minutes - To Reo Results - March 2024
Released in part as an excerpt 16(1)(e)
42 5
January 2025
To Reo Results - January 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(a), 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
43 5
October 2025
Tō Reo survey results
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
44 5
October 2025
To Reo Results - October 2025
Released in part as an excerpt 9(2)(ba)(i), 16(1)(e)
45 6, 7, 8
Various dates
Nine incident and two hazard notifications
Withheld in full
6(d), 9(2)(a)
46 6, 7, 8
October 2024
OSPEC Final Review
Withheld in full
6(d), 9(2)(a)
47 6, 7, 8
December 2024
Email to Worksafe
Withheld in full
6(d), 9(2)(a)
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
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