OIA Request for Documents Relating to the Cabinet Paper on the Digital Driver's Licence
Charlie Drummond made this Official Information request to New Zealand Transport Agency
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Charlie Drummond to read a recent response and update the status.
From: Charlie Drummond
Dear New Zealand Transport Agency,
This is a request for official information under the Official Information Act 1982.
I am requesting documents that relate to the development and creation of the Cabinet paper(s) concerning the approval and implementation of the New Zealand Digital Driver's Licence (DDL).
For clarity, I am seeking the documents that informed the final paper, not just the final paper itself.
Drafts of the Cabinet Paper:
Please provide all substantive drafts of the Cabinet paper(s).
Advice and Briefings:
Please provide copies of all advice, briefing notes, Aide-Mémoires, and reports provided to the responsible Minister(s) by the Ministry regarding the DDL policy.
This should include, but not be limited to:
- Advice on policy options and recommendations.
- Advice on the privacy, security, and human rights implications.
- Advice regarding international interoperability and the adoption of standards like ISO/IEC 18013-5.
Inter-Agency Consultation:
Please provide copies of all formal correspondence, meeting minutes, and summary notes of consultations between the Ministry and other government agencies regarding the DDL policy. This includes consultations with:
- The Ministry of Justice
- The Department of Internal Affairs
- The Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO)
- The Office of the Privacy Commissioner
- New Zealand Police
- Security and Intelligence Agencies (e.g., GCSB, SIS)
External Consultation:
Please provide a list of all external, non-governmental organisations, companies, or industry bodies that were formally consulted during the development of the policy. Please also provide copies of any formal written submissions received from these external parties.
Addressing the Public Interest
I anticipate that you may consider withholding some of this information under section 9 of the OIA, particularly section 9(2)(f)(iv) (free and frank opinion).
I submit that the public interest in releasing this information is exceptionally high and outweighs the need to withhold it. The creation of a national digital identity credential is a foundational decision with profound, long-term consequences for every New Zealander's privacy and interaction with the state. Understanding the options considered, the risks identified, and the advice given by officials is essential for public trust and democratic accountability. Releasing this information enables meaningful public debate on a matter of significant national importance.
Therefore, I request that you give full consideration to the public interest test and release these documents. If specific sections are deemed highly sensitive, I request that the remainder of the documents be released with only those sections redacted.
Yours faithfully,
Charlie Drummond
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Charlie
This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the
Official Information Act 1982.
Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of NZ Transport
Agency Waka Kotahi for response. They will contact you if they require
clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request
has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more
time is required, NZ Transport Agency will send a response to you within
20 working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before
19 December 2025.
If you would like to discuss your request with NZ Transport Agency, please
contact us by email at [1][NZTA request email].
Ngâ mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
[2]Connect with us on Social Media
[3][IMG]
show quoted sections
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Charlie
Partially transferring the request you made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email below requesting information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Some of the information you have requested is more closely connected with the functions of Ministry of Transport than with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Therefore, NZ Transport Agency is partially transferring your request to Ministry of Transport under section 14 of the Act.
The time limit for their response to you is 20 working days from 25 November 2025 so you can expect a response from Ministry of Transport on or before 23 December 2025.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Connect with us on Social Media
show quoted sections
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Charlie
Following our email to transferring parts of your request to the Ministry of Transport, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is seeking clarification from you for the remaining parts of your request which we may hold information for.
Your request as it stands does not include a timeframe for which you are seeking information. To enable NZTA to respond to your request, we seek clarification of the timeframe for your request.
How you define this is up to you, however it should be noted that the current work around the digital licence proposal has taken place across the last 12 months. Given this, you may wish to clarify your request to be for information for the 12 months to the date of your request, from 2025, or from another date of your choosing, through to the date of your request.
Please let us know your response to this request by 5pm Friday 28 November, to allow us to begin collating the information that should be assessed against your request.
Ngā mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Connect with us on Social Media
show quoted sections
From: Charlie Drummond
Dear Ministerial Services,
Please give all information from the 24 months prior to the date of your eventual response.
I understand that you have stated the current work has been completed within the past 12 months, but the comparison between current work and prior work may be of public interest as any change in strategy is worthy of note.
Yours sincerely,
Charlie Drummond
From: Official Correspondence
New Zealand Transport Agency
Kia ora Charlie
We’re writing to let you know that in accordance with the Ombudsman’s guidelines, the timeframe for processing your request has been reset following the below clarification you provided on 26 November 2025.
You can now expect a response on or before 24 December 2025.
Ngâ mihi
Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Connect with us on Social Media
show quoted sections
From: OIA
Dear Charlie
On behalf of the Ministry of Transport, I acknowledge the transfer of your
Official Information Act request on 25 November 2025
I am writing to advise that some of the information that is in scope of
your request, is already available on the Ministry’s website and can be
found as below:
Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill Proactive Release 2025:
[1]https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Upl...
This release includes –
- Cabinet Paper - Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill –
strengthening the efficiency of the transport system
- Cabinet Economic Policy Committee minute – EXP-25-MIN-0034
- Cabinet minute - CAB-25-MIN-0086
- Regulatory System (Transport) Amendment Bill 2025 – Approval
for Introduction
- Cabinet Economic Policy Committee minute – LEG-25-MIN-0136
- Cabinet minute - CAB-25-MIN-0240
Land Transport Rules Reform Programme:
[2]https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Upl...
This release includes –
- Cabinet Paper - Land Transport Rules Reform Programme
- Annex One – Land transport regulatory system problems,
objectives and workstreams
- Annex Two – Scope and timing for each workstream
- Cabinet minute - CAB-25-MIN-0187
- Cabinet Economic Policy Committee - ECO-25-MIN-0083
You might also be interested to know that the primary legislative changes
to enable digital driver licences are being progressed through the
Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill. The Bill is currently
before the Transport and Infrastructure Committee. The Committee are due
to report back by 19 February 2026. All public and external stakeholder
submissions are publicly available here:
[3]https://bills.parliament.nz/v/6/77f9069c...
The Ministry’s advice to the Committee will be publicly available once the
Committee has reported back on the Bill
The enabling changes in the Bill are the first step towards implementation
of digital driver licences. Consultation on further enabling rule changes
is expected to take place early in 2026, which will provide another
opportunity for the public and interested parties to engage further on
changes to enable implementation of digital driver licences
We would like to invite you to clarify your request by specifying the
timeframe. For example - you could nominate this to mean advice provided
to the Ministers responsible in the last one year.
We would also like to invite you to review the information that has
already been published and advise whether you would like to amend any
parts of your original request.
Please note that, as permitted under section 15(1AA) of the Act, any
amendment of your original request will be considered to be a new request
for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory timeframe for a
response.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Neha
Neha Pawar (she/her)
Kaitohutohu Matua - Tuhinga Ôkawa | Senior Adviser – Ministerial and
Executive Services
Te Manatû Waka Ministry of Transport
show quoted sections
From: OIA
Dear Charlie
Following up on the clarification email below.
Could you please clarify your request by specifying the timeframe. For
example - you could nominate this to mean advice provided to the Ministers
responsible in the last one year.
Could you please also confirm if you have reviewed the information that
has already been published and advise whether you would like to amend any
parts of your original request.
Kind regards
Neha
Neha Pawar (she/her)
Kaitohutohu Matua - Tuhinga Ôkawa | Senior Adviser – Ministerial and
Executive Services
Te Manatû Waka Ministry of Transport
From: OIA <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 27 November 2025 12:07 pm
To: Charlie Drummond <[FOI #32967 email]>
Cc: OIA <[email address]>
Subject: OC251092 - Acknowledgment and Seeking Clarification
Dear Charlie
On behalf of the Ministry of Transport, I acknowledge the transfer of your
Official Information Act request on 25 November 2025
I am writing to advise that some of the information that is in scope of
your request, is already available on the Ministry’s website and can be
found as below:
Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill Proactive Release 2025:
[1]https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Upl...
This release includes –
- Cabinet Paper - Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill –
strengthening the efficiency of the transport system
- Cabinet Economic Policy Committee minute – EXP-25-MIN-0034
- Cabinet minute - CAB-25-MIN-0086
- Regulatory System (Transport) Amendment Bill 2025 – Approval
for Introduction
- Cabinet Economic Policy Committee minute – LEG-25-MIN-0136
- Cabinet minute - CAB-25-MIN-0240
Land Transport Rules Reform Programme:
[2]https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Upl...
This release includes –
- Cabinet Paper - Land Transport Rules Reform Programme
- Annex One – Land transport regulatory system problems,
objectives and workstreams
- Annex Two – Scope and timing for each workstream
- Cabinet minute - CAB-25-MIN-0187
- Cabinet Economic Policy Committee - ECO-25-MIN-0083
You might also be interested to know that the primary legislative changes
to enable digital driver licences are being progressed through the
Regulatory Systems (Transport) Amendment Bill. The Bill is currently
before the Transport and Infrastructure Committee. The Committee are due
to report back by 19 February 2026. All public and external stakeholder
submissions are publicly available here:
[3]https://bills.parliament.nz/v/6/77f9069c...
The Ministry’s advice to the Committee will be publicly available once the
Committee has reported back on the Bill
The enabling changes in the Bill are the first step towards implementation
of digital driver licences. Consultation on further enabling rule changes
is expected to take place early in 2026, which will provide another
opportunity for the public and interested parties to engage further on
changes to enable implementation of digital driver licences
We would like to invite you to clarify your request by specifying the
timeframe. For example - you could nominate this to mean advice provided
to the Ministers responsible in the last one year.
We would also like to invite you to review the information that has
already been published and advise whether you would like to amend any
parts of your original request.
Please note that, as permitted under section 15(1AA) of the Act, any
amendment of your original request will be considered to be a new request
for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory timeframe for a
response.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Neha
Neha Pawar (she/her)
Kaitohutohu Matua - Tuhinga Ôkawa | Senior Adviser – Ministerial and
Executive Services
Te Manatû Waka Ministry of Transport
show quoted sections
From: Charlie Drummond
Dear Neha,
I would prefer not to clarify my request if it means a reset of the response timeframe. Your suggestion regarding the timeframe seems adequate, so I suggest you go with that in good faith and I can ask supplementary questions later if you've somehow misinterpreted me.
Thank you for the links to information provided, and your explanation of the Regulatory Systems (transport) bill. Please see my original request for the full scope of the information required.
Yours sincerely,
Charlie Drummond
From: OIA
Dear Charlie
Thank you for confirming your comfort with the suggested timeframe.
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as
reasonably practicable, and in any event no later than 23 December 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.
The Ministry publishes Official Information Act responses on our website
when there may be wider interest in the information released. This means
the information provided to you might be published after you have received
it.
Kind regards
Neha
Neha Pawar (she/her)
Kaitohutohu Matua - Tuhinga Ôkawa | Senior Adviser – Ministerial and
Executive Services
Te Manatû Waka Ministry of Transport
show quoted sections
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 request