15 January 2026
Kia ora
«OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEBSITE MONITORING
I refer to your official information request dated 03 January 2026 for the fol owing
information:
1. Do you employ staff to monitor social media pages of certain members of the
public?
2. Do you employ staff to monitor social media or websites of certain groups?
3. Who are these groups? How many individual accounts are monitored?
4. Can you supply meeting minutes and correspondence about monitoring certain
social media or websites?
5. How many staff does Horizons employ in the social media department?
6. Has the number of staff increased in the last 2 years?
I have numbered each answer to correspond to the questions above.
1. No, Horizons does not employ staff for the purpose of monitoring social media
pages of certain members of the public.
2. No, Horizons does not employ staff for the purpose of monitoring social media
or websites of certain groups.
3. As Horizons does not employ staff to do this work, there is no list of groups
and/or individual accounts.
4. As Horizon does not employ people to do this work, we have no meeting minutes
and/or correspondence relating to this work.
5. Horizons Regional Council does not have a ‘social media department’. Horizons
does have a Communications department. This team has many responsibilities,
including the management of Horizons’ social media accounts. That team has
eight members (including myself), although one member is a Senior
Environmental Educator and another is a Community Engagement Advisor.
Taumarunui | Whanganui | Marton | Woodville | Palmerston North | Kairanga
24 hour freephone 0508 800 800 | fax 06 952 2929 | email [Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council request email]
Private Bag 11025, Manawatū Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4442
Furthermore, one role (Senior Communications Advisor) has been vacant for the
best part of a year.
6. Given the nature of your other questions, I understand you are asking if the
number of staff employed in Horizons ‘social media department’ has increased.
As noted above, Horizons does not have a ‘social media department’ but does
have a Communications department. The Communications department has
increased by 1 staff member in the past two years.
Ngā mihi nui
Jono Galuszka
HORIZONS REGIONAL COUNCIL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Copied to
Cara Hesselin