OIA20537 Grayson Reply.pdf

National Headquarters
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
National Headquarters
Spark Central, Level 7
42-52 Wil is Street
Wel ington Central
Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 496 3600

27 February 2026

                        Ref: 20537

Mark Grayson
[FYI request #33504 email]

Tēnā koe Mark

We refer to your request of 14 January 2026 to Fire and Emergency New Zealand requesting
information relating to the access and use of the Auckland Transport closed circuit television
(CCTV) camera network under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). We copy and respond to
each aspect of your request below.

1.  Does FENZ have access to the Auckland Transport CCTV system on the FENZ Network, or at
any FENZ locations such as Region or District Headquarters?

2.  How often is the CCTV system accessed by FENZ personnel?
i.
What is the number of personnel who have access to this system?
ii.
What are the positions and/or rank of personnel who have access?
iii.
What is the purpose of having access to this system?

The Fire and Emergency Northern Communication Centre (ComCen) can request access to
Auckland Transport CCTV network footage during emergencies. They are used for situational
awareness for responding appliances. This footage cannot be recorded nor shared with another
party.

Control over which camera is displayed on the on-site wall monitors rests with the District
Command Centre (DCC), operated by New Zealand Police (Police). When Fire and Emergency is
responding to an incident, ComCen may request that the DCC display a relevant camera, but it is
view-only, it cannot be controlled.

Other than at Northern ComCen, Fire and Emergency personnel do not normally have access to
the Auckland Transport CCTV network at any Fire and Emergency locations, including Region or
District Headquarters.

However, since the 28 November 2025 one-hour strike by the New Zealand Professional
Firefighters Union (NZPFU), and at al  subsequent strike action, except for on 2 January 2026,

access to Auckland Transport CCTV footage has been given to Fire and Emergency personnel by
Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) at the Te Hiku Regional Co-ordination centre (RCC).
During these periods, AEM personnel operate a laptop that is connected and displayed on the
video wall in the RCC, and anyone who is there can view the wall, noting there are 10 monitors
and often only one has the Auckland Transport CCTV feed on it.

On 2 January 2026 the Te Hiku RCC was not stood up during the one-hour strike by the NZPFU, so
Auckland Transport CCTV footage was made available to the District Manager by Auckland
Transport at Auckland Transport Operation Centre (ATOC).

The purpose of having access to the Auckland Transport CCTV system in these instances was to
support responding commanders with intelligence and situational awareness for emergency
responses.

3.  Is there an agreement, or MOU, in place between FENZ and Auckland Transport relating to
CCTV?

There is no agreement or memorandum of understanding (MOU) in place between Fire and
Emergency and Auckland Transport relating to the use of their CCTV network.

4.  What actions were undertaken by FENZ, relating to the Auckland Transport CCTV, during
the strike action (in the last 6 months).

In late November and early December 2025, Fire and Emergency received complaints from Police
and members of the public, respectively, about NZPFU strikers’ actions on the road at two
locations, Cavendish Drive and Lambie Drive, Counties Manukau, and at Pitt Street and
Karangahape Road, Auckland Central. The complaints were about dangerous behaviour in traffic.
The District Manager, who was at ATOC, as part of monitoring all of Auckland did look at the two
places in question. No concerns were observed, so no action was taken.

5.  Did FENZ have personnel at the Auckland Transport Control Centre during the strike action
(in the last 6 months)?
i.
If yes, what was the purpose of personnel at this location?
ii.
If yes, how many personnel were deployed to this location, or other such
locations, to “monitor” the strike action?

As noted above, on 2 January 2026 the District Manager attended ATOC during the one-hour strike
by the NZPFU, and the purpose of this was to support responding commanders with intelligence
and situational awareness for emergency responses.

6.  Does FENZ have access to any other CCTV surveil ance systems such as SaferCities, vGrid,
NZTA Motorway Cameras or other?
i.
Is there any agreements or MOUs existing with other agencies, relating to the
systems forementioned?
ii.
If yes, what are the agreements/MOUs in place?

7.  Does the FENZ Communications Centre have access to, operate or use the CCTV systems?

Beyond what is noted above, Fire and Emergency ComCens also have access to, but cannot
operate, the Police CCTV network. This is done by requesting from Police what cameras are to be
displayed on our on-site wall monitors. This information cannot be recorded by us, nor can we

share the footage with another party. In Central ComCen, there is also a separate computer for
motorway and roading CCTV footage provided by Wellington Transport Operations Centre
(WTOC). These cameras can be operated by Fire and Emergency personnel.

As with the Auckland Transport CCTV network, these cameras are used for situational awareness
for responding appliances. There are no agreements or MOUs in place for the use of CCTV footage
by Fire and Emergency communication centres.

7.  (cont.) If yes, was this utilised during the strike action (in the last 6 months)? If yes, for
what purpose was this utilised?

No cameras in any ComCen were used by Fire and Emergency for the purposes of monitoring
strike action activities. However, on 17 October 2025, the on-site monitors at Northern ComCen
were displaying the Safer City feed. At approximately 12:09pm, shortly after strike action by the
NZPFU begun, Police and Fire and Emergency received 111 calls reporting firefighters blocking the
roadway at the intersection of Union Street and the Hobson Street on-ramp, Auckland City.

Due to the operational relevance of this intersection, the DCC, in consultation with the Police
Communications Inspector, elected to display a camera providing a view of that location. As the
feed was already being displayed on the Northern ComCen monitors prior to the strike action,
Northern ComCen leadership observed the situation, including the roadway being blocked by
firefighters. However, they did not request access to or operate these cameras.

8.  All written communications regarding FENZ personnel being deployed to locations to
monitor CCTV systems, or monitor the firefighters strikes, since these have been occurring.

Please find attached, as an Appendix to this response, a copy of all communications we identified
relating to Fire and Emergency personnel being deployed to locations to monitor CCTV systems, or
monitor the firefighters strikes, since these have been occurring. Some information has been
withheld under the fol owing sections of the OIA:

•  9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons.

•  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.

In making this decision, we have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the OIA.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.

We trust that the information being provided is of assistance. If you require further information,
please email [FENZ request email]

Nāku noa, nā

Aidan Saunders
Manager, Information Requests