Kia ora John

 

This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the
Official Information Act 1982.

 

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16 February 2026.

 

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contact us by email at [1][NZTA request email].

 

Ngâ mihi

 

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Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

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-----Original Message-----
From: John Armstrong <[FOI #33538 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 18 January 2026 1:15 pm
To: Official Correspondence <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Auckland Harbour Bridge safety
risk assessments, protest approvals, and event permitting

 

[You don't often get email from
[4][FOI #33538 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear New Zealand Transport Agency,

 

This is a request for information made under the Official Information Act
1982.

 

I request the following information held by Waka Kotahi / NZ Transport
Agency relating to public statements made about the safety risks of
protests and pedestrian access on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

 

This request arises from statements made by NZTA and NZ Police, reported
in national media, asserting that proposed protest activity on the
Auckland Harbour Bridge posed unacceptable safety and structural risks.
Refer NZ Herald:

[6]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

1. Safety and Risk Assessments

 

Please provide copies of all risk assessments, engineering reports,
technical analyses, modelling, expert advice, memoranda, briefings, or
internal assessments relied upon by NZTA in forming the view that protest
activity on the Auckland Harbour Bridge is unsafe, including but not
limited to:

 

a. Assessments relating to pedestrian loading, vibration, oscillation,
sway, or dynamic   loading of the bridge and clip-on structures

b. Assessments addressing structural integrity, fatigue, or long-term
damage risk c. Any comparative analysis between protest activity and other
permitted events involving pedestrians or vehicles d. The dates, authors,
qualifications, and commissioning instructions for each assessment

 

2. Decision-Making and Risk Thresholds

 

Please provide:

 

a. The criteria, standards, guidelines, policies, or thresholds used by
NZTA to determine whether pedestrian or protest activity on the Auckland
Harbour Bridge presents an unacceptable safety risk b. Any internal
decision records, approval notes, or risk matrices applied when declining
permission for protest activity c. Any documentation distinguishing
between “controlled” and “uncontrolled” events, and how this distinction
is defined and applied

 

3. Permits, Applications, and Comparators (1 January 2024 – present)

 

For the period 1 January 2024 to the date of this request, please provide:

 

a. A list of all applications, requests, or notifications received by NZTA
seeking access to the Auckland Harbour Bridge or motorway network for
protests, marches, demonstrations, convoys, or public events b. For each,
whether approval was granted, declined, or not required c. The reasons for
approval or refusal and the supporting safety rationale d. Copies of any
permits, conditions, or refusals issued

 

This includes (but is not limited to) protests, marches, convoys, and
major events such as the Auckland Marathon.

 

4. Auckland Marathon and Other Approved Events

 

In relation to the Auckland Marathon and any other permitted events
involving pedestrian or event access across the Auckland Harbour Bridge,
please provide:

 

a. The risk assessments and safety evaluations relied upon to approve such
access b. Any load, crowd density, or movement modelling undertaken c. Any
post-event safety or structural reviews d. Any documentation explaining
why these events were assessed as acceptable when protest activity was not

 

5. Communications With Other Agencies

 

Please provide copies of correspondence, briefings, or joint planning
documents between NZTA and:

 

a. New Zealand Police

b. Auckland Council and/or Auckland Transport

 

relating to protest activity, enforcement planning, safety risk, or access
decisions concerning the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

 

6. Unauthorised or Unpermitted Activity

 

Please provide:

 

a. Records identifying any marches, protests, or events during the last 12
months that proceeded without NZTA approval on or near the Auckland
motorway network b. Any assessments or reports on safety outcomes arising
from those events c. Any guidance or criteria used to determine when
enforcement action is recommended or required

 

Public Interest

 

There is a strong public interest in transparency where restrictions are
placed on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, particularly where
those restrictions are justified on safety grounds. Disclosure of the
evidence relied upon by NZTA is necessary to enable informed public
scrutiny of whether such restrictions are proportionate, evidence-based,
and applied consistently.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

John Armstrong

 

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