Document 1
From: Sunny Kaushal, Chair
Ministerial Advisory Group - Retail Crime
To: Madison Babe, Commercial Leasing Manager
CC: Andrew Kibblewhite, Claire Sim, Erin Judge, Jerome Sheppard, Simone Thomson
Date: Wed, 28 August 2024
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Kia Ora Madison,
Thanks for organising the site visit with Mark from the MOJ Property team this morning to the Kāinga Ora
office at 626 Great South Road, Ellerslie, Auckland. Following my site visit today I would like to provide
an analysis of the workspace in consideration for the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) on Retail Crime.
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Below are the key observations, highlighting both the positive aspects and the challenges associated
with this location.
Pros:
1.
Convenient Location:
o
Situated in Ellerslie, the office is well-located with easy access to both the train station
and motorway, making it convenient for staff and stakeholders to reach.
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2.
Well-Maintained Premises:
o
The office floor on level 2 is neat, clean, and well-maintained, contributing to a
professional work environment.
3.
Reception and Security:
o
Upon arrival, there is a reception window for visitor registration. While there is no
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designated waiting area, the presence of a reception provides basic visitor
management.
4.
Vibrant Work Environment:
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o
The office currently houses around 48-50 staff, creating a vibrant work environment.
Another new tenant, "Tertiary Education," is expected to move in soon, adding to the
numbers and dynamic atmosphere on the floor.
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Cons/Challenges:
1.
Lack of Privacy:
o
The office layout is entirely open-plan, with shared spaces used by multiple teams. The
space in offer to the MAG (approximately 2.5m x 5m) offers no privacy, which is
unsuitable for the sensitive nature of our work.
o
The open space suggested for MAG office is adjacent and facing the open kitchen, we
RELEASED were informed by the Kāinga Ora office manager that this is the busiest and noisiest
areas of the floor, used by the staff throughout the day with no set timing, creating a
further distraction.
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2.
Noisy and Distracting Environment:
o
The vibrant environment, while lively, is noisy and unconducive to the quiet and focused
workspace required for the MAG’s operations. Background music coming from Kainga
Ora staff worktables and general noise levels could impair concentration and
productivity.
3.
Restricted Access to Meeting Facilities:
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o
Kāinga Ora does not permit outsiders to access their boardrooms or meeting rooms.
These bookable and unbookable rooms are shared internally and are not dedicatedly
available unless booked in advance on first come first serve basis. This limitation would
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restrict the MAG from holding private and confidential discussions on-site.
4.
High-Risk Clientele and Security Concerns:
o
Kāinga Ora is frequently visited and serves high-risk clients, including offenders and
individuals with criminal backgrounds. The manager informed me that approximately
10% of these clients can be aggressive.
o
MAG’s workplace will be potentially visited from time to time by the stakeholders that
include victims of retail crime including the victims of aggravated robberies and violent
assaults. There will be chances Kāinga Ora’s high risk aggressive clients and MAG’s
stakeholders i.e. victims of crime those already undergoing trauma may come face to
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face in the elevator, or while waiting at the reception counter etc, it may create a volatile
situation leading to risk of harm and safety of the individuals creating a serious situation
beyond control.
o
There are no dedicated security arrangements at the reception or premises, with shared
lift access, reception, and standing waiting areas, increasing security risks.
o
The lack of soundproof interview rooms and shared client access further exacerbates
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the risk of conflicts or volatile situations arising. The MAG’s work involves victims of
crime, retailers, advocacy groups, and experts. There is a potential for sensitive
discussions to take place in a high-risk environment where offenders and victims could
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inadvertently come into contact.
5.
Unsuitable for MAG’s Work and Stakeholder Engagement:
o
The nature of the MAG’s work—developing proposals to reduce crime, engaging with
stakeholders, and interacting with victims—requires a secure, private, and controlled
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environment. Hosting meetings with victims of crime in a space shared with aggressive
offenders could pose serious safety risks and damage the integrity of our operations.
Conclusion:
While the Kāinga Ora office offers a convenient location and a well-maintained environment, it is not
suitable for the sensitive and high-stakes work of the MAG on Retail Crime. The open-plan layout, lack
of privacy, and hi
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operate effectively and safely. There are serious concerns about security, confidentiality, and the
potential for conflicts arising between victims and offenders in shared spaces.
Document 2
AIDE MEMOIRE
Inaugural meeting of the Victims of Retail Crime
Ministerial Advisory Group
Other matters that may be raised by the Chair
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11. The first matter is regarding finding suitable property for Mr Kaushal and the staff he intends
to contract to be based. The Ministry of Justice property team have been working to identify
suitable options that meet the particular requirements Mr Kaushal is requiring.
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12. The Property team is currently undertaking due diligence on a large high-spec space Mr
Kaushal has identified. Whilst the team is moving at pace, there are a number of steps they
are required to take to ensure the Ministry of Justice can appropriately enter the private lease.
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In Confidence
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Document 3
Memorandum
To
Andrew Kibblewhite, Chief Executive and Secretary for
File reference
Justice
From
Jerome Sheppard, General Manager Property
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CC
Erin Judge, Executive Director, Sector Directorate
Eve Padgett, Acting Deputy Secretary Corporate
Services
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Rajesh Chhana, Deputy Secretary Policy
Date
03 October 2024
Subject
Approval to lease – s9(2)(a)
Symonds
Attachment 1
Street, Grafton, Auckland
For
Approval
Review Comment
Action
Noting
Purpose
1.
The purpose of this memo is to seek your approval to enter a new lease for s9(2)(a)
s9(2)(a)
Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland as the leased office accommodation for
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the Ministerial Advisory Group on Retail Crime.
Background
2.
On 19 June 2024, Cabinet agreed to establish a Ministerial Advisory Group: Victims of
Retail Crime group to provide high quality, independent advice, and recommendations on
combatting retail crime to the Minister of Justice and the Associate Minister of Justice
[SOU-24-MIN-0058]. Funding of $3.600M was provided by Cabinet over three financial
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years.
3.
In July 2024, Property was contacted to find property options in Auckland, for the
Ministerial Advisory Group that could serve as office space and host meetings, that wasn’t
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a courthouse or a call centre.
4.
Following this request, Property investigated all Ministry leased and owned sites in
Auckland as well as other Crown leased sites and sites available for lease. After site visits
by the Chairman we have put forward the top three options.
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Discussion
5.
The Ministry Property leasing team has assessed the office accommodation requirements
to support the operational needs of the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG). The current
office accommodation leasing proposal is to serve as the Chair's primary workplace, along
with two support staff and is capable of holding member days, and stakeholder
engagement sessions.
6.
The Chairman of the MAG has viewed around 26 sites since his appointment, these have
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been narrowed down to 3 sites and is shown in a table below.
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Document 3
ICT Costs***
$22,800
$15,400
$7,600
$45,800
Research,
$862,000
$1,248,000
$294,000
$2,404,000
consultancy costs,
contractor fees,
travel costs, event
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costs and
miscellaneous
expenditure
Funding Variance
$46,255
$50,051
$34,585
$130,891
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* Based on an October 2024 start date; therefore, the budget has been pro-rated.
** Includes a 2% lease increase on 01/10/2025, therefore 3 months at the original lease amount and 9 months at the new
lease amount.
***Approved ICT Option 3, currently phased as per the lease.
12.
The Chair is yet to finalise the budget subject for confirmation of fixed costs.
Consultation
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13. The Chairman of the advisory group and Minister Goldsmith have been consulted and are in
support of this lease for the advisory group.
14. Finance have been consulted.
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Recommendations
15.
It is recommended that you:
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1.
Agree that you have no conflict of interest with this negotiation.
Yes / No ACT
Yes / No
2.
Note that the funding for this lease will come from the Non-
Departmental Output Expense appropriation: Independent
Advice to Ministers.
Yes / No
3.
Note that the whole of life cost of $330,254 is within your non-
departmental financial delegation.
4.
Approve for the Ministry enter a two-year lease at S9(2)(a)
Yes / No
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Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland
Yes No
5.
Action, please execute the attached agreement to lease.
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Attachments
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Attachment One: Agreement to lease
Recipient/s to complete
Comments:
Deputy Secretary to execute the lease in accordance with the financial delegation
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policy.
Signature:
Name:
Andrew Kibblewhite
Date:
10 October 2024
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6
Document 4
From:
Thompson, Simone
To:
[email address]; Babe, Madison
Subject:
FW: Auckland MOJ space options
Date:
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:09:02 pm
Attachments:
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This is the original request I got in
Simone
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From: McGinn, Ciara
Sent: Thursday, 25 July 2024 9:08 am
To: Thompson, Simone <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Auckland MOJ space options
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Kia ora Simone,
Thanks for getting in touch.
We would be looking for a space that:
Can host at least 2 permanent staff members, potentially 3.
Has the ability for the chair to hold meetings with members from the community in that space, so meeting
rooms available and security that enables people to come and go easily (e.g. not a courthouse)
Ideally not in the cbd but the suburbs close to it – Greenlane, Mt Wellington, Mt Eden. Easily accessible
parking is ideal to make it easier for the members of the public who will meet with the advisor. Khyber
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pass might be okay if the parking situation isn’t too bad?
At this stage it is a 2-year appointment, so move in asap (at least by mid-September if possible) and until
around September 2026.
Please let me know if you need any other info, or if you would prefer to meet in person and chat. I’m based on
level 5 of national office and am in Mon/Wed/Fri
Thanks,
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Ngā mihi,
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Ciara McGinn | Business Advisor (she/her)
Sector Directorate
Justice Sector
Email [email address]
Phone s9(2)(a)
Justice Centre, 19 Aitken Street, Wellington
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Driving better justice outcomes for Aotearoa through strong sector collaboration
From: Thompson, Simone <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 3:33 pm
To: McGinn, Ciara <[email address]>
Subject: FW: Auckland MOJ space options
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Hi Ciara
Can you let me know exactly what the specs are and how many people you need space for – we may have space
in Khyber Pass but not sure if Newmarket is the right location ie not in CBD. When do you need the
accommodation from?
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Document 4
some space in Auckland for the recently appointed chair of the new Ministerial Advisory Group,
Sunny Kaushel. This is a high priority issue and a high-profile appointment and they’ll be looking to
move quickly on getting his work underway.
Mr Kaushel is looking for a space somewhere like Greenlane or Mt Wellington – basically
somewhere near the motorway with lots of parking. There’s more information on what he needs
below. Courts and contact centres wouldn’t really be suitable. He’ll need space to work in and also
meeting space.
Ruth was wondering whether there are any government agencies that are currently shrinking – eg,
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Kainga Ora and Health. Apparently they used to be in business park along with Corrections in
Greenlane, so perhaps they’d have a small area we could use?
Could someone please get back to Sector Directorate about how we might go about sorting out
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some options for Mr Kaushel?
Sarah
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Sarah Lynn | Chief Advisor – Office of the Chief Executive
Mob s9(2)(a)
www.justice.govt.nz
From: Judge, Erin <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, 23 July 2024 8:28 am
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To: Wilkie, Ruth <[email address]>
Subject: Fwd: Auckland MOJ space options
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
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From: "McGinn, Ciara" <[email address]>
Date: 23 July 2024 at 8:27:02 AM NZST
To: "Judge, Erin" <[email address]>
Subject:
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FW: Auckland MOJ space options
Ngā mihi,
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Ciara McGinn | Business Advisor (she/her)
Sector Directorate
Justice Sector
Email [email address]
Phone s9(2)(a)
Justice Centre, 19 Aitken Street, Wellington
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Driving better justice outcomes for Aotearoa through strong sector collaboration
From: McGinn, Ciara
Sent: Friday, 12 July 2024 10:13 am
Document 4
To: [email address]
Subject: Auckland MOJ space options
Kia ora Property team,
Hope you are having a good week!
We are trying to locate a space for a Ministerial advisor to work out of Auckland
(where they reside) that could be fit for the purpose of work as well as hosting
meetings etc.
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Ideally, we would find a space for them that is away from easily accessible court
information (e.g. not a courthouse or in the room with contact centre calls happening)
as they aren’t a contractor or MOJ staff member and are Ministerially appointed.
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It is just one advisor at this stage, so it doesn’t have to be a big space, but they may
also need a space to hold meetings with members from the community that are
feeding into their work.
Are there any buildings in Auckland that you think might fit this purpose? Understand
this might be a bit of a big ask!
I’m in the office today if anyone is around and would like to have a chat in person
about options
Thanks,
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Ngā mihi,
Ciara McGinn | Business Advisor (she/her)
Sector Directorate
Justice Sector
Email [email address]
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Phone s9(2)(a)
Justice Centre, 19 Aitken Street, Wellington
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