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Operational Guidance Concerning Patients Reporting EMF Sensitivity (Smart Meters)

SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health

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From: SPENCER JONES

Dear Ministry of Health,

Subject: Official Information Act Request – Operational Guidance Concerning Patients Reporting EMF Sensitivity (Smart Meters)

Kia ora,

I am making this request under the Official Information Act 1982.

I seek information concerning Health NZ’s operational and clinical interface with individuals who report symptoms attributed to radiofrequency (RF) exposure from electricity smart meters (Advanced Metering Infrastructure – AMI).

Specifically, please provide:

1. Clinical or Operational Guidance (since 1 January 2015)

Any guidance, advisories, clinical notes, internal memoranda, or operational instructions issued to:

Primary care providers;

Hospital services;

Public health units;

Clinical governance groups;

concerning patients reporting EMF sensitivity, RF-related symptoms, or smart meter exposure concerns.

2. Escalation or Referral Frameworks

Any internal policies, decision trees, or operational frameworks addressing:

How clinicians should respond to patients attributing symptoms to smart meter RF exposure;

Whether such reports are recorded, escalated, or referred to another agency.

3. Adverse Event or Incident Reporting Pathways

Any policies or documentation indicating whether environmental RF exposure concerns:

Are captured within adverse event systems;

Are coded within incident management systems;

Are excluded from formal reporting frameworks.

4. Inter-Agency Communications

Any communications between Health NZ and:

The Ministry of Health;

The Electricity Authority;

WorkSafe;

ESR;

concerning individuals reporting EMF-related symptoms in a residential context.

For clarity:

I do not seek a determination of causation.

I seek documentation describing how such reports are operationally managed within the public health system.

If this request is considered overly broad, I am willing to refine it under section 13.

If any information is withheld under section 9, please specify the subsection relied upon and provide the public interest balancing assessment under section 9(1).

If held electronically, I request the information in electronic form.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

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Kia ora Spencer,

  

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act), received by the Ministry of Health - Manatû Hauora on 24 February
2026. You requested:

 

"Records relied upon by the Ministry of Health in forming policy positions
concerning radiofrequency (RF) exposure from electricity smart meters
(Advanced Metering Infrastructure – AMI).

Specifically, please provide:

Evidence Reviews and Policy Reliance (since 1 January 2015)
All evidence reviews, internal briefings, aide-mémoires, policy papers,
reports, or scientific assessments relied upon by the Ministry concerning
RF exposure from smart meters.

Standards Reliance (NZS 2772.1 / ICNIRP)
Any updates, reviews, internal analyses, or policy discussions since 2015
relating to:

Continued reliance on NZS 2772.1:1999;

ICNIRP guidelines;

Time-averaging methodology or exposure limit interpretation.

Inter-Agency Communications
Any communications (including emails, briefing notes, meeting minutes, or
memoranda) between the Ministry and other government agencies since 2015
concerning:

Individuals reporting EMF sensitivity or RF-related symptoms associated
with smart meters;

Policy responses to such reports.

Guidance Concerning Vulnerable Consumers
Any guidance, advice, or communications provided by the Ministry to
electricity regulators (including the Electricity Authority), Health NZ,
or other agencies concerning:

Medically vulnerable individuals reporting RF/EMF-related symptoms;

Operational or policy responses to such situations."
 

The reference number for your request is H2026079175. We will endeavour to
respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than
24 March 2026 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.

 

If you have any queries regarding your request, please feel free to
contact the OIA Services Team on [1][email address]. If any
additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request,
please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into
account. 

 

Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [2][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.

 

 

Ngâ mihi, 
 
OIA Services Team

Ministry of Health | Manatû Hauora

 

M[3]inistry of Health information releases

 

 

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