31 March 2026
Spencer Jones
[FYI request #33831 email]
Tēnā koe Spencer
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00201741
Thank you for your request, which was transferred from the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) to
Health NZ on 17 March 2026, for the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
“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.”
Response
We consulted all relevant teams, both centralised teams and the regions, to identify information
held within scope of your request. However, no information within scope was located. The
requested information is therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as it is not held by
Health NZ and we have no grounds, particularly given this was transferred from the Ministry, for
believing it is held by another agency subject to the OIA.
For general information about smart meters, we refer you
here: www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/health-
services-and-programmes/environmental-health/household-items-and-electronics/smart-meters.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us a
t [email address] you are not happy
with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about
how to do this is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. All requester data, including your name and
contact details, will be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Sara Freitag
Manager, Government Services
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Health NZ, PO Box 793,
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
