27 March 2026
File Ref: OIAPR-1274023063-48233
Andrew Ecclestone
By email:
[FYI request #33864 email]
Tēnā koe Andrew
Request for information 2026-089
I refer to your request for information dated 26 February 2026, which was received by Greater
Wellington Regional Council (Greater Wellington) on 26 February 2026. You have requested the
following:
“1) Please provide me with a list of the titles, dates, and filing system reference numbers of
documents held that model the provision of passenger bus routes between:
a. Porirua and Lower Hutt
b. Porirua and Petone
c. Tawa and Lower Hutt
d. Tawa and Petone
e. Grenada and Lower Hutt
f. Grenada and Petone
g. Johnsonville and Lower Hutt
h. Johnsonville and Petone
i. Newlands and Lower Hutt
j. Newlands and Petone
k. Woodridge and Lower Hutt
l. Woodridge and Petone
2) Please provide me with a list of the titles, dates, and filing system reference numbers of
documents held that model the provision of passenger rail transport between:
a. Porirua (or stations further north and south) and Petone
b. Porirua (or stations further north and south) and Lower Hutt
3) If the Council decides that good reason exists under sections 6 or 7 of LGOIMA to withhold
any information from me in response to requests (1) and (2) above, I separately request under
Wellington office
Upper Hutt
Masterton office
0800 496 734
PO Box 11646
PO Box 40847
PO Box 41
www.gw.govt.nz
Manners St, Wel ington
1056 Fergusson Drive
Masterton 5840
[Wellington Regional Council request email]
6142
section 18(a)(ii) of LGOIMA to be given the grounds in support of each instance of information
being withheld.”
Greater Wellington’s response follows:
Your request has been assessed under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act 1987 (the Act).
On 2 March 2026 you agreed to clarify your request to “
information from GWRC that concerns
any exploration by the Council (or contractors for which it now holds the records) of the options
for running passenger bus and/or train routes between the locations outlined in my request.”
As the clarification of your request was requested within the statutory seven working day
timeframe provided for under the Act, Greater Wellington restarted the 20-working day
timeframe to respond.
In the email where you clarified your request, you referred to the potential new road being
considered by New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) going between Grenada and
Petone. At this stage in that project there is insufficient information for Greater Wellington to
consider implementing a new route, or altering an existing route, along this proposed road.
A list of the titles, dates, and filing system reference numbers of documents held that
model the provision of passenger bus routes between the requested locations.
Please note that the only documents that come under the scope of your request are emails
which are not automatically uploaded into our filing system and so therefore do not naturally
have filing system reference numbers. As a part of your request, we have uploaded these email
chains to our filing system.
Please refer to the table below for a list of documents that concern any exploration by the
Council of the options for running passenger bus routes in the areas outlined in your request.
Document Title
Date Created
Filing system reference
numbers
RE: First Cut at LTP Costs
14/08/2023
OIAPR-1274023063-48521
RE: Bus Growth Budget - LTP
14/08/2024
OIAPR-1274023063-48524
RE: Re: Bus Growth Budget - LTP
25/10/2023
OIAPR-1274023063-48523
RE: Current Bus Network oppex
14/10/2024
OIAPR-1274023063-48525
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We interpreted that a chain of emails where the subject of the emails remains the same and
there are no branching paths, is one document. We also considers that the “Date Created” is
the date that the latest email in the chain was sent.
A list of the titles, dates, and filing system reference numbers of documents held that
model the provision of passenger rail transport between the requested locations.
The construction and maintenance of railway tracks across New Zealand is under the purview
of KiwiRail. The construction of a new passenger railway in the Wellington Region would be a
co-ordinated project between KiwiRail and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
At this time there are no documents held by Greater Wellington that concern the provision,
construction or development of a new railway line linking any station along the Kāpiti Line to the
Wairarapa or Hutt Valley Lines. As noted above, a project of this nature would be a cross-agency
project between Greater Wellington and KiwiRail, and as no documents are held by Greater
Wellington on this subject, we have no reason to believe that the information would be held by
KiwiRail. We have consulted with KiwiRail and they have confirmed this is the case.
We are therefore refusing this part of your request under section 17(g) of the Act on the grounds
that the information requested is not held by the local authority and the person dealing with the
request has no grounds for believing that the information is either—
(i)
held by another local authority or a department or Minister of the Crown or
organisation; or
(ii)
connected more closely with the functions of another local authority, or a
department or Minister of the Crown or organisation.
If you have any concerns with the decision(s) referred to in this letter, you have the right to
request an investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Act.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information
requests where appropriate. Our response to your request will be published shortly on Greater
Wellington’s website with your personal information removed.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Samantha Gain
Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka-ā-atea | Group Manager Metlink
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