Ref: DOIA-REQ-0029362
Spencer Jones
Email:
[FYI request #34076 email]
Tēnā koe Spencer Jones
Thank you for your email of 13 March 2026 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information, which I
have sought to respond to in turn:
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information from 1 January 2015
to the present concerning smart meters, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), related
communications systems, and associated regulatory or governance oversight in New Zealand.
Please provide:
1. Any internal briefings, aide-memoires, issue papers, policy papers, meeting notes, or
correspondence concerning:
• smart meter regulation,
• AMI deployment,
• communications architecture used by smart meters,
• consumer data implications,
• cybersecurity implications,
• and any interaction between smart meters and wider digital or wireless infrastructure.
2. Any records involving MBIE, the Electricity Authority, Ministry of Health, Health NZ, ESR, Privacy
Commissioner, Standards New Zealand, or Radio Spectrum Management where smart meters, AMI,
RF/EMF, health concerns, privacy, or consumer protections were discussed.
3. Any records identifying which MBIE business units are responsible for:
• smart meter standards or conformance,
• radio or communications aspects of AMI,
• data or digital policy implications,
• consumer or market regulation interfaces.
4. Any reports, submissions, legal advice summaries, consultation documents, or technical
reviews concerning whether New Zealand’s current regulatory settings adequately govern:
• smart meter data collection and use,
• communications and interoperability,
• cybersecurity risks,
• privacy or consent issues,
• and any public concerns relating to RF/EMF exposure.
5. Any record of inter-agency allocation of responsibility for smart-meter-related issues,
including which agency is considered responsible for:
• meter rules,
• health,
• privacy,
• communications/spectrum,
• and consumer protections.
I believe this request has been responded to in relation to your previous requests regarding smart meters
(DOIA-REQs 0018800, 0021695, 0026483, 0027466). We have previously advised you that Smart Meters
are not governed by a single agency, but are regulated by different government entities in different ways.
As you know:
•
the Electricity Authority has responsibility for smart meters through its
Electricity Industry
Participation Code 2010;
•
Health New Zealand is responsible for setting the health standards including leading the
Inter-
agency committee on the Health Effects of Non-ionising Fields.
•
Worksafe is responsible for energy safety, in terms of monitoring and guidance;
We have previously transferred your requests, in part to these entities, or sought to transfer and been
advised you had already made a similar request.
As advised in DOIA-REQ-0027466, MBIE does not provide technical guidance, approve meters, track
testing of, manage/approve model registration of nor incident monitor smart meters. We believe “AMI
Deployment” is another way of referring to the Smart Meter Rollout, which you have previously
canvassed with both MBIE and the responsible agency, the Electricity Authority.
In so far as you have requested records of communications between MBIE and listed agencies regarding
smart meters, RF/EMF, health concerns, privacy or consumer protections, I believe you are specifically
writing in reference to communications regarding Smart Meters, and I note that we have previously
addressed this request through refusal, transfer and provision of information (please refer to the
previously referenced OIA responses).
In terms of part three of your request, while MBIE’s Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery Group is
responsible for administering Standards, we have previously advised you that responsibility for the
relevant Standard (NZS 2772.1:1999) sits with the Ministry of Health. I understand that you have made a
number of requests to the Ministry of Health on this matter in the past.
Building, Resources and Markets and Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery share responsibility for Radio
Spectrum Management (RSM), which deals with the regulation of radio transmitters. As we have
previously advised, this is not specific to Smart Meters and applies to the transmitters in any device that
transmits radio signals. You can read more about the functions of RSM on our website
: Welcome to Radio
Spectrum Management | Radio Spectrum Management New Zealand. For context, in New Zealand, most
radiocommunications transmissions require authorisation under the Radiocommunications Act 1989,
which is administered by RSM.
Commented [DO1]: Deleting this because I think smart
We have not identified smart meters as being relevant to data or digital policy or consumer/market
meters will be licensed under a general licence rather
regulation policy, at MBIE.
than an individual radio licence
In terms of part four of your request regarding information relating to the regulatory settings of smart
meters, communications and interoperability, cybersecurity risks, privacy or consent issues, and any public
concerns relating to RF/EMF exposure. I have understood your request as relating to smart meters, and
can advise no such information exists. As such, I am refusing this part of your request under section 18(g)
of the Act.
However, for completeness, if you mean you wish to receive all information regarding communications,
cybersecurity, privacy, and RF/EMF more generally – not specifically relating to smart meters – then I note
this request would likely be refused under section 18(f) of the Act.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please cont
act [email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
Nāku noa, nā
Daniel O’Grady
Manager RSM Policy and Planning
Communications, Infrastructure and Trade
