5 May 2026
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
PO Box 805, Wellington
Phone: 04 495 7200
Email
: [email address]
Website: dia.govt.nz
Marcus
[FYI request #34371 email]
Tēnā koe Marcus,
Your Official Information Act 1982 request, reference OIA 2526-1059
I am responding to your email of 4 April 2026 to the Department of Internal Affairs (the
Department) requesting the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
1) Any memos or official advice regarding major decisions by the DIA in deciding to
provide ongoing funding to the FVLB that occurred after the successful Budget 2022 bid
that provided 3 tranches of support payments to the FVLB.
a) This would likely mean any documents published after March 1st, 2023 when
"Memo: Grant agreement with the Film and Video Labelling Body 2023" was written.
2) A copy of any further funding contracts written up after 8 March 2023, which was
the publication date of the second funding contract.
a) Ideally this would include the third funding agreement contract that made up the
Budget 2022 tranches, as well as any new tranches issued.
3) Any ministerial briefings prepared for the Minister of Internal Affairs regarding the
FVLB's financial health and/or ability to continue operations.
a) This would be anything after 6 October 2021 when "[Excerpt] Briefing: 2021
October Baseline Update for Vote Internal Affairs" was issued.
4) Any memos or official advice regarding the various options listed in Section 5C:
Options Analysis within "Budget 2022 Initiative Summary – Main Budget Process"
document titled "Ensuring the viability of the labelling body function under the Films,
Videos and Publications Classification Act 1983". For quick reference, the options
considered but discounted were:
a) The Department to continue to fund as an internal cost pressure
b) FVLB to increase fees
c) Changing the legislation to allow a government department or Crown entity to
deliver the function until the Content Regulatory Review is complete
Response to your request Parts One, Two and Four of your request are refused in full under section 18(e) of the Act,
as the documents alleged to contain the requested information do not exist or, despite
reasonable efforts, cannot be found.
Page 1 of 3
In relation to Part Three, the Department has identified one document within scope of your
request. Details of this document are set out in Table One below, and the document is
provided as
Appendix One. Note portions of the document have been withheld under the
following provisions of the Act:
• 9(2)(a): to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons
• 9(2)(ba)(i): to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or
which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of
any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely to
prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source,
and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied.
• 9(2)(b)(ii): to protect information where the making available of the information
would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who
supplied or who is the subject of the information
Public interest considerations As is required by section 9(1) of the Act, consideration has been given as to whether the
withholding of information is outweighed by other public interest considerations which
would make it desirable to make this information available. In this instance, it is not
considered to be the case.
Accessing the Ombudsman
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of my decision by the Office of the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Mark Batt
Director Branch Performance
Policy and Te Tiriti
Page 2 of 3
Table one:
No. Title
Date
Decision (Release, partial
Withholding grounds
release or withhold)
under the Act
1 Briefing: Alternative options for the Video Content
13 October 2025
Partially Released
9(2)(a)
Consumer Information project
9(2)(ba)(i)
9(2)(b)(ii)
