Conservation House | Te Papa Atawhai
Erika Whittome
18 Manners Street
[FYI request #34386 email]
Wellington
6011
doc.govt.nz
Ref: OIAD-6228
4 May 2026
Tēnā koe Erika
Thank you for your request to the Department of Conservation (DOC), received on 05 April
2026, in which you asked the following questions in relation to Covid vaccine mandates:
1. What number of staff did your office terminate or place on any form of " extended
leave" due to vaccination mandates in 2021/2022?
2. When did you initiate and then remove your policy for only employing vaccinated
staff?
3. Would you please kindly share the emails and correspondence regarding this
decision to initiate and then remove this policy for only hiring vaccinated staff?
4. Please share a copy of the policy in its draft and final form
5. Please share the workplace risk assessment for the Covid-19 disease
We have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982.
At the time DOC’s COVID-19 vaccination policy was developed and implemented, COVID-19 was
assessed as a critical health and safety risk for the Department. As a result, the development,
oversight and implementation of the policy were managed through DOC’s Health and Safety
function, in line with our obligations to identify and manage workplace health and safety risks.
Your questions and our responses are listed below:
1.
What number of staff did your office terminate or place on any form of " extended leave"
due to vaccination mandates in 2021/2022?
The Department placed 16 individuals on extended discretionary leave without pay from 26
March 2022. The employment of three fixed‑term staff ended as their contracts were due to
expire shortly and no suitable alternative work was available. Al discretionary leave without pay
arrangements ceased when DOC’s Vaccination Policy was suspended from 4 May 2022.
Please note that there were no terminations of permanent employees, due to stipulations of the
vaccination policy (refer item 1d).
2.
When did you initiate and then remove your policy for only employing vaccinated staff?
The Department implemented the practices set out in the DOC COVID‑19 Vaccination Policy for
all permanent staff from 1 February 2022 (refer item 1 attached). The policy applied to
contractors, suppliers, volunteers, and members of the public accessing DOC premises from 10
January 2022. The policy was suspended from 4 May 2022 (refer item 2 attached) in response
to high vaccination rates, peaking Omicron transmission, and an updated risk assessment,
which concluded that a blanket national vaccination mandate was no longer necessary to keep
staff safe, provided other health and safety controls were effectively implemented (refer item
2a).
3.
Would you please kindly share the emails and correspondence regarding this decision to
initiate and then remove this policy for only hiring vaccinated staff?
There was one piece of correspondence sent to all Department staff by the then Deputy
Director-General, People on 13 April 2022. This information is attached as item 2, as referenced
in the Appendix at the end of this letter.
4.
Please share a copy of the policy in its draft and final form
DOC’s COVID‑19 Staff Vaccination Policy (refer item 1d) was developed through a structured
consultation process. A draft policy (item 3) was circulated to staff for feedback, which was then
collected and reviewed. That feedback informed revisions to the draft, and relevant changes
were incorporated before the final policy was approved.
5.
Please share the workplace risk assessment for the Covid-19 disease.
The Department’s risk assessment is attached as item 1c. This document was provided to all
employees in December 2021. At the time, the Public Service Commission Te Kawa Mataaho
advised that, where there was no specific legislative mandate, each public service agency must
conduct a health and safety risk assessment to determine whether and to what level vaccination
was required to work in the workplace. The health and safety risk assessment was part of what
DOC needed to do to fulfil its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
I have decided to release the relevant parts of the documents listed below, subject to
information being withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official
Information Act, as applicable:
• personal contact details of officials, under section 9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy of
natural persons, including deceased people.
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of the
Official Information Act and determined there are no public interests that outweigh the grounds
for withholding.
You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision by writing to an Ombudsman
as provided by section 28(3) of the Official Information Act.
Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and attached documents may
be published on the Department’s website.
Nāku noa, nā
Davinia Harvey
Director Health Safety and Security
Department of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai
2
Appendix
Item Date
Document description
Decision
1
16 December
Email: IMPORTANT COVID-19
Released in part
2021
ANNOUNCEMENT: DOC’s COVID-19
Vaccination Policy consultation outcome
1a
14 December
Attachment: SLT Paper – COVID Vax
Released in full
2021
Mandate Staff
1b
14 December
Attachment: Staff Consultation - Analysis
Released in full
2021
of submissions
1c
15 December
Attachment: DOC risk assessment –
Released in full
2021
transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace
1d
15 December
Attachment: DOC COVID-19 Vaccination
Released in full
2021
Policy
1e
15 December
Attachment: COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
Released in full
2021
Implementation HR Process and Guidance
for DOC Employees
1f
16 December
Attachment: SLT Paper – COVID Vax
Released in full
2021
Mandate Staff – Implementation HR
process - DRAFT
2
13 April 2022
Email: COVID-19: DOC Vaccination Policy
Released in part
to be suspended from Wednesday 4 May
2a
13 April 2022
Attachment: Recommendation Paper –
Released in full
COVID Vax Mandates Cabinet Decision
Implementation Process
3
29 November DOC COVID-19 Vaccination Policy -
Released in full
2021
DRAFT
3
