OIA Request - 2003 West Auckland Aerial Spraying Operations & Bio-Insecticide Dispersal Data

Cher Ryker made this Official Information request to Ministry for Primary Industries

The request was refused by Ministry for Primary Industries.

From: Cher Ryker

To Official Information Act Officer, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

**Subject:** OIA Request - 2003 West Auckland Aerial Spraying Operations & Bio-Insecticide Dispersal Data

Dear Ministry for Primary Industries,
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I am formally requesting documentation and operational data regarding the aerial spraying and bio-insecticide dispersal programs conducted over the West Auckland region circa 2003.
To ensure clarity and to assist your team in locating the correct archival files, I have divided this request into three specific areas of operational data:
**1. West Auckland Regional Operations**
Please provide the overarching operational documents for the 2003 West Auckland aerial spraying program, specifically including:
* The complete regional flight path maps for all low-altitude dispersal flights conducted during the 2003 calendar year.
* The formal schedule and logged dates of all aerial spraying operations executed over the West Auckland region during this period.
* The government's stated objectives and operational parameters for targeting this specific geographic zone.
**2. Kelston Airspace & Targeted Localized Data**
In addition to the regional data, I require highly localized operational logs for the suburb of Kelston. Please provide:
* The specific flight paths, altitudes, and spray logs for the airspace directly above and immediately surrounding the residential address of 6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston, during the 2003 operations.
* The precise dates and times that aerial dispersal occurred directly over or adjacent to this specific Kelston address.
**3. Bio-Insecticide Composition and Drift Modeling**
To accurately understand the environmental reality of these operations, please provide:
* The exact chemical and biological composition (including all active agents, inert ingredients, and adjuvants) of the bio-insecticide(s) utilized during the 2003 West Auckland operations.
* The environmental drift models or dispersal radius calculations utilized by the Ministry to predict how the bio-insecticides would settle into residential zones, specifically within the Kelston area.
As this request is being managed via the FYI.org.nz platform, I look forward to your acknowledgment of this request and receiving the information within the statutory 20 working days.
If any part of this request requires clarification to expedite the retrieval of these archives, please let me know.

Yours sincerely,
Cher Heather Ryker

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From: Official Information Act
Ministry for Primary Industries

Kia ora Cher,

 

Thank you for your official information request received on 14 May 2026.

 

Your request below will be considered, and a decision provided in
accordance with the requirements of the Official Information Act 1982.

 

If you have any questions regarding this request, please email
[1][email address]

 

Ngâ mihi,

Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatû Ahu Matua
Charles Fergusson Building, 38-42 Bowen Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington
6140 | New Zealand
Web: [2]www.mpi.govt.nz

 

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From: Official Information Act
Ministry for Primary Industries


Attachment OIA26 0384 OIA Extension.pdf
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Tçnâ koe Cher,

 

On behalf of Michelle Morehu, Director Government Services, please find
attached an update on your Official Information Act request.

 

Ngâ mihi,

Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatû Ahu Matua
Charles Fergusson Building, 38-42 Bowen Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington
6140 | New Zealand
Web: [1]www.mpi.govt.nz

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From: Official Information Act
Ministry for Primary Industries


Attachment OIA26 0384 OIA Response Letter.pdf
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Attachment OIA26 0384 Appendix One.pdf
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Attachment OIA26 0384 Appendix Two.pdf
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Attachment OIA26 0384 Appendix Three.pdf
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Tēnā koe Cher,

 

On behalf of Andrew Spelman, Commissioner Biosecurity Intelligence,
Systems, and Response, please find attached a response to your Official
Information Act request.

 

Ngā mihi,

Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries | Charles Fergusson Building, 38-42 Bowen
Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington | New Zealand  
Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 | Email: [1][email address] |
Web: [2]www.mpi.govt.nz

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2. http://www.mpi.govt.nz/

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From: Cher Ryker

**Subject:** Formal Request for Rectification of Address Data and Re-issue of Environmental/Flight Log Data (Ref: OIA26-0384)
**To:** Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) / Relevant Regulatory Authority
**Dear Official Information Act Team,**
I am writing regarding the response provided to my previous request, OIA26-0384.
Upon auditing the data provided, I have identified a critical clerical error that invalidates the environmental and exposure analysis presented in the response. In the documentation provided, the residential address was misidentified as **"6 Selkirk Street, Kelston"** rather than the correct address: **6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston**.
**Impact of the Clerical Error:**
1. **Invalidated Modeling:** Any environmental exposure modeling, flight log cross-referencing, or hazard assessment performed on "6 Selkirk Street" is fundamentally irrelevant to the documented exposure zone of 6 Kelkirk Street.
2. **Data Integrity:** This error represents a significant breakdown in administrative oversight, as the correct address—6 Kelkirk Street—was clearly provided in the original request.
3. **Institutional Accountability:** As the Lead Researcher & Auditor for this project, I require an accurate, error-free data set to ensure public health transparency.
**Formal Request for Rectification:**
Pursuant to the Official Information Act, I request the following:
1. **Immediate Correction:** Please formally amend all digital and physical records associated with OIA26-0384 to reflect the correct address: **6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston**.
2. **Re-issue of Data:** Please re-run the relevant environmental exposure modeling, flight log audits, and hazard assessments using the accurate geospatial coordinates for **6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston**.
3. **Clarification:** Provide a brief explanation as to why the incorrect address was utilized in the previous assessment despite the presence of the correct residential address in the original request.
I look forward to receiving the rectified documentation promptly, as these records are essential for the ongoing forensic synthesis of the West Auckland Painted Apple Moth aerial eradication program.
**Regards,**
**Cher Ryker**
Lead Researcher & Auditor

Link to this

From: Cher Ryker

**Subject:** Formal Request for Rectification of Address Data and Re-issue of Environmental/Flight Log Data (Ref: OIA26-0384)
**To:** Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) / Relevant Regulatory Authority
**Dear Official Information Act Team,**
I am writing regarding the response provided to my previous request, OIA26-0384.
Upon auditing the data provided, I have identified a critical clerical error that invalidates the environmental and exposure analysis presented in the response. In the documentation provided, the residential address was misidentified as **"6 Selkirk Street, Kelston"** rather than the correct address: **6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston**.
**Impact of the Clerical Error:**
1. **Invalidated Modeling:** Any environmental exposure modeling, flight log cross-referencing, or hazard assessment performed on "6 Selkirk Street" is fundamentally irrelevant to the documented exposure zone of 6 Kelkirk Street.
2. **Data Integrity:** This error represents a significant breakdown in administrative oversight, as the correct address—6 Kelkirk Street—was clearly provided in the original request.
3. **Institutional Accountability:** As the Lead Researcher & Auditor for this project, I require an accurate, error-free data set to ensure public health transparency.
**Formal Request for Rectification:**
Pursuant to the Official Information Act, I request the following:
1. **Immediate Correction:** Please formally amend all digital and physical records associated with OIA26-0384 to reflect the correct address: **6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston**.
2. **Re-issue of Data:** Please re-run the relevant environmental exposure modeling, flight log audits, and hazard assessments using the accurate geospatial coordinates for **6 Kelkirk Street, Kelston**.
3. **Clarification:** Provide a brief explanation as to why the incorrect address was utilized in the previous assessment despite the presence of the correct residential address in the original request.
I look forward to receiving the rectified documentation promptly, as these records are essential for the ongoing forensic synthesis of the West Auckland Painted Apple Moth aerial eradication program.
**Regards,**
**Cher Ryker**
Lead Researcher & Auditor

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From: Official Information Act
Ministry for Primary Industries

Tēnā koe,
Thank you for contacting the Ministry for Primary Industries
(MPI).  This inbox is monitored from 8.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday
excluding public holidays & weekends.  
This email is to confirm that we have received your correspondence.  
 
If your correspondence relates to an Official Information Act request, we
will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA). Under section 15(1) of the OIA, we are
required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as
reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days
after the day on which your request is received.   
 
If we need to clarify, or transfer your request, or extend
the timeframe for response, we will contact you shortly. 
 
For more information about Official Information Act requests, please
visit: [1]Requests for official information | Ombudsman New Zealand 
Ngā mihi,
 
Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries | Charles Fergusson Building, 34-38 Bowen
Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington | New Zealand 
Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 | Email:
[2][email address]  | Web: [3]www.mpi.govt.nz 

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From: Official Information Act
Ministry for Primary Industries

Kia ora Cher

Thank you for your email.

We have considered the information you provided, and it does not alter our decision on your request.

As you are aware, you may raise your concerns with the Ombudsman. Contact details are: Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143 or at [email address].

Nga mihi

Official Information Act Team
Government Services | Public Affairs
Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatû Ahu Matua
Charles Fergusson Building, 38-42 Bowen Street | PO Box 2526 | Wellington 6140 | New Zealand
Web: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/

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