25 June 2026
Ref: OIA-2025/26-0826
Andrew Arkins
[FYI request #34903 email]
Tēnā koe Andrew,
Follow up to Official Information Act request OIA-2025/26-0798
Thank you for your correspondence of 16 June 2026 regarding my response to your Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) request (OIA-2025/26-0798 refers). You wrote:
“I note that DPMC refused the request under section 18(g) of the Official Information
Act on the basis that it holds no relevant material, and that it has no grounds for
believing such information is held by, or more closely connected with the functions of,
another agency.
Before deciding whether to seek a review by the Ombudsman, I would appreciate
clarification about the searches and enquiries undertaken to reach that conclusion.
Specifically, could DPMC please confirm:
•
Which business units, teams, offices, and information repositories were
searched.
•
Whether the National Security Group and National Assessments Bureau were
consulted directly.
•
Whether staff responsible for the National Security Intelligence Priorities
process were consulted.
•
Which search terms and variants were used, including whether searches
covered terms such as:
o
UAP
o
UFO
o
unidentified anomalous phenomena
o
unidentified aerial phenomena
o
AARO
o
Five Eyes UAP Caucus
o
FVEY UAP
o
PURSUE
o
air-domain awareness
o
anomalous observations
o
space-domain awareness
•
Whether searches covered email systems, document-management systems,
ministerial briefings, meeting records, calendar entries, internal messaging
systems, intelligence assessments, and inter-agency correspondence.
•
Whether records were searched by reference to the date of the Five Eyes
Inaugural UAP Caucus Working Group, 24 May 2023, rather than only by topic
label.
•
Whether DPMC consulted NZDF, GCSB, NZSIS, MFAT, the Ministry of
Defence, or any other agency before concluding that there were no grounds to
transfer any part of the request under section 14.
5159525
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
64 4 817 9698 www.dpmc.govt.nz
•
How DPMC reconciled that conclusion with NZDF’s written confirmation that a
New Zealand representative attended the Five Eyes Inaugural UAP Caucus
Working Group at the Pentagon on 24 May 2023.
I am not asking DPMC to create new substantive information. I am seeking
clarification about the reasonable searches, enquiries, and transfer considerations
undertaken in reaching the section 18(g) decision.”
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) has received and responded to a
number of requests under the Act on the topics raised in your request over the years. Across
these requests – including those received since 2020 – DPMC has not identified any relevant
information within its holdings. For a recent example, see this response, which is publicly
available on the FYI website:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/26072/response/98894/attach/4/Jared%20reply%20letter.pdf. In responding to your request OIA-2025/26-0798, DPMC undertook high-level keyword
searches of its information management systems covering the period from 12 March 2024
(the date the above-linked request was received) to 5 June 2026 (the date your request was
received). These searches did not identify any relevant material. The results were also
confirmed with the National Security and Resilience Group, which includes the National
Assessments Bureau, on the basis that, if any information not located through system
searches existed, that group would be best placed to be aware of it.
As noted in our reply to OIA-2025/26-0798, DPMC can only respond with respect to
information that it holds. If you consider that other agencies may hold information relevant to
your request, you are welcome to make requests to those agencies directly. DPMC’s
searches did not identify any information indicating that transfer under section 14 of the OIA
was appropriate in this instance. We also note that you had already made a request for
information on this topic to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) on 8 June 2026.
We trust this clarifies the steps taken in reaching our decision, however you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review DPMC’s decision-making with respect to OIA-
2025/26-0798 under section 28(3) of the Act.
This response wil be published on the DPMC website during our regular publication cycle.
Typically, information is released monthly, or as otherwise determined. Your personal
information including name and contact details wil be removed for publication.
Nāku noa, nā
Jeremy Clarke-Watson
Deputy Chief Executive, National Security and Resilience
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