National Headquarters
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
National Headquarters
Spark Central, Level 7
42-52 Willis Street
Wellington Central
Wellington 6011
Phone +64 4 496 3600
27 July 2026
Ref: 22211
Mark Grayson
[FYI request #34927 email]
Tēnā koe Mark
We refer to your request of 20 June 2026 to Fire and Emergency New Zealand requesting
information related to the displaying of the Fire and Emergency logo during the Super Rugby
Pacific final match between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs on 20 June 2026. We have considered
your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), and we copy and respond to your
request below.
1. “All email threads relating to this subject, between the appropriate FENZ persons or
departments;”
Please find attached, as the
Appendix to this response, a copy of the emails between Fire and
Emergency personnel regarding the marketing activity at the Super Rugby Pacific 2026 final match.
Some information has been withheld under the following sections of the OIA:
• 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; and
• 9(2)(j), to enable a Minister of the Crown or any public service agency or organisation
holding the information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations
(including commercial and industrial negotiations).
Please note, Fire and Emergency work closely with our external partners to plan, implement and
evaluate our media approach for our national behaviour change campaigns, including ‘You’re
Cooked’. As such, there are limited internal communications as we tend to communicate directly
with our external partners as part of our business-as-usual work activities.
Further, you will notice that the email thread outlines that we decided not to progress with the
Super Rugby Pacific finals series media opportunity which included the quarter and semi-final
rounds and instead opted to run our ‘You’re Cooked’ campaign during the Super Rugby Pacific final
match at Hnry Stadium.
2. “Did this receive sign-off and approval from or include any member of the FENZ
Executive Leadership Team (ELT).”
We can advise that the Fire and Emergency Executive Leadership Team (ELT) were not required to
sign-off on or approve this media investment.
2a. “Was there any member of FENZ present at this game? If so, who was present.”
We can advise that no member of the ELT was present at the game in their professional capacity.
We are unable to speak to whether any Fire and Emergency personnel may have attended in their
personal capacity.
2b. “Did any member of FENZ receive "perks" such as special access or gifts?”
We can advise that no Fire and Emergency personnel in their professional capacity received any
perks such as special access or gifts.
3. “All names and positions of the persons and companies involved, including who
approved this apparent deal to go ahead;”
Amanda Duncan, National Manager Communications and Engagement, is the Fire and Emergency
national promotions budget holder and has the financial delegation to approve this marketing
activity. Further persons involved were Ashleigh Romanos, Senior Marketing Advisor, Fire and
Emergency, Kaitlin Mitchell, Business Director, MBM and Julia Shasha, Account Director, Motion
Sickness.
4. “Justification or reasoning from the appropriatee person, that being a member of the
ELT or such otherwise, why FENZ decided to sponsor a Super Rugby Finale;
4a. Reasoning as to why FENZ have decided to sponsor a Super Rugby Finale, rather than
attempt negotiations with the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union.
5. Does this sponsorship maintain a neutral position for Fire and Emergency New Zealand
being a Crown Entity?
5a. Will the information around this sponsorship and expenditure be provided to the Board
and Minister?”
Regarding the above aspects of your request, we can advise that this placement was a media buy,
enabling Fire and Emergency to deliver a targeted fire safety message. It was not a sponsorship of
the Super Rugby Pacific final match. Therefore, it does not impact Fire and Emergency’s ability to
negotiate with unions, and it does not affect our neutral position as a Crown Entity.
Also, and as mentioned above, the approval of this marketing activity falls within the financial
delegation of the National Manager Communications and Engagement, therefore, information
related to this marketing activity does not need to be provided to the Board or the Minister unless
it is requested or it is deemed necessary to do so.
6. “Documents relating to this matter, being:
6a. A financial breakdown of all costs involved in this sponsorship occurring, provided in a
PDF document.”
We can advise that the information requested contains the negotiated commercial pricing for a
tactical media purchase and its release would reveal information from which competitors and
prospective clients could infer pricing methodology and commercial margins for similar media
buys. For this reason, we are withholding the requested information in full under section 9(2)(b)(ii)
of the OIA, 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.
In making this decision, we have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the OIA.
6b. “Agreements between FENZ and Super Rugby (or other such agency). NB: If this is
written in the emails provided under point one, disregard this.”
We can advise that there are no agreements between Fire and Emergency and Super Rugby
Pacific. For this reason, this aspect of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the
documents alleged to contain the information requested do not exist.
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 at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
We trust that the information being provided is of assistance. If you require further information,
please email [FENZ request email]
Nāku noa, nā
Aidan Saunders
Manager, Information Requests
