Aviation Security (Avsec) Effectiveness
Liam made this Official Information request to Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
The request was successful.
From: Liam
Dear Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand,
Please supply the following information under the Official Information Act (OIA) 1982. My request is broken up into two parts.
I am a New Zealand Citizen, and currently located in New Zealand.
1) Please supply all or as much information in relation to the effectiveness of Aviation Security (Avsec) screening at Wellington Airport. As I understand Avsec Officers are subject to random and regular audits.
2) Under what legislative authority do Avsec Officers have from not being screened when entering into a "sterile" area?
Yours faithfully,
Liam G
From: OIA
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
Hi Liam,
I have been allocated your OIA request in relation to Avsec effectiveness.
The Official Information Act 1982 provides that official information requested shall be specified with due particularity in the request. Could you please be more specific about the information you request under point 1 of your email below? In particular could you please clarify what you mean by information in relation to the effectiveness of Avsec screening at Wellington airport?
Kind Regards,
Tania Nedelcheva
Senior Solicitor
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 | Wellington | 6011
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission is confidential, may be privileged and should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete it from your system.
show quoted sections
From: Liam
Dear Tania,
Thanks for your response.
I would like to request the following information under the OIA, in relation to the ongoing competency assesments done on Avsec screening officers at Wellington Airport (specifically International Depatures). I understand that officers are subject to audits/tests. However I would like specific information as to what is assesed in these audits (if possible can you provide me a sample audit). Is there a mark or expected level of detection in order for an officer to be marked as competent/pass? How many instances have officers "failed" these audits within the last 12months, and what happens to a screening officer that has failed.
Yours sincerely,
Liam
From: OIA
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
Hello Liam,
Please find attached our response to your OIA request.
Kind Regards,
Tania Nedelcheva
Senior Solicitor
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 | Wellington | 6011
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission is confidential, may be privileged and should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete it from your system.
This e-mail (and its accompanying attachments) is intended for the named recipient only and may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient please inform the sender and destroy the message. If you have received this message in error you must not distribute or copy this e-mail or its attachments. The Civil Aviation Authority accepts no responsibility for any changes made to this message after the transmission from the Civil Aviation Authority. Before opening or using attachments, check them for viruses and other effects. This communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance and cyber security purposes.
From: OIA
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
Hi Liam,
Please find attached the response to your request.
Regards,
Tania
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Cody C left an annotation ()
Unsure how the number of officers failed the test would jeopardise the security of NZ. I would dispute this claim.
Luke C left an annotation ()
I agree with Cody.
I am not sure that withholding the information meets the test of s6(a)*. It would be interesting to see what the Ombudsman had to say after reviewing the information.
Releasing the information may in fact promote s4(a)(ii) if the information reveals that many officers are failing the tests.
*http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/syste...
Liam left an annotation ()
A complaint has been made with the Ombudsman. For two reasons:
1) The CAA have failed to provide an example audit/test as per request (or provide reason as to not provide this)
2) I dont belive that the "security of New Zealand" is at risk by providing the figures on the number of officers who have failed these audits.
From: Tania Nedelcheva
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
Dear Liam,
I refer to the request you made on 11 June 2018 in relation to Avsec
competency assessments. As part of that request, you asked if it is
possible to provide you with a sample audit. In our response to you, we
did not include a sample audit.
The reason a sample audit was not provided was because there is not one.
The section on which we relied was section 18(e) of the Official
Information Act 1982.
We interpreted the reference to “sample audit” to mean a type of checklist
associated with the test being carried out. In our response to you on 9
July 2018 we explained that there is no degree of pass or fail, but rather
the measure of proficiency is a test piece either being detected or not by
an Avsec Officer. The result of the test is then logged into the Avsec
system as a pass/fail. Looking at our response now, this should have been
stated specifically.
I hope this is of assistance in clarifying the matter.
Kind Regards,
Tania Nedelcheva
Senior Solicitor
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tûmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 |
Wellington | 6011
(DDI) +64 (4) 560 9641|
[1]image002 (2) [2]avsecSeal
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission is confidential,
may be privileged and should be read or retained only by the intended
recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please
immediately notify the sender and delete it from your system.
This e-mail (and its accompanying attachments) is intended for the named
recipient only and may contain information that is confidential and
subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient please
inform the sender and destroy the message. If you have received this
message in error you must not distribute or copy this e-mail or its
attachments. The Civil Aviation Authority accepts no responsibility for
any changes made to this message after the transmission from the Civil
Aviation Authority. Before opening or using attachments, check them for
viruses and other effects. This communication may be accessed or retained
for information assurance and cyber security purposes.
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Richard left an annotation ()
It looks as though the solicitor has taken a very narrow view in terms of the second part of the request. Instead of taking a policy approach they are looking to rely on legal advice which may have informed operational policy.
Perhaps seek any information on any operational policy with regard to allowing Avsec personnel into security sterile areas without having to undergo screening?
Link to this