Advice on Christchurch housing crisis
Alex Harris made this Official Information request to Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
The request was refused by Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
From: Alex Harris
Dear Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority,
Since March this year there have been reports of a housing crisis in Christchurch, with people unable to find rental accomodation due to a shortage caused by the earthquake ("Quake Housing crisis drives poor to sleep in cars", Stuff, 29/3/12; "Housing crisis: State must step in, says economist", Stuff, 13/4/12). I would like to request the following information under the Official Information Act 1982:
* all advice and correspondence (including briefings to the Minister, Cabinet papers, internal reports, aides memoire etc) relating to this housing crisis and CERA's response to it.
I would prefer to receive an electronic response. Queries about this request will be automatically forwarded to me by the fyi.org.nz website.
Yours faithfully,
Alex Harris
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
This is the mail system at host fyi.
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Sent request to Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority again.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
This is the mail system at host fyi.
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From: info (CERA)
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Thank you for emailing the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
We will respond to your request as soon as possible
In the meantime, please visit our website
[1]http://www.cera.govt.nz/ where answers to a number of frequently asked
questions can be found.
Thank you for your patience.
Regards
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
------------------------------- This email and any attachments may contain
information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you
are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or
duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have
received this email in error please notify the author immediately and
erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Canterbury Earthquake
Recovery Authority (CERA) accepts no responsibility for changes made to
this message or attachments after transmission from CERA. For further
information about CERA, please visit www.cera.govt.nz.
-------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. http://www.cera.govt.nz/
From: info (CERA)
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Dear Alex
Thank you for your email requesting information under the Official Information Act. A response will be supplied within 20 working days from 17 May in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
Best Regards
Esther
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Enquiry Management and Resolution Team
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From: Alex Harris
Dear info (CERA),
A response to this request was due two weeks ago. Will I be receiving one soon, or will I have to go to the ombudsman?
Yours sincerely,
Alex Harris
From: info (CERA)
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Thank you for emailing the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
We will respond to your request as soon as possible
In the meantime, please visit our website
[1]http://www.cera.govt.nz/ where answers to a number of frequently asked
questions can be found.
Thank you for your patience.
Regards
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
------------------------------- This email and any attachments may contain
information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you
are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or
duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have
received this email in error please notify the author immediately and
erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Canterbury Earthquake
Recovery Authority (CERA) accepts no responsibility for changes made to
this message or attachments after transmission from CERA. For further
information about CERA, please visit www.cera.govt.nz.
-------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. http://www.cera.govt.nz/
From: info (CERA)
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Dear Alex
We will follow up on this request.
Best Regards
Esther
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Enquiry Management and Resolution Team
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From: Greer O'Donnell
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Dear Alex,
Sincerest apologies, your request was overlooked and we are now treating it with the upmost urgency.
If you have any further questions, or there is anything I can help with please do not hesitate to give me a call on 03 354 2669.
Apologies again, we will have your response prepared as soon as possible.
Kind regards,
Greer O'Donnell
Ministerial and Chief Executive Support
Office of the Chief Executive
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA)
Private Bag 4999 Christchurch 8140
T: 03 354 2669
M: 029 650 1141
E: [email address]
W: www.cera.govt.nz
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From: oce (CERA)
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
Dear Alex
Thank you for your request for information of 17 May 2012. Please find attached a letter relating to your request from Roger Sutton.
If you would like a hard copy of this letter, please reply with a forwarding address.
Kind regards
Alison
Office of the Chief Executive
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA)
Private Bag 4999 Christchurch 8140
W: www.cera.govt.nz
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Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence
Offensive? Unsuitable?
Requests for personal information and vexatious requests are not considered valid requests for Official Information (read more).
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Jason Ryan left an annotation ()
Section 18 of the Official Information Act 1982 covers the grounds under which agencies may refuse requests.
Bear in mind that the Act opens with a statement on the Principle of availability (s5), which reads:
"...in accordance with the purposes of this Act and the principle that the information shall be made available unless there is a good reason for withholding it."[0]
Section 18[1] makes it clear that requests can only be refused for 1 or more of the reasons listed there. Nowhere in that section is there a reason that amounts to "a disagreement about semantics". Documents relating to the acute housing shortage in Christchurch would obviously exist in the department; their reply is inconsistent with the spirit and the letter of the Act.
I would ask the Ombudsman's office to consider this matter.
0. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
1. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
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