Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request access to the following official documents:

1. Contracts and funding agreements
All contracts, service agreements, and funding documents between the New Zealand Government (including Immigration New Zealand, MBIE, and any other agencies) and Asylum Seekers Support Trust (ASST) for the years 2025, 2026 and subsequent periods.

2. Specific budget documents
Budget allocations, funding proposals and approvals related to asylum seeker support services provided by ASST from January 2025 onwards.

3. Official correspondence
All correspondence between government officials and ASST representatives regarding contract renewals, funding extensions or new agreements for 2025-2026.

4. Evaluations and reports
Service evaluation reports, performance reviews or cost analyses related to ASST services funded by the government for the 2025-2026 period.

Timeframe: Since 2023 to present (to include negotiations and planning) and subsequent periods.

Yours faithfully,
Patricia Brevis

Dear NoReplyMinisterialServices,

I sincerely thank you for acknowledging and processing my request submitted on 6 October 2025 under the Official Information Act 1982, regarding the funding agreements between MBIE and the Asylum Seekers Support Trust (ASST).

The requested information is of particular importance in light of a recent judicial decision which expressly recognised that the accommodation at the hostel managed by ASST is partly or wholly funded by MBIE for the purpose of providing emergency housing.

In that same decision, it was also noted that the agreement was valid until 18 September 2025 and was “now renewed for a further three years”, which reinforces the need to obtain access to contracts, renewals, extensions, and budget-related documents concerning the 2025–2026 and subsequent periods.

In this context, access to funding agreements, budget allocations and approvals, official correspondence, and service evaluations would help clarify the current and future scope of the public funding granted to ASST, and how it relates to the continuation of accommodation for asylum seekers under government-funded humanitarian programmes.

Thank you very much for your attention, and I look forward to receiving the requested documents within the statutory timeframe, or any update regarding the progress of my request.

Yours sincerely,
Patricia Brevis

Tēnā koe INZ OIAs,

Thank you very much for your reply of 4 November 2025.

I would like to clarify that my request is not for an audit or a financial analysis, but simply for the documentary record of the agreements signed between the Asylum Seekers Support Trust (ASST) and MBIE, in order to understand the scope of the funding, restrictions, obligations, and other relevant information required for an ongoing legal proceeding.

There is a real risk arising from the delay in obtaining this vital information. Therefore, an extension of the timeframe until 2 December 2025 would defeat the purpose of the request.

To facilitate the processing of this matter, I am willing to narrow my request to the delivery of only the agreements signed between ASST and MBIE regarding funding. I attach here the previous agreement that covered funding up to 2025, and what I require is the renewal or extension agreement that succeeds it, covering the period up to 2028.

Funding Agreement MBIE & ASST 2023: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nHLpUNo...

Given the limited and specific nature of this request, a reasonable timeframe of two to three days should be sufficient to locate and release this single document, particularly as the previous agreement identifies Mr Andrew Lockhart as the MBIE contact responsible for coordination with ASST.

As you can see, this is not a complex request—merely a copy of the instrument confirming the government’s continued funding up to 2028, as referred to in the District Court’s findings.

Thank you for your consideration and prompt assistance.

Ngā mihi nui,
Patricia Brevis