OIAD-2418
25 October 2022
Asha Andersen
[FYI request #20673 email]
Tēnā koe Asha
Thank you for your Official Information Act request to the Department of Conservation,
received on 27 September 2022 in which you asked for:
1. I would like to request the consultation record for the Hokianga hapu / iwi and other
residents regarding the aerial 1080 poisoning of the Waipoua Forest. Please provide
all details.
2. What public meetings were held with the community of the Hokianga? Please provide
all details.
3. What other meeting were held to discuss the merits and harms of aerial 1080
poisoning? Please provide all details.
4. Was an open tender application for the ground control of the forest made available?
Please provide all details.
5. Did anyone apply to do ground control of the forest? Please provide all details
Your questions and our responses are listed below:
1. I would like to request the consultation record for the Hokianga hapu / iwi and other
residents regarding the aerial 1080 poisoning of the Waipoua Forest. Please provide
all details.
Iwi consultation took place at marae level, with Te Roroa, the iwi that currently has statutory
acknowledgement through Treaty settlement in Waipoua. The marae consulted were
Whakamaharatanga, Matatina and Pananawe marae. Owners and occupiers of land
adjacent to the operational area were also consulted.
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The details of this consultation are outlined in the consultation record. I am providing you with
a copy of that document, subject to information being withheld under the following sections of
the Official Information Act:
• Information under section 6(2) – where the making available of that information
would be likely to endanger the safety of any person;
• Names and personal contact details of individuals, under section 9(2)(a) – to protect
the privacy of natural persons, including deceased people;
• Names of individuals and organisations under section 9(2)(g)(ii) – to maintain the
effective conduct of public affairs through the protection of members of organisations,
officers, and employees from improper pressure or harassment;
• Names of organisations under section 9(2)(ba)(i) – to protect information which is
subject to an obligation of confidence and would be likely to prejudice the supply of
similar information, or information from the same source, and it is in the public
interest that such information should continue to be supplied.
In making my decision, I have considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of
the Official Information Act and determined there are no public interests which outweigh the
grounds for withholding.
2. What public meetings were held with the community of the Hokianga? Please provide
all details.
3. What other meeting were held to discuss the merits and harms of aerial 1080
poisoning? Please provide all details.
Information on meetings held during the consultation process is detailed within the
consultation record, provided in response to question 1 above.
In addition, as part of the conditions of the Public Health Permission for the operation, the
Department advised the community of the planned predator control in Waipoua by
advertising in the Public Notices section of the Kaipara Lifestyler on 26 July 2022, the
Northern Advocate on 27 July 2022, and the Northern News on 27 July 2022.
4. Was an open tender application for the ground control of the forest made available?
Please provide all details.
5. Did anyone apply to do ground control of the forest? Please provide all details
Aerial 1080 is the only feasible tool to control introduced predators at scale over the 14,000
hectare site at Waipoua. This is complemented by DOC’s annual ground control to protect
kōkako. Due to the value of the ground control contract, and in alignment with DOC’s
procurement procedures, it was not advertised as an open tender.
Further ground control is being carried out in Waipoua Forest by iwi and a community group.
Both these initiatives are part-funded by DOC’s Community Fund. This work is not
Department-led and we do not run any procurement process for it.
You are entitled to seek an investigation and review of my decision by writing to an
Ombudsman as provided by section 28(3) of the Official Information Act.
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Please note that this letter (with your personal details removed) and enclosed documents
may be published on the Department’s website.
Nāku noa, nā
Ben Reddiex
Director, National Programmes
Department of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai
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Table 1 - Schedule of documents
Item
Date
Document description
Decision
1
As at 4 October 2022
Waipoua Communication Plan
Released in part
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