Defence: Approval to Buy a Dive and Hydrographic Vessel - Cabinet Documents

Additional info

The pack comprises:

• the August 2018 Report from the Defence Chief Executives to the Ministers of Finance and Defence: New Zealand Defence Force: Approval to Commit to Contract for the Dive and Hydrographic Vessel
• the June 2018 Cabinet minute of decision: Defence: Approval to Buy a Dive and Hydrographic Vessel [GOV-18-MIN-0031]
• the associated Cabinet paper: Defence: Approval to Buy a Dive and Hydrographic Vessel [GOV-18-SUB-0031].

The Report from the Defence Chief Executives was signed by the Secretary of Defence and Chief of Defence Force on 15 August, and approved by the Minister of Defence on 15 August and Minister of Finance on 19 August 2018.

Certain information has been withheld from the documents, in accordance with the following provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. Where information is withheld this is indicated in the documents. In addition, the business case for the purchase of the Dive and Hydrographic Vessel is withheld in full in accordance with the following provisions of the Act. Recognising the public interest in information on the decision to purchase major defence capabilities, the Cabinet paper provides a summary of the key information that formed the basis of Cabinet's decision to make this purchase.

Information is withheld where the making available of the information would be likely to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand [section 6(a)]. In addition, certain information has been withheld in order to:

• protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied the information [section 9(2)(b)(ii)]
• enable a Minister of the Crown or any department or organisation holding the information to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations [section 9(2)(j)].

Where informaiton is withheld pursuant to section 9(2), it is not considered that the public interest in this information outweighs the need to protect it.

Information about making an Official Information Act request to the Ministry of Defence is available from this page.