fiscal flows, accountability mechanisms, and funding reconciliation relating to enforcement activity

Requesting Party: InLandsAirWater Counsel

Return Address: PO Box 265 Queenstown.

Date: today being the 3 February 2026

Request under the Official Information Act 1982

This request is made pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).

The purpose of this request is to understand fiscal flows, accountability mechanisms, and funding reconciliation relating
to enforcement activity undertaken by Crown agencies, and the
subsequent treatment of enforcement-derived revenue within the Crown
financial system. This request is made for reasons of transparency,
public accountability, and reasonableness.

This request does not seek operational decision-making material, personal information, or privileged legal advice.

Information Requested

A. Enforcement-Derived Revenue

Please
provide all documents, policies, guidance, accounting instructions, or
financial frameworks held by the Treasury that describe how the
following monies are treated once received by the Crown:

• Fines and infringement fees

• Court-ordered costs

• Penalties

• Enforcement or compliance recoveries

• Cost-recovery amounts associated with prosecutions or regulatory enforcement

B. Accounts and Funds

Please identify:

1. The specific accounts, funds, or ledgers into which enforcement-derived monies are paid; and

2. Whether such monies are:

• Returned to the Consolidated Fund;

• Used to offset appropriations;

• Treated as Crown revenue; or

• Applied to reduce the net operating cost of agencies.

C. Budgeting, Forecasting, and Reconciliation

Please provide documents showing whether enforcement-derived revenue is:

• Forecast or modelled during budget preparation;

• Reported as part of agency performance or financial reporting; and/or

• Reconciled against appropriations or baseline funding.

D. Clawback, Offset, or Cost-Recovery Mechanisms

Please provide any documents describing mechanisms by which enforcement-related revenue is:

• Clawed back;

• Netted off;

• Offset against Vote funding; or

• Taken into account in future appropriations or baseline adjustments.

E. Inter-Agency Treatment

Please provide any guidance or correspondence between the Treasury and:

• The Ministry of Justice;

• Crown Law; or

• Enforcement agencies (including Police or regulatory bodies)

that describes how enforcement-derived monies are to be treated for fiscal or accountability purposes.

Public Interest

There
is a strong public interest in understanding whether enforcement
activity is fiscally neutral, revenue-offsetting, or revenue-generating,
and how this interacts with principles of fairness, proportionality,
and access to justice.

Transparency
as to funding flows is essential where enforcement powers affect the
rights, property, and livelihoods of members of the public.

Format and Timeframe

Please provide the requested information:

• In electronic form (PDF or DOCX preferred); and

• Within the statutory timeframe.

If any part of this request is refused, please specify:

• The precise statutory ground relied upon; and

• Why the public interest does not outweigh the need to withhold.

If clarification is required, please contact the requesting party promptly rather than refusing the request.

Yours faithfully

InLandsAirWater Counsel