Official Information Request - 9 August 2019

1. * Staff numbers are FTEs** Calendar year^ Financial year 1 July to 30 June
2. How many public relations and/or communications contractors or consultants or providers of comms/PR professional services were engaged by council?2019/20 to date (31 July 2019) - 12018/19 - 42017/18 - 42016/17 - 42015/16 - 32014/15 - 2
3. What was the total salary budget for employed staff?See No.1
4. What was the total salary/fee/etc budget for contractors or consultants or providers of professional services?Council does not budget for this specifically. Costs are drawn from relevant cost centres for specific projects as they occur.
5. How much were these staff paid broken down by salary band?N/A - see No.4
6. How much were contractors, consultants, providers of professional services paid broken down by salary band?N/A - see No.4
7. Where contractors, consultants etc were paid by project, please specify the total cost of such projects.Council manages the following operating budgets:2018/19 - approx. $126m (to be confirmed in Annual Report mid-November)2017/18 - $122m2016/17 - $118m2015/16 - $116m2014/15 - $119mCouncil's communications consultants were contracted to undertake work totalling the following:2019/20 to date (31 July 2019)Metro Marketing Ltd - $750.00 2018/19Metro Marketing Ltd - $136,137.97Shine Public Relations - $7,424.46Jill Marshall Media - $21,980.67 Lianne Fraser - $1,397.502017/18Metro Marketing Ltd - $262,516.21Shine Public Relations - $22,254.66Jill Marshall Media - $20,751.00Simone Walker - $6,385.002016/17Metro Marketing Ltd - $76,322.50Shine Public Relations - $10,139.76 Jill Marshall Media - $20,221.75Simone Walker - $5,250.00 2015/16Metro Marketing Ltd - $6,400.00Shine Public Relations - $18,755.99Jill Marshall Media - $26,916.002014/15Shine Public Relations - $12,892.42Jill Marshall Media - $19,581.50
8. How much in total did the council spend on advertising, public relations/comms campaigns or publications in the last financial year?

The following amounts were coded to the 'advertising' cost code:

2019/20 to date (31 July 2019) - $29,839.74

2018/19 - $357,519.11

2017/18 - $554,982.83

2016/17 - $297,860.25

2015/16 - $708,143.49

2014/15 - $789,455.53

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-a-complaint/complaining-about-access-to-official-information-551307291224432 or freephone 0800 802 602.

Regards