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Are surveillance operation staff required to submit daily reports on their movements, actions and findings when carrying out surveillance on ACC claimants? and 10 other questions

Answered 11 questions (2026)
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Asked by

Mike Davidson

List MP · Green Party

Questions

  • 8867

    Are surveillance operation staff required to submit daily reports on their movements, actions and findings when carrying out surveillance on ACC claimants?

  • 8868

    Who carries out surveillance operations on behalf of ACC and who do they report to, if anyone?

  • 8869

    What are the guidelines given to surveillance staff prior to undertaking covert surveillance operations on ACC claimants, if any?

  • 8870

    What approvals are required and from whom prior to an ACC claimant being put under covert surveillance operations, if any?

  • 8871

    What is the escalation process that leads an ACC claimant to be put under covert surveillance by ACC?

  • 8872

    What is the average amount of time that an ACC claimant is under surveillance?

Show the remaining 5 questions

  • 8873

    What privacy measures are taken by ACC to protect an ACC claimant when that claimant is determined to require a covert surveillance investigation, if any?

  • 8874

    Are ACC claimants who are covertly surveilled ever informed of the surveillance or the possibility of surveillance prior to it taking place?

  • 8875

    What is the total cost spent on surveillance operations of ACC claimants since 2023, if any?

  • 8876

    How many ACC claimants have been covertly surveilled by ACC since 2023, if any?

  • 8877

    What criteria, if any, is used to determine when an ACC claimant requires investigation that includes covert surveillance; is the Minister ever informed of that escalation?

Answered by

Hon Scott Simpson

Member for Coromandel · National Party · Minister for ACC

Answer

I am advised by ACC that it has not commissioned any surveillance of clients since 2019, primarily because ACC has shifted to a more preventative approach to detect fraud, misuse, and waste focused on early detection and intervention. As such, since 2023, no clients have been surveilled, with zero cost spent on surveillance operations of ACC claimants. ACC has an external investigation support panel that can be commissioned to provide surveillance for its investigations, reporting directly to the Fraud Investigation Manager. Before proposing any surveillance, authorisation must be obtained from staff with delegated authority in the Fraud Prevention and Investigation team after consultation with Legal and Privacy teams. Surveillance would only be considered after all other relevant lines of enquiry or investigative techniques have been exhausted or deemed impractical. If surveillance were to be initiated, daily reporting is required, and it would comply with the Search and Surveillance Act 2012. The purpose of such surveillance would be to observe individuals to obtain evidential material; therefore, clients would not be informed, as notification would defeat the purpose. ACC may consider informing me on a case-by-case basis but typically does not communicate operational matters to Ministers.