Invitation to register interest to attend the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2021 and Budget Policy Statement 2022 restricted briefing for media and analysts

The Treasury will publish the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2021 and Budget Policy Statement 2022 on Wednesday 15 December 2021.

Journalists and analysts are invited to register their interest in attending a briefing under embargo and other conditions, outlined below.

The briefing will be held from 11.00am until 1.00pm on Wednesday 15 December 2021 on Level 3 at the Treasury, 1 The Terrace, Wellington. Doors open at 10.30 am.

Secretary to the Treasury Caralee McLiesh will open the briefing, after which the HYEFU and BPS information will be distributed. The Minister of Finance, the Hon Grant Robertson, is expected to arrive shortly after midday to give a presentation, before opening the floor to questions.

Please register your interest by emailing [email protected] by midday Friday 26 November 2021.

The Treasury will aim to contact those who have registered an interest to attend by 5.00pm Friday 3 December to confirm or discuss registration applications. Although we will make efforts to accommodate everyone, the number of people attending from any one organisation may be limited and some registrations may be declined.

COVID-19 Visitor Policy

To help protect staff and visitors, the Treasury has a Visitor Policy in place in response to COVID-19.

Under COVID-19 Alert Levels 1 or 2 it is intended that the briefing will proceed as planned. All attendees must be pre-registered and registration information will be retained and used for contact tracing purposes if required.

Additional health measures will be in place and must be complied with as a condition of attending the briefing.  Attendees must:

• when their application to attend is accepted by email from the Treasury, confirm in writing via return email that they
  • have not had any COVID-19 symptoms within the last 14 days
  • have not been in contact with anyone with COVID-19 symptoms within the last 14 days
  • are not awaiting the result of a COVID-19 test, nor are any of their close contacts
  • have not been in an Alert Level 3 or Alert Level 4 area within the last 14 days
  • will not attend the briefing if there is any change to the situations above
• log their visit at the Treasury reception using the NZ COVID-19 tracer app
• wear a face covering on the Treasury premises until seated in the briefing room
• be seated at least 1 metre apart from the nearest person (seating will be set up accordingly).

These requirements might be further tightened as the situation with COVID-19 evolves. Any updates on COVID-19 Alert Level changes and impacts will be communicated as needed.

We are currently developing arrangements to hold the briefing only online if COVID-19 Alert Levels move beyond 1 or 2.  Arrangements for this option, including any terms and conditions specific to an online event, will be included with the confirmation of registration applications to be sent by 5.00pm Friday 3 December.

Attendance is restricted

Attendance at this event is by confirmed registration only, with numbers restricted by the space available. Priority will be given to journalists from national and international news organisations and to economic and financial analysts attached to either financial institutions or national organisations that provide relevant specialist advisory services.

Registration of interest to attend indicates your acceptance of embargo provisions (see the terms and conditions below).

Terms and conditions for attending the HYEFU 2021 and BPS 2022 restricted briefing for media and analysts

Attendance at this event is by invitation only and is limited by available space. By registering your interest to attend, you agree to respect the rules of the lock-up. These rules apply to all analysts, journalists, camera crew, technicians and anyone attending the lock-up who is not a staff member of the Treasury. Compliance with the rules will be monitored and is taken seriously. Any individual or organisation that breaches the lock-up rules may be refused permission to attend future lockups hosted by the Treasury.

In addition to the COVID-19 health requirements noted above, the terms and conditions for the HYEFU 2021 and BPS 2022 lock-up are:

1. No information (including but not limited to text, voice, images or data) may be transmitted, received or released in any manner from the HYEFU and BPS lock-up from 11.00am until the embargo is lifted at 1.00pm on Wednesday 15 December 2021. Please note this includes social media. This restriction applies irrespective of whether the information is about the HYEFU and BPS or not.
2. Mobile phones do not need to be surrendered before entering the lock-up but must be turned off or switched to flight mode until the embargo is lifted.
3. At 12:55pm, those attending the lock-up briefing will be permitted to start preparations to transmit information.
4. Other than escorted visits to the toilets, no one will be permitted to leave the venue once HYEFU and BPS information has been distributed.
5. At 1.00pm Treasury staff will announce the end of the lock-up, which is when information may be transmitted and when attendees may leave the venue.
6. In the unlikely event that the building has to be evacuated before 1.00pm due to an emergency, the embargo will not be lifted. People will be directed to leave immediately but they will not be allowed to transmit or communicate HYEFU and BPS information.
7. Camera crew: If your news organisation requires camera crew and equipment at the lock-up, please indicate that with your RSVP.

All documents will be published on the Treasury’s website at or shortly after 1.00pm on the day.

Any terms and conditions specific to an online briefing will be included with acceptances of registration applications.

For enquiries and to register your interest in attending the restricted briefing, please contact: [email protected]