The agency was paying everyone in the communications department over $100,000 a year. Photo: RNZ
Documents show Oranga Tamariki pays nearly $2m to its 14 communications staff - after cutting five staff and half a million dollars in the past year while other staff are banned from speaking to media without authorisation.
The revelations came from an Official Information Act (OIA) response to questions raised by the Taxpayers Union lobby group.
In it, the children's ministry confirmed that as of 31 March it employed two media advisers, two communications advisers, two senior media advisers, six senior communications advisers, a chief media adviser and a manager of organisational communications.
The total salary budget for the team was $1.97m.
"All staff in the roles listed above currently earn over $100,000 per year," the ministry said in its response.
A report from a select committee review shows this was down from 19 staff at a cost of $2.72m as of 30 June the previous year, though show staff numbers and costs have fluctuated over the past five financial years. Cost figures have been rounded.
- 2019/20: 23 total staff, $2.47m
- 2020/21: 18 total staff, $2.03m
- 2021/22: 16 total staff, $2.00m
- 2022/23: 19 total staff, $2.55m
- 2023/24: 19 total staff, $2.72m
The OIA response also provided details about Oranga Tamariki's code of conduct relating to engagement with the media, which included a directive that no information was to be provided without explicit authorisation.
It cited privacy and confidential information as a reason, saying that given the nature of Oranga Tamariki's work, "we have access to confidential, sensitive and personal information. It is expected that all our people will show integrity and follow the law, our policies and systems regarding collecting, storing, accessing and sharing of Oranga Tamariki information".
"We do not speak, or provide information, to the media regarding any work-related activity, event or query, unless explicitly authorised," the code states.
"It is important that we continue to hold this duty of confidentiality of information even after we leave Oranga Tamariki."
Staff are encouraged to speak up about any serious wrongdoing they became aware of "using appropriate avenues", pointing to the protected disclosures whistleblowing regime as one option.
In a statement, the Taxpayers' Union said the ministry was "drowning in PR while kids fall through the cracks".
"A bloated comms team paid at least 30 percent more each than the median wage would be bad enough in a company, but in a government agency meant to protect vulnerable children, it's obscene."
Oranga Tamariki's general manager of people and high performance, Elizabeth Blanchfield said a 14-person communications team was not particularly large for an organisation of more than 4000 staff.
The team was reduced from 19 staff to 14 during a restructure last year, she said.
She said the team had a wide range of jobs including internal communications to staff, managing the website and social media, supporting communications and engagement with partners, providers, iwi and communities.
Five members of the team were media advisors who dealt with external communications, she said.
In terms of staff being told not to speak to media, Blanchfield said there were considerations to make about what could be provided to media about children and young people in OT care.
"It is entirely appropriate that we ask our kaimahi to not comment to media or provide information to the media, without engaging with members of our media team who have a deep understanding of the context and law."
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