Open main menu Close main menu

News

Rongo kōrero

See the latest news and announcements.

You can also subscribe to our newsletters to get updates in your inbox.

  • New case note—information about COVID-19 clusters

    News article
    Issue date:

    The Chief Ombudsman has published a case note on a complaint about a request for information about the names of COVID-19 clusters linked to cases in the Bay of Plenty District.

  • New guidance—the OIA’s confidentiality withholding ground

    News article
    Issue date:

    The Chief Ombudsman has published a new guide today on the OIA’s confidentiality withholding ground.

    The OIA says that information must be made available unless there is a good reason not to.

  • New privacy guide and case notes

    News article
    Issue date:

    The Chief Ombudsman has published a new guide today on the OIA’s privacy withholding ground.

    The OIA says that information must be made available unless there is a good reason not to.

  • Ombudsman Quarterly Review Autumn 2020

    News article
    Issue date:

    Our latest OQR is out. In this issue:

    how our Office responded to lockdown COVID-19 inspections of prisons and care homes complaints resolution—avoiding a backlog Chief Ombudsman’s term renewed.
  • Independent oversight to ensure the rights of disabled people are upheld during the COVID-19 pandemic

    News article
    Issue date:

    The Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) is made up of the Disabled People’s Organisations’ Coalition, the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman.

  • New case notes released today

    News article
    Issue date:

    Some interesting OIA issues are covered in new case notes published by the Chief Ombudsman today.

  • Chief Ombudsman’s term extended for five years

    News article
    Issue date:

    Parliament has agreed to extend Peter Boshier’s appointment  as Chief Ombudsman for another five years.

    In the Chamber, the Leader of the House, Chris Hipkins highlighted Mr Boshier’s efforts to resolve complaints in a timely way.

  • COVID-19: The duty to document does not cease in a crisis, it becomes more essential

    News article
    Issue date:

    The Chief Ombudsman joins his international counterparts in their call for documentation, preservation and access to information as governments, businesses and citizens deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.  

  • OIA calculator back online

    News article
    Issue date:

    The OIA calculator is back online.

    Thank you for your patience while we addressed the issues in the previous version.

    OIA calculator

  • OIA and LGOIMA requests over the holidays

    News article
    Issue date:
    By law, when you ask an agency for official information they have to respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 20 working days after they got it.
  • Thanks to those helping make disability rights real

    News article
    Issue date:
    With our Independent Monitoring Mechanism partners, we have just finished gathering your input on the state of disability rights in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • New whistleblowing guide for agencies and submission on Protected Disclosures Act consultation

    News article
    Issue date:
    Today the Chief Ombudsman published a new guide for agencies on whistleblowing and his submission to the State Services Commission consultation on the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA).
  • New Opinion published

    News article
    Issue date:
    The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has published his findings on a case referred to during parliamentary question time last week.
  • Your OIA rights and responsibilities – now and in the future

    News article
    Issue date:
    On 13 July, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier addressed around 800 delegates at the New Zealand School Trustees Association’s annual conference.
  • New complaints handling research announced

    News article
    Issue date:

    We’re helping with research by the University of Newcastle Australia into the benefits of good complaints handling in public sector organisations.

  • Changes to the LGOIMA, including ‘working day’ definition

    News article
    Issue date:

    Changes to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) which came into effect on 21 March 2019 will affect ‘working day’ calculations for LGOIMA.

  • Message from the Chief Ombudsman - 19 March 2019

    News article
    Issue date:

    Last Friday’s attacks in Christchurch have shaken us all to the core.

    To the people of Christchurch and to all those who have lost loved ones, my thoughts are with you. Kia kaha.