Summary
The Christchurch City Council refused four requests for the salary details of specific employees under section 7(2)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA), to protect the privacy of natural persons.
The Chief Ombudsman formed the opinion that although section 7(2)(a) applied, there was a countervailing public interest in accountability for the value the Council determined for the carrying out of each particular role. Ultimately, the Chief Ombudsman recommended that the Council release the salary range for each of the roles.
In his report, the Chief Ombudsman set out the general principles in respect of salary information, developed by successive Ombudsmen.
This case note is published under the authority of the Ombudsmen Rules 1989. It sets out an Ombudsman’s view on the facts of a particular case. It should not be taken as establishing any legal precedent that would bind an Ombudsman in future.
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