Resources and publications
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Search guides, case notes, opinions, reports and other information. Resources and publications can also be searched by date and other options.
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More information about the resource categories on this page
Guides
Commonly used guides include:
- The OIA for Ministers and agencies
- The LGOIMA for local government agencies
- Making official information requests: a guide for requesters
Detailed guidance on the official information legislation and aspects of good administrative practice.
We also have guidance on disability rights and protected disclosures.
Case notes and opinions
Case notes are a short case summary, often demonstrating an aspect of a case.
An Ombudsman's Opinion is published where there is public interest in showing the full details of a case.
Reports
Reports include OPCAT, disability rights, official information practice and systemic investigation.
Outreach
Contains our media releases, newsletters, pamphlets, speeches and fact sheets. Fact sheets are published in multiple language and accessible formats.
Corporate documents
This includes our annual reports and strategic intentions.
Projects, reference and data
This includes our official information complaints data, updates on investigations and other projects, and submissions by the Ombudsman.
View all projects, reference and data
Template letters and work sheets
These template letters and work sheets can be used by agencies to help respond to official information requests.
553 Resources Show all
Deficiencies and delays in decision-making process and release of official information
Case notesRequest for official information about patient and staff safety — failure by the Ministry of Health to make and communicate a decision on request within extended time limit — flaws in the Ministry’s decision-making process rendered the decision unreInformation generated under Labtests contract held by Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
Case notesMinistry of Health not entitled to rely on section 18(g) of the OIA to refuse email exchange between Labtests staff – Ministry contracted Labtests to undertake community COVID-19 testing on its behalf – section 2(5) of the OIA establishes that inforCouncil’s decision to charge for supply of official information
Case notesDecision to charge $836.00 for supply of information relating to Policy NFL-P5 of the Proposed District Plan – unreasonable charge – Council accepted recommendation to reconsider its decision and engage with the requester to consider ways to refineRequest for school dental data
Case notesA member of the public complained to the Chief Ombudsman about Health New Zealand’s (HNZ) decision to refuse their request for official information about school dental data.Multiple requests for information from Health New Zealand
Case notesRequests for official information made to Health New Zealand (HNZ) – failures by HNZ to make and communicate decisions on requests within statutory timeframe under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) – HNZ claimed to have made decisions within the lRequest for information about former CEO’s exit payments
Case notesAfter the Chief Executive of Christchurch City Council tendered their resignation, requesters asked the Council for details of the (now former) CEO’s exit payment.Request for late sibling’s medical records
Case notesA person sought their late sibling’s (the individual) health records from Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora (HNZ).Request for grounds in support of reason for withholding information about the Aarhus Convention
Case notesFailure by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide grounds for refusal of an information request, when asked to do so under section 19(a)(ii) – Ministry reiterated statutory reasons for refusal instead of giving fuller explanation – ChMinister did not hold information on who wrote or compiled tobacco policy notes
Case notesAssociate Minister of Health refused a request for information about who wrote or compiled notes the Minister provided to officials on tobacco policy.Requests for information about decisions of school board declined as the request was vexatious
Case notesA requester made three information requests to a school Board over the course of several months.Request for names of people who wrote to the Minister of Local Government in support of the extension of Tauranga City Council Commissioners’ terms
Case notesA complainant made a request to the Department of Internal Affairs for a list of the individuals and organisations that had expressed support to the Minister of Local Government for the extension of the Tauranga City Council Commissioners’ termsRequest for official information about conditions of prison rooms
Case notesAra Poutama Aotearoa Department of Corrections failed to communicate a decision on a request by a prisoner for official information within the statutory timeframe.Provision of information about Operation Burnham to the Ombudsman
Case notesSelf-initiated investigation by Ombudsman into allegations Ombudsman was misled by NZDF in previous OIA investigation relating to information about Operation Burnham—additional relevant information identified and released in Burnham Inquiry—Ombudsman ofInland Revenue refusal to provide tracing information for overseas borrowers justified
Case notesA complainant requested information from Inland Revenue about how it traces student loan overseas. Inland Revenue refused the request on grounds it would be contrary to the provisions of the Tax Administration Act.Request for official information about scholarship criteria framed as question
Case notesFailure by the Ministry of Education to respond to a request for official information within the statutory timeframe – Ministry did not process the request as an OIA request as Ministry considered that it required the generation of comment – OmbudsmFailure by Minister to respond to three OIA requests within the statutory timeframe
Case notesThe Chief Ombudsman dealt with three separate complaints in the second half of 2022 concerning delay by the Minister for Māori Development in responding to requests for official information under the Official Information Act.Request for information about vaccination certificates for domestic use
Case notesBackground On 9 October 2021, the New Zealand Council of Civil Liberties (NZCCL) sent a joint letter to the Minister for COVID-19 Response and the Prime Minister expressing concern about the civil liberties implications of the planned inRequests for information deemed vexatious and not in good faith due to offensive language
Case notesA complainant made a number of information requests to Inland Revenue Department for information on the same subject. IR refused four of these requests because it considered each request ‘to be offensive and an abuse of the right to access official Information’.Extension of time limit to enable kanohi ki te kanohi consultation
Case notesExtension to enable kanohi ki te kanohi consultation on OIA request reasonable in the circumstancesRequest for record of ‘without prejudice’ meeting
Case notesSection 7(2)(g) LGOIMA did not apply—‘without prejudice’ privilege is not an aspect of legal professional privilege—s 7(2)(c)(ii) applied—obligation of confidence attaches to information subject to without prejudice privilege—release would make people rRequest for information about death in custody
Case notesRequest for all correspondence about death in custody—unreasonable to rely on sections 9(2)(a) and 9(2)(ba)(i) without compiling and reviewing the information—subsequent reliance on section 18(f) (substantial collation or research) also unjustified—Charge for supply of information about the closure of Naenae Pool
Case notesDecision to charge $228 for supply of information about the closure of Naenae pool was unreasonable—the significance of the issue within the Lower Hutt community warranted a full waiver of that charge—Council agreed to waive the fee and change its chargRequest for information on public service chief executive pay and remuneration
Case notesRequest for information on chief executive pay and remuneration—s 9(2)(a) did not provide good reason to withhold total chief executive pay—disclosure recommended by the Chief Ombudsman—s 9(2)(a) did provide good reason to withhold individual componRequest for Police Commissioner’s letter to the Minister about Deputy Commissioner
Case notesRequest for letter written by the Police Commissioner to the Minister of Police about response to Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) findings on bullying complaints about Deputy Police Commissioner—s 9(2)(a) applied—information related to tRequest for Chief Executive’s performance agreement and KPIs
Case notesRequest for Chief Executive’s performance agreement and KPIs—s 7(2)(a) LGOIMA did not provide good reason to withhold most of the performance agreements and KPIs—however, s 7(2)(c)(ii) provided good reason to withhold ‘stretch targets’—there was a mRequest for staff names and initials in Commerce Commission memorandum
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA did not apply—not necessary to withhold staff names to protect their privacy—section 9(2)(g)(ii) did not apply—no information to suggest release would lead to improper pressure or harassment—section 9(2)(g)(i) did not apply—no reasonRequest for emails generated in the course of the Ombudsman’s preliminary inquiries
Case notesThis case note relates to the Ombudsman’s investigation and review of a decision by the Ministry of Education to redact some information from its email responses to the Ombudsman’s preliminary inquiries.Request for names and contact details in Department of Corrections’ emails
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA did not apply to names—many of the names were publicly available— seniority— section 9(2)(g)(ii) did not apply to names—no evidence to suggest release would lead to improper pressure or harassment—section 9(2)(a) did not apply to emaRequest for officials’ names in information about glyphosate
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA did not apply—not necessary to withhold staff names to protect their privacy—section 9(2)(g)(ii) did not apply—no information to suggest release would lead to improper pressure or harassment—possibility of public criticism not enoughRequest for contact details of Housing New Zealand staff
Case notesSection 9(2)(g)(ii) OIA applied—there was a strong likelihood that staff would be subjected to further harassment or improper pressure if the requester obtained their contact details—this conduct could detrimentally affect staff thus impairing HNZ’s abiMeasures protecting public health and safety – request to New Zealand Police for video footage of tasered goat
Case notesNew Zealand Police (Police) received a request from a journalist for video footage of an incident in December 2016 during which a goat was tasered.Decision to impose conditions on the release of National Stadium reports to councillors
Case notesThe Auckland Council received two reports as part of a pre-feasibility study on the potential for a new National Stadium and Precinct in downtown Auckland.