Resources and publications
Ngā rauemi me ngā tānga
Search guides, case notes, opinions, reports and other information. Resources and publications can also be searched by date and other options.
Use the search bar to make your search. Then use the filters to narrow down the results by resource type or topic.
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.
49 Resources Show all
Request for list of names of electors whose eligibility to vote had been challenged
Case notesRequest for list of names of electors whose eligibility to vote had been challenged—information withheld under s 9(2)(a)—privacy interest not outweighed by public interestCharge estimated in accordance with CRI’s charging policy
Case notesCharge levied by National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)—Crown Research Institutes’ policy on charging—reasonableness of recovery of actual retrieval costs—charge reasonableRequest for discussion papers on Maori leadership which were no longer publicly available
Case notesRequest for discussion papers on Maori leadership which had been made available to the media—request refused by Minister of Maori Affairs under s 9(2)(g)(i)—no longer publicly available but issue of defamation action raised—section 48 effectively protects the Crown from defamation proceedings in respect of information which is made available in good faith under the OIARequest for information about the outcome of a complaint about a rest home
Case notesRequest for information about the outcome of a complaint about a rest home—request refused under s 9(2)(a)—public interest in complainants receiving adequate information about investigations and findings—release of summary of informationRequest for name of person/s who made statement to reporter
Case notesRequest for name of person/s who made statement to reporter—refused under s 9(2)(ba)—‘newspaper rule’—name/s of informants went to very heart of the rule—no public interest considerations which outweighed need to withholdRequest for amount of Government Securities beneficially owned by three major banks
Case notesAmount of government securities beneficially owned by three major banks as at the end of January 1990—information supplied pursuant to s 36 of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989—importance of timely and accurate supply of data—s 9(2)(ba)(i) applied—holdings of Government Stock at specified dates important indicator of liquidity—s 9(2)(b)(ii) applied—public interest in protecting the investing public addressed by the provisions of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act relating to prudential supervisionRequest for sale and purchase agreement and deed of lease
Case notesRequest for NZ Post property agreements—ss 9(2)(b)(ii), 9(2)(i) and 9(2)(j)—no good reason to withhold either the deed of lease or the agreement for sale and purchase.Request by unsuccessful tenderer for copies of tender submissions for removal of bodies
Case notesFormat of the tender in this particular case was such that disclosure of the prices would be likely to prejudice the successful tenderer’s commercial position—s 9(2)(b)(ii) appliesRequest for price of successful tender to supply disposable syringes and needles
Case notesSections 9(2)(b)(ii) and 9(2)(i) do not apply—public interest in release to promote integrity and transparency of tender processRequest for information concerning United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations
Case notesInternational relations—comments by officials in relation to United Nations Working Group—‘would be likely to prejudice’ test applied—free and frank exchanges of opinions by officials at overseas post recorded in cable form—whether disclosure would inhibit expression of opinions in futureExtension of time limit to consult Minister
Case notesExtension of time—not necessary for the department to consult with the Minister in order to make a decision on the requestRequest for Police review on importation of firearms
Case notesRequest for access to Police review on importation of firearms—release of recommendations would undermine s 9(2)(f)(iv) but not the release of background information—public interest in disclosure outweighs need to withhold recommendations—issue of firearms control is one in which the principle of public safety is paramount—greatest possible transparency required in the making of laws and policiesRequest for advice to Government on producer board reform
Case notesRequest for advice to Government on producer board reform—paper dated December 1988—constitutional conventions—whether still under consideration in May 1999—whether disclosure would interfere with policy making—ss 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i)—public interest balancing—participation and accountabilityRequest for a copy of paper presented to Cabinet Strategy Committee
Case notesInformation deleted from position paper on pricing issues presented by ECNZ to Cabinet Strategy Committee—ss 9(2)(g)(i) and 9(2)(j) applied to some of the information—interest in withholding information in certain sections of the paper outweighed by strong public interest in disclosure—s 9(1)—electricity pricing has a direct widespread impact on a large number of New ZealandersRequest for information disclosed during confidential Ministerial briefing to sector group
Case notesRequest by Opposition for information disclosed during confidential Ministerial briefing to sector group—s 9(2)(g)(i)—effective conduct of public affairs—public interest balancing—accountability—need for transparency in Minister’s dealings with financial sectorRequest for information relating to the setting up of the Special Committee on Nuclear Propulsion
Case notesRequest for information relating to the setting up of the Special Committee on Nuclear Propulsion—given the sensitivity of the nuclear propulsion issue and the context in which the information had been generated, the withholding of the information was necessary under ss 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i)—at the time of the review the balance of public interest favoured withholding the information requested—the overall public interest was better served in allowing the Special Committee to complete its review in an orderly mannerRequest for Court Registrar’s report
Case notesReport on aborted trial released with deletions—‘free and frank expressions of opinion’ by Registrar—no public interest overrideRequest by parents for medical records of 13 year old daughter
Case notesRequest for medical records—information about parents and child refused under s 9(2)(a)—during review girl consulted—information released other than therapy transcriptsRequest for advice relating to remuneration packages of executives involved in sale of SOEs
Case notesRequest for advice on remuneration packages of executives involved in the sale of SOEs— privacy issues—s 9(2)(a)—remuneration package released subject to deletion of dollar figures.Request for recruitment video
Case notesRequest for copy of video commissioned for overseas recruitment—privacy of individual officers appearing in it—s 9(2)(a)—privacy interest not strong—public interest outweighs any privacy interest—s 9(1)—how Treasury sees its role and how it presents that image to potential recruits both in New Zealand and overseas is a matter of strong public interestRequest for polytechnic financial report
Case notesFinancial report not free and frank expression of opinion—linkage between information and expression of opinion—what constitutes improper pressure or harassment—section 9(2)(g)(i) not a ground for exclusion of public from meetingRequest for copies of referee reports
Case notesA requester sought copies of referee reports in respect of course she had applied for—refused under s 27(1)(c)—two reports subsequently released with the referees’ consent—third report was evaluative material—implied promise of confidentiality had been provided to the referee—whether other factors made it unfair to withhold—s 23 relevant—institute could withhold report if a statement of reasons was providedRequest for documents prepared for Minister regarding Treaty of Waitangi claims
Case notesDue particularity and duty to provide reasonable assistance—s 12(2) and 13Request for information relating to application to re-join the Police
Case notesRequest for information relating to application to re-join the Police—information withheld was ‘evaluative material’—disclosure of the information would have breached an implied promise of confidentiality—relevance of s 23—essence of the evaluative material made available to the requester in summary formJurisdiction—Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Committee
Case notesInformation held by the Medical Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee not ‘official information’Jurisdiction—information held by Arbitration Commission
Case notesOfficial information definition— Arbitration Commission not subject to Act—whether information deemed to be held by Department of Labour—whether information held by officers or members as agents of CommissionRequest for funding applications made to Union Incentives Trust
Case notesInformation held by Department of Labour relating to Union Incentives Trust—whether held solely as agentRequest for sites of rain recording stations
Case notesRequest for sites of rain recording stations in Tararua ranges—concern about vandalism and prejudice to measures protecting health or safety of members of the public—s 7(2)(d) did not applyRequest for legal opinion regarding first application to be granted by Minister under section 188 of the Resource Management Act
Case notesRequest for legal opinion regarding first application under s 188 of Resource Management Act to be granted by Minister—information withheld under s 9(2)(h)—no waiver—no countervailing public interest considerations warranting disclosureRequest for psychologist’s report prepared for Accident Compensation Corporation
Case notesReport by psychologist acting as independent contractor—contents of report related to requester and third party—balance to be struck between right of requester to personal information and privacy interests of third party—provision of summary of personal information in the reportRequest for identity of medical advisers who had provided expert opinion to Department of Health
Case notesRequest for identity of medical advisers—need to ensure continued provision of medical advice on value of medicines—consultation with advisers—with one exception, no prejudice to the supply of similar information or information from the same sourceRequest for audio and video tapes relating to allegations of child abuse
Case notesAudio and video tapes relating to allegations of child abuse—relevance of Family Court proceedings—mixed Part 2 and Part 4 information