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.
1060 Resources Show all
Omission by the Ministry of Education to develop an implementation framework to enable progress on its strategy on New Zealand Sign Language in education
OpinionsRepresentatives from a Deaf Disabled People’s Organisation (Deaf Aotearoa), who advocate for the rights of Deaf people in New Zealand, have raised concerns about the Ministry of Education’s (the Ministry) strategy to progress New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) in education.Inland 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.Omission by Civil Aviation Authority to consider the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Case notesThe Chief Ombudsman received a complaint from Deaf Action NZ (a disability advocacy organisation) about the response of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to its November 2018 request to include New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) captions in airline-safety briefing videos.Decision to implement a framework for managing a National Party Advisor’s OIA requests
OpinionsSummary A National Party Advisor, who at the time was responsible for making requests on behalf of two National Party Members of Parliament, complained to me about the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry)’s decision to implement a frCouncil decisions on new home’s code compliance certificate unreasonable
Case notesThe Council’s decision that it was homeowner’s responsibility to fix the non-compliance was unreasonable. The Council failed to maintain communication and did not propose suitable remedies.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 – OmbudsmRelease of recording or transcript of a speech by then Minister Hon Kiritapu Allan
OpinionsThree people made requests to Radio New Zealand (RNZ) for audio recordings of a speech made by then Minister Hon Kiritapu Allan, in her personal capacity, at a farewell ceremony which RNZ organised for the Minister’s then fiancée, Ms Māni Dunlop.Complaint from rangatahi about experience in care
Case notesThe Chief Ombudsman received a complaint from a young person who came into the care of Oranga Tamariki as an infant.Unreasonable omission by WorkSafe to adequately consider hazard mitigation for serious incident
Case notesComplaint concerning the adequacy of WorkSafe’s investigation into a serious choking incident at an early childhood service leaving a young child severely disabledChildren in Care - published outcomes of complaints
Case notesRead some of the published outcomes of complaints in relation to Children in Care that the Chief Ombudsman has investigated:Request for communications regarding Minister Kiritapu Allan
OpinionsAn MP made a request to the MBIE for correspondence regarding the behaviour or conduct of the Minister for Justice and Regional Development, and Associate Minister for Transport and Finance, Hon Kiritapu Allan.Former Minister Hon Stuart Nash's communications with donors
OpinionsOn 8 June 2021 a freelance journalist made a request to the then Minister Stuart Nash, for ‘correspondence and details of the nature and substance of any other communication since the start of 2020’ with 19 named individuals.Failure 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 introduUnreasonable approach by INZ to the removal of the ability to support a Partnership Category visa for deemed perpetrators of family violence
Case notesIn 2018, the Ombudsman received six complaints from New Zealand citizens and residence class visa-holders about Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ’s) application of the Victims of Family Violence (VFV) visa category.Decision to decline a character waiver and associated visa application
Case notesImmigration New Zealand acted unreasonably in deciding not to grant a character waiver and in subsequently declining a visa application.Advice on the Managed Isolation Allocation System in regard to offshore seafarers
OpinionsThe Chief Ombudsman received complaints from 2 offshore seafarers that they were not eligible to access the offline maritime allocation in MIQ available to other seafarers. This meant they had to use the online allocation system operated by MBIE, which proved difficult due to the nature of seafaring work.Auckland Council/Waitematā Local Board's decision making in relation to the National Erebus Memorial
OpinionsThis complaint concerns the Government’s decision to establish a National Erebus Memorial in Dove Myer Robinson Park/Taurarua in Parnell, Auckland and, more specifically, the associated approvals and consent granted by the Auckland Council (the Council) that permit that project to proceed.Omission by school board to follow due process before excluding student for gross misconduct
Case notesA student was suspended by the principal on the basis of ‘gross misconduct’ after bringing alcohol to school and sharing it with another student. The Chief Ombudsman investigated whether the board followed a reasonable process in relation to the suspension hearing, and whether the decision to exclude the student was sound.Exercise of discretion to refuse request for personal information not unreasonable
Case notesA complainant made a request for information about themselves that they believed had been provided to Inland Revenue (IR) by a third party. IR provided a summary of the information it had received but refused to provide a full copy of the information, or details of who provided it.Determination of ineligibility for publicly funded healthcare was wrong
Case notesComplaint about a determination by the Ministry of Health that a person was ineligible for publicly funded healthcare as they did not meet the time criteria prescribed in the Health and Disability Services Direction 2011.Chief Ombudsman's final opinion on Managed Isolation Allocation System
OpinionsFinal opinion on Managed Isolation Allocation SystemOverseas borrower liable for student loan debt when IR unable to contact them
Case notesThe Chief Ombudsman received a complaint from an overseas borrower about the way the Inland Revenue Department (IR) administered their student loan and the addition of interest and penalties that they were required to pay.Chief Ombudsman’s opinion under the Ombudsmen Act - Malachi Subecz
OpinionsThe Chief Ombudsman received a complaint about the actions of Oranga Tamariki in relation to the death of a young child/tamaiti, Malachi, aged five.Omission by school board to consider behavioural support prior to exclusion of student
Case notesA School Board excluded a student for ‘continual disobedience’ under the Education and Training Act 2020. The Chief Ombudsman found the Board failed to properly examine the level of support offered to the student before excluding them.Inadequate record-keeping and unreasonable decisions by school board: Student discipline
Case notesInvestigations into decisions of Bethlehem College School Board to exclude a students on the basis of ‘gross misconduct’.Lack of review mechanism for community participation services funding unreasonable
Case notesThe Chief Ombudsman received a complaint about the level of Community Participation Services provided by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).Ministerial notifications and the obligation to communicate decisions ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’
Case notesComplaint to the Ombudsman, raising Police’s obligations to communicate a decision to them ‘as soon as reasonably practicable'.Requests for information relating to the COVID-19 vaccination programme
Case notesA requester sought a broad range of clinical information provided to Medsafe by the pharmaceutical companies that were developing the COVID-19 vaccine, including safety trial data.Delay in responding to request for information about transferrals between hospitals
Case notesOn 18 February 2021, the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) received a request for official information, and transferred it to the Southern District Health Board. On 28 September 2021, the requester emailed the Board about the lack of response to her request, and made a complaint to the Ombudsman.Requests 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’.Request for data gathered by Inland Revenue contractor
Case notesThe Ombudsman formed the opinion that it was unreasonable for IR to rely on sections 18(e) and 18(c)(i) of the OIA in this case.