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.
14 Resources Show all
Request for communications between Minister of SOEs and other parties in respect of policy announcement about TVNZ
Case notesRequest for communications between Minister of SOEs and other parties in respect of policy announcement about TVNZ—information at issue comprised oral communications with Cabinet colleagues preceding policy announcement—withholding necessary to protect constitutional convention protecting collective and individual ministerial responsibilityRequest for Defence Force National Real Estate Review
Case notesRequest for Defence Force National Real Estate Review—information withheld on basis of need to protect confidentiality of advice—report prepared by external consultants and submitted to Minister—information not advice tendered by officials—recommendation that report be released—report released with contextual statementCharge for extracting information from Housing New Zealand’s database
Case notesEstimate of charges to extract specific information from database—reasonableness of charge—absence of appropriately qualified staff—need to contract systems analyst—revised estimate provided—charge not unreasonableRequest for details of risk management processes
Case notesRequest for details of risk management processes—relevant documents provided apart from the ‘risk register’—register consisted of free and frank expressions of opinion—release might undermine risk management strategy—public interest met by release of Risk Management PolicyRequest for information about governmental lending programme
Case notesRequest for information about Low Deposit Rural Lending Programme—request refused—factual information released—some information withheld to protect orderly process of government and commercial interestsRequest for report on conservation values of West Coast forests
Case notesRequest for report on conservation values of West Coast forests managed by Timberlands West Coast Ltd—request refused—factual information released—balance struck between public interest in withholding advice to Minister and countervailing public interest in public being adequately informed of issuesRequest for advice on bulk funding of schools
Case notesRequest to Minister of Education for advice on bulk funding of schools—information withheld on grounds of confidentiality of advice, free and frank opinions, and prejudice to negotiations—release of information likely to create uncertainty and affect adversely subsequent public debate on optionsRequest for information relating to industrial relations section of coalition agreement
Case notesRequest for information relating to the implementation of clauses in the industrial relations section of the coalition agreement—information withheld to protect confidentiality of advice and free and frank opinion—account taken of changed political environment with the advent of MMP and formation of coalition—release of early papers prior to consultation with coalition partner could undermine constitutional conventionCharge 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 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 override