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.
74 Resources Show all
Request for information about mental health
Case notesRefusal justified but not because request was vexatious—some information not held but would need to be created—some information could not be provided without substantial collation or researchRequest for tender submissions to replace jetty at Philomel Landing
Case notesRelease of tenderers’ pricing strategy would give an unfair advantage to their competitors and unreasonably prejudice their commercial position—s 9(2)(b)(ii) OIA applies—release would make tenderers reluctant to provide as much detail about their design specifications in future— s 9(2)(ba)(i) applies—it was in the public interest for NZDF to receive full and detailed submissions as this would otherwise undermine its ability to make an informed decision on the best tenderer to award a contractRequest for information relating to request for inquiry into convictions of Peter Ellis
OpinionsDr Lynley Hood and Dr Don Brash, the complainants, requested information held by the Ministry of Justice relating to their request to the Minister of Justice, Hon Amy Adams (the Minister), for a Commission of Inquiry into the Peter Ellis case.Request for video footage recorded during an investigation
Case notes1100 hours of video footage—extension of time limit reasonable—concerns about volume of information addressed by disclosing a sampleRequest for ‘movement log’ and police file
Case notesRequester not deprived of right to access official information because he had already received all relevant information—requester not deprived of access to justice because his underlying concerns had been conclusively resolved in a range of forums¬—vexatious complaint, Ombudsman refuses to investigateRequest for draft terms of reference for an inquiry
Case notesDraft terms of reference largely the same as publicly available final ones—release would not inhibit the future free and frank expression of opinion or provision of advice to the Prime Minister—s 9(2)(g)(i) did not applyRequest for the Callinan report on David Bain’s compensation claim
Case notesA requester asked the Minister of Justice, Hon Amy Adams, for a copy of the report by Hon Ian Callinan QC concerning David Bain’s claim for compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment (the Callinan report).David Bain's contribution to legal aid grants - release of some information required in the public interest
Case notesA journalist made a request under the Official Information Act (OIA) to the Legal Services Commissioner seeking information relating to Mr David Bain’s contributions to his legal aid. The Commissioner is an employee of the Ministry of Justice.No confidentiality in Government Ministers' travel expense claims; information 'official', regardless of purpose of travel
Case notesThe Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) refused a request for information relating to the surface travel expenses of Government Ministers.Overseas Investment Office consent application summaries
Case notesOmbudsman Ron Paterson carried out an investigation of multiple complaints made by the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) against various decisions by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to withhold information redacted from some of tRequest for health practitioner’s complaint history with HDC
OpinionsThe requester, a reporter at the Otago Daily Times (ODT), sought details of complaints made to the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) against a midwife.Request for information relating to the business case for Wiri Prison
OpinionsMax Rashbrooke asked the Department of Corrections (the Department) for copies of reports to Government entitled ‘Business Case Prison Capacity Supply & Procurement 2010 – 2019’ (First Business Case) and ‘Detailed (Stage Two) Business CRequest for surgical complications data
OpinionsThe New Zealand Herald made a request to five District Health Boards (DHBs) for information about the nature and outcomes of public hospital work by cardiothoracic surgeons and neurosurgeons.Request for successful tenderer’s proposal
Case notesRelease would reveal successful tenderer’s marketing strategy which would unreasonably prejudice its commercial position— s 9(2)(b)(ii) applies—public interest met by disclosure of tender scores and minutes of evaluation panelRequests for emails of former Minister
Case notesEmails of former Ministers held by Parliamentary Services pursuant to contract with DIA deemed to be official information held by DIARequest for names of frontline forestry officers in information about the felling and milling of kauri
Case notesSection 9(2)(g)(ii) OIA applied—MPI provided evidence of past instances of harassment and comments from the staff concerned—reasonable expectation that release would lead to improper pressure or harassment which would be detrimental to MPI’s administratPolice ‘Alco-link survey’ - public interest in information connecting arrests to last bar where alcohol consumed outweighs prejudice to commercial position
Case notesNew Zealand Police (Police) refused a request for information linking the last bar a person had been drinking at before being arrested, otherwise known as the ‘Alco-Link survey’.Investigation into availability of FairWay Reviewers’ Benchbook under the Official Information Act
OpinionsA requester asked FairWay Resolution Ltd (FairWay) for a copy of a FairWay document known as the Reviewers’ Benchbook.Investigation of limited access to Ministry of Health influenza vaccine adverse reaction reports
OpinionsThe complainant, Mr Ron Law, requested information held by the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe), a Ministry of Health business unit, concerning adverse reactions to influenza vaccines in 2010 and 2011.Request for evaluation and audit reports regarding extended supervision orders
Case notesEvaluation report comprised largely academic material and statistical analysis—9(2)(g)(i) did not apply—audit report had been submitted to senior management but marked as draft—disclosure of majority not likely to prejudice future exchange of free and frank opinions—significant public interest considerations in favour of disclosure—audit report released with deletion of names and detailed findings relating to individual service providersRequest for transcripts of post-Cabinet press conferences (substantial impact)
Case notesDifficulty involved in finding and bringing together the requested transcripts - adverse impact on operation of the Office—s 18(f) appliedRequest for briefing notes relating to state visits
Case notesInspection on conditions in order to identify the documents required provided means of resolving s 18(f) refusalRequest for information about DHB’s dispute with South Link Health
Case notesReleasing statement of claim in breach of confidentiality agreement would disadvantage the DHB by diminishing trust and goodwill between the parties—releasing report would disadvantage the DHB by assisting the other party to counter DHB’s position—public interest in disclosure outweighed the need to withhold the statement of claim but not the reportRequest for information about dispute between South Link Health and Southern District Health Board
Case notesGood reason to withhold information that would reveal negotiating position and strategy or further deteriorate the relationship between the parties—s 9(2)(j) does not apply to some factual information and information that was known to the other party to the negotiationRequest for DHB Commissioner’s draft work plan
Case notesRelease of draft work plan would likely result in reluctance by staff to draft and consult on document—components of plan, once confirmed, were to be included in the 2016/17 annual plan—s 9(2)(g)(i) provided good reason to withholdLegal professional privilege outweighed by significant public interest in release of information
OpinionsHealth researcher Professor Cindy Farquhar complained about a decision made by the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) to refuse her request for a copy of two legal opinions, one from Health Legal, the other from Crown Law (the legal opinions).Text message to Prime Minister from journalist concerning ponytail pulling incidents - no blanket confidentiality for ‘off the record’ communications
Case notesTwo complaints were made to the Chief Ombudsman about the Prime Minister’s refusal of requests made under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for communications that he or his Office had with a journalist for the New Zealand Herald, Ms Rachel GlucinRequest for draft financial performance analysis
Case notesDraft financial performance analysis prepared by Alma Consulting—s 9(2)(g)(i) did not apply— strong public interest in releaseAvailability of HDC DHB complaint data
Case notesOmbudsman Ron Paterson commenced an Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) investigation into a complaint from a journalist, about a decision by the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) to refuse a request for the names of the DHBs published in a reporRequest for copy of reviewers’ training manual
Case notesInformation was not a trade secret—although FairWay was engaged in commercial activities, it was not clear how disclosure would prejudice or disadvantage those activities—the manual was largely in the public domain, and there was little prospect of competition—ss 9(2)(b)(i), 9(2)(i) do not applyRequest for the identities of members of the public making submissions and PHARMAC staff involved in decision making on funding of drug
OpinionsTony Wall made a request to PHARMAC for information about the decision to fund the blood thinning drug dabigatran.Request for information about a Department’s employment operations
Case notesPre-cast concrete operation is a commercial activity—s 9(2)(i) applies