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.
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.
90 Resources Show all
Request for CERA property valuation reports
Case notesMuch of the information already available to the requesters—disclosing the remaining information about how the valuations were reached would not prejudice or disadvantage CERA in negotiations with property owners, but make the negotiations more robust with both sides fully informed—strong public interest in disclosure to address power disparity between negotiating parties—s 9(2)(j) does not provide good reason to withholdRequest for draft advice on establishing a reserve
Case notesRelease of early and annotated advice would inhibit the free and frank exchange of opinions between officials drafting advice—general public interest in transparency had been met by disclosure of technical papers that formed the basis of the advice to the Minister, together with the final advice paperRequest for draft ministerial and chief executive correspondence
Case notesRelease of draft ministerial and chief executive correspondence would inhibit the free and frank expression opinions—s 9(2)(g)(i) appliesDistrict Health Board decision not to consult on provision of abortion services at a Hospital was unreasonable
Case notesWhether the District Health Board was unreasonable to offer abortion services at a hospital without consultation with the local communityRequest for independent report into care and treatment given to convicted murderer
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied—high privacy interest in offender’s health information—public interest in release of summary information to promote accountability of the DHB for the standard of care provided, given the gravity of the offences and the proximPharmac decision not to fund drug was not unreasonable or contrary to law
Case notesWhether PHARMAC decision not to fund a drug was unreasonable or contrary to law—Ombudsman concluded that this case did not reach the threshold of being unreasonable or contrary to law but made suggestions to PHARMAC about the matterLocal Authority not unreasonable to impound horse found untethered on road reserve
Case notesWhether a local authority was unreasonable to impound a horse found untethered on a road reserve—Ombudsman concluded the Regional Council acted reasonably in the circumstancesUnreasonable failure to ensure immigration detainee advised of right to lawyer
Case notesThe Chief Ombudsman considered a complaint that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) had failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that an individual detained by the Police under immigration powers was informed of his right to contact a lawyer while detained aDepartment of Corrections reasonable to seek removal of prisoner from study course in some circumstances
Case notesWhether the Department of Corrections was reasonable to request the tertiary institution to remove a prisoner from a course at a polytechnic—Ombudsman found Department’s decision to have been reasonable in partMarsden Fund – adequacy of reasons for declining funding application
Case notesAn unsuccessful applicant to the Marsden Fund sought information relating to the decision to not progress his application past the preliminary round.Request for advice regarding proposals for the future of Christchurch education
Case notesDecision was not justified under s 9(2)(f)(iv) because Cabinet had already made high level decisions and the key elements of the plan had been announced—strong public interest in releaseEarthquake Commission not unreasonable to decline payment for engineering reports commissioned by property owner
Case notesWhether it was reasonable for EQC to decline payment for two engineering reports—Ombudsman considered that EQC had not acted unreasonably in this respectRequest for costing and liability information concerning the grounding of the MV Rena
Case notesRelease of information about costs incurred in responding to the grounding would give advance notice of the Crown’s negotiating position—s 9(2)(j) applies but not to information that was known to both parties and in the public domainLocal Authority unreasonably issued Trespass Notice without warning or opportunity to comment
Case notesLocal Authority issued a 2-year trespass notice on complainant immediately in response to disruptive behaviour at a meeting—Ombudsman of opinion that this was unreasonable—no prior warning given firstLocal Authority fails to independently assess affected parties to a resource consent application
Case notesLocal Authority failed to independently identify the parties affected by a resource consent application—applicant had provided Council with a list of affected parties which the Council accepted without independently identifying those partiesLocal Authority unreasonable to note requirement for fencing on LIM without inspection
Case notesWhether Local Authority reasonable to include information on Land Information Memorandum (‘LIM’) when property had not been properly inspected—Ombudsman found the Council had no justification for including notation on the LIM and action unreasonableLocal Authority unreasonably failed to consult with residents about building relocation
Case notesLocal Authority allowed relocation of building without providing for adequate consultation process with the local community—Ombudsman upheld complaintRequest for information about a Department’s employment operations
Case notesPre-cast concrete operation is a commercial activity—s 9(2)(i) appliesRequest for emails between Costamare and Maritime New Zealand regarding the MV Rena
Case notesReleasing emails between the parties during the negotiations would prejudice willingness of the parties to participate in the negotiation in an open manner—s 9(2)(j) appliesRequest for salvage plan relating to MV Rena
Case notesRevealing salvage company’s detailed methodology would give other companies a competitive advantage in future tenders, which would be likely unreasonably to prejudice its commercial position—s 9(2)(b)(ii) appliesRequest for advice about SkyCity convention centre
Case notesNecessary to withhold strategy and bottom lines to enable the Crown to carry on negotiations with SkyCity—s 9(2)(j) appliesAccident Compensation Corporation failed to explain reasons for decision made on independent review
Case notesACC failed to provide a full and detailed explanation as to why it declined to make an ex gratia payment as recommended by an independent reviewerCharge for supply of information relating to cycling fatalities
Case notesProvision of readily retrievable information—no remission of charge for supplying the remaining information in the public interest—some information was available pursuant to a charging regime set by statute and the OIA could not override thisRequest for financial information concerning Council’s waste management proposals
Case notesCouncil waste management activities not commercial—s 7(2)(h) does not applyRequest for email communications between councillors relating to industrial dispute
Case notesDisclosure of informal emails between councillors in highly sensitive context would inhibit future expression of free and frank opinions—s 7(2)(f)(i) provides good reason to withholdRequest for draft report to Ombudsman
Case notesRelease of draft report to Ombudsman would inhibit the free and frank expression of opinions—s 9(2)(g)(i) appliesRequest for public submissions made on the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children
Case notesJacinda Ardern MP asked the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) for copies of submissions on the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children received from organisations, businesses and academic staff. MSD refused the request under section 9(2)(f)Request for draft audit report in relation to hospice
Case notesAudit still in process and at the draft reporting phases—s 9(2)(ba)(i) and 9(2)(ba)(ii) provide good reason to withhold—limited distribution of confidential drafts for comment has long been considered a sound administrative practice in the public sector—public interest met through disclosure of final audit reportCharge for supply of information about a hospice
Case notesUnreasonable to refuse request after earlier deciding to supply information subject to a chargeCharge for supply of building information
Case notes$0.45 per page photocopying charge unreasonableRequest for information about assessment of community organisation as approved community service
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA did not apply to correspondence from the chair of the community organisation—the fact that a person signed a letter does not necessarily make that letter personal information about them—signatory was acting in his professional capaciRequest for transport rates, cost and revenues per route
Case notesCost per route to the Council not protected by s 7(2)(b)(ii)—any prejudice would not be unreasonable—s 7(2)(b)(ii) applies to revenue per route—this would reveal operators’ tender strategies, thereby prejudicing their ability to participate competitively in future tenders