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.
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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.
162 Resources Show all
Request by paediatric social worker in a public hospital for Manitoba Risk Estimation System
Case notesRequest by paediatric social worker in a public hospital for Manitoba Risk Estimation System—request declined—system provided to CYPFS subject to contract—consultation with owners of system—information released subject to conditionsDepartment of Corrections reasonably held inmate in segregation
Case notesUnreasonable placement of inmate on precautionary segregation—written material found in his cell which reflected on the safety of prison staff—placement not deemed unreasonableNew Zealand Customs Service questioned over acceptance of deposit pursuant to legislation
Case notesRefusal to pay interest following resolution of dispute over Customs value of goods—whether relevant documentation provided at the time of importation—whether s 140 of the Customs Act 1966 (repealed) conferred authority on Department to take deposit—investigation discontinued following discovery that company did not exist as legal entity at the time complaint was madeDepartment of Corrections should explain reasons for declining application to be excused from PD reporting
Case notesRefusal of application to be excused from reporting for periodic detention—incomplete explanation given at the time—reasons and apology provided—Criminal Justice Act 1985, s 41(3)Department of Corrections required to advise decision on day parole application
Case notesFailure to advise inmate of decision on application for day parole—prison administration expected inmate to ask Case officer for outcome—responsibility for advising the outcome of a request/application normally rests with decision-maker—internal procedures changed to reflect normal practiceRequest 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 earthquake-prone building survey
Case notesRequest for information about an earthquake-prone building survey—survey findings challenged—information withheld to avoid prejudice to the commercial interests of the owners of those buildings whose status was unresolved pending outcome of challengeRequest for ocean manifests filed with Customs
Case notesRequest by solicitors on behalf of a shipping company for ocean manifests filed with the New Zealand Customs Service for vessels berthing at a container terminal on a certain day—information withheld to protect commercial interests—no countervailing public interestRequest for information held by Radio New Zealand relating to political coverage in lead up to General Election
Case notesRequest declined on grounds of commercial prejudice—commercial prejudice not made out—discussions with requester led to satisfactory solution—requester allowed to inspect informationRequest for draft business plan
Case notesRequest to Minister for State Owned Enterprises for Timberlands West Coast Ltd draft Business Plan for 1997/98—information withheld on commercial grounds—some information released—detailed financial, business strategy, economic and marketing information withheld—State Owned Enterprises Act 1986Request for documents relating to footwear manufacturing operation at Prison
Case notesFootwear manufacturing operation at Wanganui Prison was a commercial activity—s 9(2)(i) appliedDepartment of Conservation resolves impasse concerning ivory-key piano held by New Zealand Customs
Case notesRefusal to release piano imported from United Kingdom—family heirloom from 1920s—need for approval of Department of Conservation under CITES because of ivory content—conflict between New Zealand legislation implementing CITES and European Community Regulations—impasse resolved by acceptance of statutory declaration by family—conflict to be raised with CITES SecretariatDepartment of Corrections accepts obligation to consider inmates’ circumstances when deciding work and educational paroles
Case notesRefusal of work and educational paroles before inmate appeared before National Parole Board—inflexible policy inconsistent with concept of individual case management—review resulted in detailed case management plan for inmateRequest for capital cost of certain ECNZ power stations and their current book valuations
Case notesRequest for capital cost of certain ECNZ power stations and their current book valuations—refused under s 9(2)(i)—release of the information would prejudice ECNZ’s commercial activities—public interest met by availability of Government valuations and release of global or aggregated figures covering the information requestedRequest for prison escort bus costs
Case notesTendering for prison escort buses was not a commercial activity—essential element of profit not present—information protected by s 9(2)(j) because costs could be used by successful tenderer to ‘negotiate-up’ rates during the negotiation stage of the tendering processRequest for names of ‘eminent New Zealanders’ consulted during preparation of Intelligence and Security Agencies Bill
Case notesRequest for names of ‘eminent New Zealanders’ who were part of the consultative process in preparing the Intelligence and Security Agencies Bill—request refused under s 9(2)(g)(i) —individuals consulted—in respect of those who advised that disclosure would inhibit them from giving free and frank advice to the Government in future, section 9(2)(g)(i) applied—need to withhold outweighed by countervailing public interestPrison unnecessarily holds inmates in secure unit
Case notesPlacement of minimum secure inmates in maximum security conditionsRequest for communications between Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank
Case notesRequest for communications between Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank regarding economic growth, monetary policy and inflation outlook—information withheld under ss 6(e)(iv), 9(2)(d), 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i)—markets are extremely sensitive and react to the most subtle signals—if released, Reserve Bank would be likely to become more guarded about what was said at, and recorded after, meetings with Minister—s 9(2)(g)(i) applied and no countervailing public interest considerations which outweighed need to withholdRequest by TVNZ for names of companies providing Department of Social Welfare with transcripts or videos of TVNZ programmes
Case notesRisk of litigation is not an unreasonable prejudice—public interest in release of information enabling pursuit of legal rights and remediesRequest for Crown Health Enterprise Business Plans
Case notesRequest for Crown Health Enterprise Business Plans—request refused on commercial grounds—some information protected by ss 9(2)(i) and 9(2)(j)—public interest in disclosure substantially met by release of balance of plansRequest for the contract regarding sale of Railway houses
Case notesRequest for copy of contract between NZRC and Stone Key Investments Ltd regarding sale of railway houses—refused as ‘commercially confidential’—contract document itself was not simply a standard form Agreement for Sale and Purchase with price and special conditions added, but was a specially drafted document which reflected the negotiating positions adopted by both parties—release would unreasonably prejudice the commercial position of Stone Key Investments—s 9(2)(b)(ii)—release was so likely to ‘prejudice or disadvantage’ the Corporation in future sales of surplus land that it was necessary to withhold the information at issue—s 9(2)(i)—sale agreement retained two key factors of the Corporation’s previous sales policy relating to its obligations as a ‘good employer’—public interest in disclosure of the manner in which those undertakings had been incorporated into the contract—public interest in disclosure of information enabling an assessment to be made of whether the Corporation had acted responsibly and obtained a ‘fair market price’—written summary releasedRequest 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 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 for quotation submitted by a Government Department
Case notesRequester sought quotation information—amount apportioned by the department as royalties and copyright charges formed part of the department’s marketing and pricing strategy within a competitive market—also in circumstances of this case release of quotation would enable a calculation of how the quotation was made upRequest for price of successful tender to supply medical product
Case notesNo unreasonable prejudice—public interest in release to promote integrity and transparency of tender processRequest for amounts paid to private sector consultants for asset sale advice
Case notesRequest for amounts paid to private sector consultants for asset sale advice—initially refused under ss 9(2)(b)(ii) and 9(2)(j)—not possible to deduce individual fee structures or methodology from the information at issue—s 9(2)(b)(ii) did not apply—information at issue would be, at most, of a background nature (since it related to a different transaction) and was at a high level of generality—s 9(2)(j) did not apply—while the information might be considered by firms in deciding whether to pitch a proposal for a particular advisory contract, s 9(2)(i) not satisfied—argument that disclosure may result in a reduction in number of advisors willing to undertake Government work not persuasive due to the vigorous competition for the contracts—strong public interest in release to permit scrutiny of the level of expenditure and questions to be asked about the use of advisers and the decisions that have been taken