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.
42 Resources Show all
Request for data on tooth decay in Taranaki children
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied to identifying details (NHI number, addresses, dates of birth, dental clinics), but not to information about fluoride and dental decay which would not identify individuals—partial releaseRequest for handwritten comments on draft walking and cycling strategy
Case notesRelease would inhibit willingness of Council staff to provide free and frank opinions on drafts circulated by colleagues, or to test the content and recommendations of such documents, which would undermine the accuracy and value of the material that eventuates—s 7(2)(f)(i) appliesRequest for serious incident review
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied—although significant information was already in the public domain withholding was necessary to protect the family’s right to be left alone in circumstances where highly distressing events had resulted in significant media andRequest for whether company vehicles issued infringement notices
Case notesSection 7(2)(a) LGOIMA did not apply—information about company not natural person—information releasedRequest for information about appointment of public service chief executive
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) applied to names of unsuccessful candidates—no public interest override—section 9(2)(a) and 9(2)(ba)(ii) did not apply to the names of external panellists—section 9(2)(a) did not apply to officials’ names, Cabinet distribution and attendRequest for names of submitters who opposed an application by the Ban1080 party to register its name and logo
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied—withholding necessary to protect the privacy of submitters who were individual members of the public—potential consequences of disclosure included harassment and threats to safety—in view of these consequences the public inteRequest for reports into prisoner deaths in custody
Case notesRequest for reports into deaths of two prisoners in custody—s 9(2)(a) applied to parts of reports—strong public interest in release—disclosure to the Howard League subject to conditionsAdequacy of ex gratia payment to remedy mistake by Customs
Case notesNZ Customs officer rejected passenger on flight because water damage on passport—Ombudsman found officers failed to process the passport adequately and caused considerable cost to passenger because of this failure—complainant upheld and complainant received full payment to cover financial lossesRequest for Pre-Cabinet précis briefings
Case notesDisclosure of short and incisive pre-Cabinet briefings and risk assessments would inhibit future expression of free and frank opinionsDepartment of Internal Affairs provides reasonable service and advice to traveller on temporary passport
Case notesWhether the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) reasonably handled revalidation of a passport for New Zealand citizen travelling on temporary passport—Ombudsman concluded DIA had made every effort to inform the complainant of the steps needed to have his passport validatedRequest for deceased relative’s medical file
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA did not apply—no meaningful privacy interest in information about an individual deceased for nearly 90 years—information releasedRequest for documentation about ‘Ageing in Place’ contract
Case notesRelease of detailed proposals and component prices would have an adverse effect on tenderers’ responses to future tenders issued by the DHB, which would damage the public interest—s 9(2)(ba)(ii) OIA applies—release would have an inhibiting effect in future on the quality of the documentation associated with the DHB’s contract negotiations and tender evaluation, which would be prejudicial to the future conduct of such tenders—s 9(2)(g)(i) appliesRequest for identities of contractors
Case notesPrivacy interest outweighed by overriding public interest in promoting accountability, transparency and public confidence and trust in the integrity of the public sectorRequest for information about severance payment
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied—withholding necessary to protect strong privacy interests—significant impact of further media scrutiny on personal privacy—s 9(2)(ba)(ii) applied— settlement agreement contained express obligation of confidence—release wouldRequest for discussions between Ministers on business before Cabinet
Case notesDiscussions between Ministers on business before Cabinet imbued with a presumption of confidentiality—s 9(2)(g)(i) provides good reason to withhold undocumented discussionsRequest for draft public discussion document regarding auditor regulation
Case notesClose-to-final draft containing limited evidence of opinion material—risk of public misunderstanding of the status of this draft document did not justify withholding and could be addressed by disclosure of contextual information—strong public interest in transparency of the policy development process given full-scale public consultation no longer intendedRequest for names of teaching staff at Massey University
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA did not apply—names already in the public domain and known to students—public-facing nature of the role means that University teaching staff would not ordinarily expect their names to remain private—risk of spam email was not a reasoRequest for complete rate records
Case notesRequest for city council’s complete rate records—request refused under s7(2)(a)—consideration of s 115(2) of Rating Powers Act and ss 7(1), 7(2), 60(3) of the Privacy Act—information releasedRequest for information about members of boards for which Minister of Maori Affairs responsible
Case notesRequest for information about members of boards for which Minister of Maori Affairs responsible—information withheld under s 9(2)(a)—some information already publicly available—a strong privacy interest did not attach to names and terms of appointment of board members of Maori Trust Boards and the Maori Soldiers Trust Central Committee—public interest in releaseRequest for details of severance payment and salary relating to second tier manager
Case notesRequest for details of payments made to former employee of Airways Corporation—information refused under s 9(2)(a) and s 9(2)(b)(ii)—release of salary information in a $20,000 band struck the right balance between the established privacy interest and the public interest in disclosureRequest by non-custodial parent for children’s school reports which children asked not to provide
Case notesRequest by non-custodial parent for children’s school reports—children asked school not to make reports available—reports addressed principally to caregiver—matters to be reported under section 77 of the Education Act—section 9(2)(a) made out—public interest met by separate report prepared on matters under section 77 of the Education ActRequest by natural mother for maternity notes and paediatric files of her children who were in interim High Court wardship
Case notesRequest by natural mother for maternity notes and paediatric files of her children—children in interim High Court wardship—information previously made available—s 9(2)(a) outweighed by public interest in access to the information for the purposes of custody hearingRequest for report by District Inspector into care by mental health services of person convicted of murder
Case notesRequest for report by District Inspector into care by mental health services of person convicted of murder—much of the information withheld to protect privacy of individuals—some information already publicly available in course of offender’s trial—public interest in District Inspector’s findings—most information releasedRequest for names of proposed appointees to four Maori Development Commissions
Case notesRequest for names of proposed appointees to four Maori Development Commissions—some information refused under s 18(d) as appointments soon to be announced—s 9(2)(a) applied to the remainder of the information which was a preliminary list of nominationsRequests for CYPF case reviews
Case notesRequests for case reviews by Children, Young Persons and their Families Service—information withheld under ss 9(2)(a) and 9(2)(g)(i)—private information—social workers should not be discouraged unnecessarily from giving frank accounts of difficult cases where hindsight might identify some error of judgement—some information in case reviews can be withheld—also s 9(1) public interest considerations relating to information about standard of care and remedial action taken in respect of identified deficiencies—consideration of ss 16 and 17—public interest met by publication of comprehensive summary of relevant issuesRequest for documentation relating to resignation of West Coast Regional Conservator
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) applied to the detailed information requested—public interest considerations under s 9(1) required disclosure of general level of financial settlement and provision for contingent liabilitiesRequest by grandfather for address of grandchildren
Case notesRequest by grandfather for address of grandchildren—children in custody of father—address known to requester’s daughters—without more information about the family relationships, disclosure of the address under the OIA would infringe the children’s privacy—good reason to withhold under s 9(2)(a).Department 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 list of names of electors whose eligibility to vote had been challenged
Case notesRequest for list of names of electors whose eligibility to vote had been challenged—information withheld under s 9(2)(a)—privacy interest not outweighed by public interestRequest for information about the outcome of a complaint about a rest home
Case notesRequest for information about the outcome of a complaint about a rest home—request refused under s 9(2)(a)—public interest in complainants receiving adequate information about investigations and findings—release of summary of informationRequest 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 sector