Open main menu Close main menu
Search by keyword

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
Search by keyword

16 Resources Show all

  • OIA compliance and practice in New Zealand Customs Service 2022

    Official Information Practice Investigations
    This report was released as part of ‘Ready or not?’, an investigation into OIA practices at 12 core agencies.

  • The LGOIMA for local government agencies: A guide to processing requests and conducting meetings

    Official information
    The purpose of this guide is to assist local government agencies in recognising and responding to requests for official information under the LGOIMA.

  • Commercial information: A guide to sections 9(2)(b) and 9(2)(i) of the OIA and sections 7(2)(b) and 7(2)(h) of the LGOIMA

    Official information
    This is a guide to the commercial withholding grounds in sections 9(2)(b) and 9(2)(i) of the OIA and sections 7(2)(b) and 7(2)(h) of the LGOIMA.

  • Request for copy of reviewers’ training manual

    Case notes
    Information 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 apply

  • Adequacy of ex gratia payment to remedy mistake by Customs

    Case notes
    NZ 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 losses

  • Department of Internal Affairs provides reasonable service and advice to traveller on temporary passport

    Case notes
    Whether 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 validated

  • Department of Internal Affairs not unreasonable to cancel passport

    Case notes
    Department of Internal Affairs—decision to recall and cancel complainant’s NZ passport – position determined by terms of legislation

  • Complaint that notice of meeting did not comply with LGOIMA provisions and meeting minutes were not a true and correct record

    Case notes
    Member of public concerned that notice of meeting did not comply with relevant LGOIMA provisions and minutes of meeting were not a true and correct record—Ombudsman satisfied that meeting notified correctly—Ombudsman formed view that allowing one member of public to address subcommittee did not amount to a public forum and printing resolution on agenda was not sufficient to meet requirements of s 48(4)(a)—Council agreed to amend minutes and take steps to ensure staff aware of legal requirements

  • Request for bioequivalence studies and dissolution data

    Case notes
    Not a trade secret but the data is subject to an obligation of confidence—risk of disclosure to competitors would make drug suppliers less likely to enter the New Zealand market—s 9(2)(ba)(ii) applies

  • Request for ingredients of Foray 48B

    Case notes
    Releasing ingredients of pesticide used in aerial spraying operation would disclose a trade secret—public interest in disclosure finely balanced—s 9(2)(b)(i) provided good reason to withhold

  • Request for tape recording of Council Committee deliberations

    Case notes
    Property owner sought tape recording of Council Committee deliberations (public excluded) on his application for a resource consent—withheld under s 7(2)(f)(i)—basis for public exclusion invalid but withholding grounds still available to Council—information on tape recording consisted of free and frank expression of opinions which, if released, would harm ‘the effective conduct of public affairs’ by hampering, delaying or preventing future resource consent processes—no countervailing public interest considerations favouring release that would outweigh the need to protect information

  • Decision of University Council Committee to impose conditions on use of information

    Case notes
    Decision of University Council Committee to place an ‘embargo’ on the release of information considered by the Committee—embargo prevented any independent report on the information considered by the Committee until the next meeting of the Council of the University—meeting open to public—requester entitled to a copy of the agenda, subject only to the payment of the prescribed amount

  • New Zealand Customs Service questioned over acceptance of deposit pursuant to legislation

    Case notes
    Refusal 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 made

  • Department of Conservation resolves impasse concerning ivory-key piano held by New Zealand Customs

    Case notes
    Refusal 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 Secretariat

  • Inappropriate public exclusion by local authority

    Case notes
    Decision of local authority’s Environmental and Planning Committee to exclude the public from part of a meeting at which a draft regional policy statement was considered—inappropriate use of s 48(1)(d)

  • Request for polytechnic financial report

    Case notes
    Financial report not free and frank expression of opinion—linkage between information and expression of opinion—what constitutes improper pressure or harassment—section 9(2)(g)(i) not a ground for exclusion of public from meeting