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.
42 Resources Show all
OIA compliance and practice in New Zealand Customs Service 2022
Official Information Practice InvestigationsThis report was released as part of ‘Ready or not?’, an investigation into OIA practices at 12 core agencies.The OIA for Ministers and agencies: A guide to processing official information requests
Official informationThe purpose of this guide is to assist Ministers and government agencies in recognising and responding to requests for official information under the OIA.The LGOIMA for local government agencies: A guide to processing requests and conducting meetings
Official informationThe purpose of this guide is to assist local government agencies in recognising and responding to requests for official information under the LGOIMA.Making official information requests: A guide for requesters
Official informationIf you are seeking information from a Minister, or central or local government agency, you may be able to ask for it under either the OIA or LGOIMA.Dealing with OIA requests involving Ministers: A guide to transfer, consultation, and the notification of decisions on OIA requests
Official informationThis guide provides advice for agencies dealing with OIA requests where Ministers might need to be involved.Request for DHB financial reporting data
Case notesWhile release 1 month after refusal would have been ‘soon’ there was no reasonable certainty release would occur by then—agency should reasonably have foreseen delay in obtaining Ministerial input due to election—Section 18(d) did not applyRequest for recidivism statistics
Case notesNo certainty that information would be released in the near future—release 13 weeks after refusal was not ‘soon’—s 18(d) did not applyRequest for quarterly justice sector report
Case notesRelease 12-16 weeks after refusal was not ‘soon’—s 18(d) did not applyRequest for CSV copy of the Teachers Register
Case notesSection 18(d) OIA did not apply—information was not publicly available in the form requested—s 9(2)(a) did not apply—not necessary to withhold publicly available information in order to protect privacy—information releasedOffice of Privacy Commissioner not unreasonable to decline to investigate complaint against Police
Case notesOffice of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC)—decision not to investigate a complaint against the New Zealand PoliceAdequacy 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 research behind a published statement
Case notesRequester must be told where they can access the publicly available informationRequest for holiday period excess speed infringement data
Case notesRelease 23 working days after refusal was ‘soon’—s 18(d)State Services Commission’s consideration of complaint about Treasury policy paper was not unreasonable
Case notesWhether the State Services Commission’s consideration of a complaint made by the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association about a Treasury policy paper, was reasonable—Ombudsman concluded SSC did not act unreasonably when it considered that complaintRequest for restorative justice data
Case notesNo certainty that information would be released in the near future—release 14-16 weeks after refusal was not ‘soon’—s 18(g) did not applyDepartment 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 information about the Rugby World Cup
Case notesNo certainty that information would be released in the near future—s 18(d) did not applyRequest for operational protocols and governance arrangements for the retention of new born blood spot cards (‘Guthrie’ cards)
Case notesRequest for protocols for Guthrie cards—requester advised protocols would be reported back to government by end of April and released in due course—some documents subsequently released but not the documents requested—it must be the actual information requested that is to be made publicly available, not other information, even if it is related, or the final version of the information—s 18(d) not applicableMeridian Energy’s process for purchasing property not unreasonable
Case notesComplaint about price Meridian Energy paid for a property—Ombudsman found the process had been reasonableRequest for property valuation data which was available for purchase
Case notesInformation available for a charge is publicly available—s 17(d) appliedSecurities Commission did not unreasonably apply conflict of interest policy and procedure
Case notesWhether the Securities Commission’s policy and procedures relating to the management of conflicts of interest were applied appropriately in this case—Chief Ombudsman concluded the Commission did not act unreasonablyCivil Aviation Authority changes its investigation practices following Ombudsman’s findings
Case notesComplaint about investigation by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of a light aircraft crash—criticism of way CAA conducted investigation into the crash which resulted in 2 deaths—after O’s investigation, CAA accepted a likely cause was from a crack in a conrod (engine part) which appeared shortly after the engine had been reconditioned—O considered CAA should not have asked the reconditioning company for assessment and that CAA was unreasonable not to interview engineers during its investigationActions of Office of Treaty Settlements reasonable in relation to a claim settlement process
Case notesOffice of Treaty Settlements—reasonable for OTS to rely on the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal that the South Island Landless Natives Act 1906 (SILNA) represented an inadequate response to the Ngāi Tahu landlessness and to regard any grievances that members of Ngāi Tahu might have with the adequacy of land granted under SILNA as a matter appropriately addressed during the Ngāi Tahu settlement process rather than remaining outside itEnergy Safety Service remedied initial inadequate investigation of accident
Case notesManner in which Energy Safety Service carried out investigation inadequate—however further inquiries made later—Ombudsman satisfied with later inquiries and concluded the decision not to prosecute not unreasonable in the circumstancesDepartment of Internal Affairs not unreasonable to cancel passport
Case notesDepartment of Internal Affairs—decision to recall and cancel complainant’s NZ passport – position determined by terms of legislationRequest for video footage of DHB meeting
Case notesVideo footage of a DHB meeting was not publicly available just because minutes of the meeting were—s 18(d) did not applyRequest for electronic copy of proposed electorate boundaries
Case notesInformation was not publicly available in the form requested—s 18(d) did not applyRequest for report on de-merging traffic enforcement function from Police
Case notesRequest for copy of report on de-merging traffic enforcement function from Police—report was subject of draft Cabinet paper currently under consultation with coalition party—s 18(d) incorrectly relied uponOverseas Investment Office approach to request for information in accordance with OIA guidelines
Case notesComplaint concerning Overseas Investment Office allegedly acting unlawfully in deciding to release a copy of a letter authored by complainant, in response to an OIA request—Ombudsman disagrees and considers complainant cannot ‘veto’ the release of the letterTransfer of request for information on Bill from Ministry of Justice to Associate Minister
Case notesResearcher complained that transfer had the effect of narrowing the scope of his request— complaint reviewed under OA—information ‘more closely connected’ to functions of Associate Minister—decision to transfer request was reasonableTransfer of request from Tertiary Education Commission to Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education)
Case notesMinister had instructed Commission to transfer all requests regarding a training centre for his consideration—OIA does not provide for blanket policy to transfer all requests on a subject— Commission must consider requests on case by case basis—information in this case not more closely related to functions of Associate Minister—decision to transfer request contrary to lawDecision to transfer OIA request based on identity of requester
Case notesRequest for official information specifically held by Ministry of Education—Ministry transferred request to Minister of Education on the basis that the information was more closely connected to the functions of that Minister—request specifically for information held by Secretary and Ministry officials—Ministry advised Chief Ombudsman that decision to transfer based on a directive that all media requests should be transferred to Minister for reply—not sufficient grounds for transfer under s 14(b)(ii)—complaint sustained—Ministry reviewed its processes for transferring requests