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.
68 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.Request for record of ‘without prejudice’ meeting
Case notesSection 7(2)(g) LGOIMA did not apply—‘without prejudice’ privilege is not an aspect of legal professional privilege—s 7(2)(c)(ii) applied—obligation of confidence attaches to information subject to without prejudice privilege—release would make people rCharge for supply of information about the closure of Naenae Pool
Case notesDecision to charge $228 for supply of information about the closure of Naenae pool was unreasonable—the significance of the issue within the Lower Hutt community warranted a full waiver of that charge—Council agreed to waive the fee and change its chargThe 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.Template letter 7: Charging letter
Template letters and worksheets, Template lettersUse this letter to tell the requester you intend to charge for the supply of official information.Charging: A guide to charging for official information under the OIA and LGOIMA
Official informationThis guide provides advice for agencies about when and how to charge for the supply of official information.Legal professional privilege: A guide to section 9(2)(h) of the OIA and section 7(2)(g) of the LGOIMA
Official informationThis is a guide to the legal professional privilege withholding ground found in section 9(2)(h) of the OIA and section 7(2)(g) of the LGOIMA.Request for drafting instructions on the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Bill
Case notesParliamentary Privilege Act 2014 did not provide a statutory bar on the Ombudsman’s investigation of a complaint under the OIA—section 9(2)(h) applied—withholding necessary to maintain legal professional privilege—no public interest overrideRequest for statistics on allegations of assault by Corrections staff
Case notesRequirements of Operations Manual meant source information to answer request should be held—manual compilation is not creation—s 18(g) does not apply—unreasonable to rely on s 18(f) when the fundamental difficulty in providing the information was down to the Department’s own administrative lapsesRequest for information about access to staff records
Case notesInformation held is incomplete but it should be released along with a contextual statement—s 18(g) does not apply—staff recollections should also be providedRequest for footage of battle of Baghak
Case notesNZDF deemed to hold battle footage recorded by soldiers on their personal devices in their official capacityRequests for firearms statistics
Case notesRefusal under section 18(g) not justified—information held—Police could manually extract and compile statistics—where compilation involves substantial collation or research s 18(f) appliesRequest for employee’s recollection of events
Case notesRequest for DIA employee’s recollection of events that occurred when she was employed by another agency—DIA not deemed to hold information because not held by employee in that person’s capacity as such an employee—information that cannot be recalled is not held—s 18(g) appliesRequest for information about mental health
Case notesRefusal justified but not because request was vexatious—some information not held but would need to be created—some information could not be provided without substantial collation or researchRequest for CAA investigation report on Minister’s airport security breach
Case notesSection 9(2)(a) OIA applied to information that would identify Minister’s staff—s 9(2)(a) did not apply to non-sensitive information about actions that occurred in a public place, or to the name of the Investigator—s 6(c) did not apply to information suRequests for emails of former Minister
Case notesEmails of former Ministers held by Parliamentary Services pursuant to contract with DIA deemed to be official information held by DIARequest for evidentiary conclusions in respect of 15 issues or assertions and information about religious affiliation or association of staff
Case notesInformation not held—evidentiary conclusions would need to be created—to the extent that if information about religious affiliation or association of staff was held in mind of Commissioner, it would be held in a personal capacityAdequacy 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 lossesCharge for the creation of statistics
Case notesOIA and Charging Guidelines did not apply to request for statistics that were not held but could be created for a fee—fee for the creation of statistics was calculated in accordance with the agency’s Sales and Pricing Policy and was not unreasonableDepartment 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 tangata whenua rights
Case notesRequester seeking official statement from Minister—information not held—explanation would need to be createdCharge 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 thisCharge 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 unreasonableCharge for supply of correspondence regarding proposals to lower the drink-drive limit
Case notesExample of how to calculate a reasonable charge—no remission of charge in the public interestRequest for legal opinions concerning Russian adoptions
Case notesRequest for legal opinions concerning Russian adoptions—withheld to maintain legal professional privilege—s 9(2)(h)—public disclosures of first opinion meant waiver had occurred—s 9 ‘necessity’ test not met—while section 9(2)(h) applies to second opinion need to withhold outweighed by a strong public interest in release of the information (with the exception of three paragraphs)Request for property valuation data which was available for purchase
Case notesInformation available for a charge is publicly available—s 17(d) appliedCharge for supply of Customs policy
Case notesFull remission of labour component of the charge in the public interest—accessibility of policies and guidelines affecting personsCharge for supply of information about self-reported convictions of teachers
Case notesCharge reduced on review—decision to charge news media requester not unreasonableCharge for the supply of information about Southern Saltmarsh Mosquito Eradication Programme
Case notesUnreasonable to increase charge that had already been fixed and agreed by the requester.