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  • Chief Ombudsman's Annual Report 2022/2023

    Annual reports
    This year I have intensified my efforts to reach out to diverse communities around New Zealand. I have also continued my work to help lift good practices across government. This balance between the public and government is an important part of my independent role as an Officer of Parliament, and the need for me to reach out to both has become even more evident in current times.
  • Chief Ombudsman's Annual Report 2021/2022

    Annual reports
    Watch the introduction in New Zealand Sign Language
  • Inaugural Pūhara Mana Tangata report for 2020/2021

    Annual reports
    The Chief Ombudsman’s Māori panel – Pūhara Mana Tangata – has published a report of its first two years in operation.
  • Annual Report 2020/2021

    Annual reports
    The global COVID-19 pandemic has continued to dominate our lives in the past year, creating new challenges for us all.
  • Annual Report 2019/20

    Annual reports
    COVID-19. The pandemic which swept the world in 2020 is undoubtedly the defining event of the past year. It has further defined the role of Ombudsman.
  • Confidentiality work sheet

    Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is good reason to withhold ‘confidential information’ under section 9(2)(ba) of the OIA / 7(2)(c) of the LGOIMA, because release would be likely to (i) prejudice the supply of similar informa
  • Privacy worksheet

    Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is good reason to withhold official information under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA / 7(2)(a) of the LGOIMA, because it is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including deceased
  • Processing requests for names of public sector employees work sheet

    Worksheets and other resources
    The Ombudsman’s general position is that there is usually no basis for withholding staff names if all that would be revealed is what they did in their official capacity. However, withholding staff names may be justified in particular circumstances.
  • Annual Report 2018/2019

    Annual reports
    It was a busy year. A very busy year. Using almost all measures, the level of our work increased, yet our results were, overall, very pleasing.
  • Commercial information work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet is about the most commonly used grounds for withholding commercial information—unreasonable prejudice to a third party’s commercial position, and prejudice or disadvantage to an agency’s commercial activities.
  • Negotiations work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is good reason to withhold official information under the negotiations withholding ground.
  • Work sheet for dealing with public tender information

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This work sheet summarises guidance on dealing with public tender-related information, including responding to OIA / LGOIMA requests for such information.
  • Third party consultation work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This work sheet takes you through the process of consulting an external third party on an OIA request.
  • Information not held work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is a proper basis for refusing a request for official information because the document does not exist / cannot be found or the information is not held.
  • Work sheet for dealing with OIA requests that involve Ministers

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet takes you through the process of dealing with OIA requests that involve a Minister.
  • Work sheet for dealing with administratively challenging requests

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet takes you through the process of dealing with administratively challenging official information requests.
  • Public interest work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet takes you through the public interest test in section 9(1) of the OIA / section 7(1) of the LGOIMA.
  • Confidential advice to Government work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is good reason to withhold official information under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the OIA, in order to maintain the constitutional convention protecting the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers and officials.
  • Free and frank opinions work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is good reason to withhold official information in order to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions.
  • Charging work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet takes you through the process of deciding whether or not to charge for the supply of official information, and if so, how much.
  • Potentially frivolous or vexatious requests work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is a proper basis for refusing a request for official information under section 18(f) of the OIA / 17(f) of the LGOIMA, because the request is frivolous or vexatious.
  • Publicly available information work sheet

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This summary work sheet will help you to decide whether there is a proper basis for refusing a request for official information under section 18(d) of the OIA / 17(d) of the LGOIMA, because the requested information is or will soon be publicly available.
  • Sample estimate of costs

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This sample estimate of costs can be used to help calculate a charge for supplying official information, and be provided to the requester.
  • Annual Report 2017/2018

    Annual reports
    In the past year, we have made some excellent progress in key areas, none more so than by clearing our backlog of complaints, a bugbear both for us and the public. We have been quicker and more efficient in resolving complaints, but with no reduction in the quality or efficacy of our work. Specific cases we have dealt with this year are contained in this report, and they showcase the breadth and depth of the work we are tasked to undertake.
  • Annual Report 2016/2017

    Annual reports
    In 2016/17 we achieved 700 remedies for New Zealanders—‘remedy’ being the legal term for a solution to a problem. This is an increase of 20 percent on the previous year, one of many positive figures in this year’s Annual Report. We also had 149 recommendations for improvement in places of detention accepted.
  • Model protocol on dealing with OIA requests involving Ministers

    Template letters and worksheets, Worksheets and other resources
    This model protocol can be used and adapted by Ministers and agencies to agree on clear and transparent processes for dealing with OIA requests involving the Minister.
  • Annual Report 2015/2016 - full report

    Annual reports
    We have already begun to make great strides in the 2015/16 reporting year. Despite overall intake once again increasing, we completed 7% more work than last year and finished the year with 11% less work on hand than at the same time last year. Our overall net clearance rate for complaints was 105%, meaning that we closed 178 more complaints than we received, and so started to make significant inroads into our backlog of aged complaints.
  • Annual Report 2015/2016 - at a glance

    Annual reports
    This document shows our Annual Report for 2015/2016 at a glance.
  • Annual Report 2014/2015 - at a glance

    Annual reports
    This document shows our Annual Report for 2014/2015 at a glance.
  • Annual Report 2014/2015 - full report

    Annual reports
    By 2006 it was becoming clear that we could not sustain the business model we were then operating and the late John Belgrave, then Chief Ombudsman, challenged us to reflect on the theme “Where is the Office Going?” So we began what has seemed like a long journey to modernise the Office.
  • Annual Report 2013/2014 - at a glance

    Annual reports
    This document shows our Annual Report for 2013/2014 at a glance.
  • Annual Report 2013/2014 - full report

    Annual reports
    This year we have begun to reap the benefits of the additional resources granted to us by Parliament for the 2013/14 year onwards, which has enabled us to appoint additional staff to progress the amount of work we are receiving.