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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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30 Resources Show all

  • 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.

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - OIA consultation July 2019

    Projects, reference & data, Submissions
    In March, the Ministry of Justice announced a public consultation on matters relating to the Official Information Act.

  • 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.

  • Submission of the Chief Ombudsman – Protected Disclosures Act consultation

    Projects, reference & data, Submissions
    The State Services Commission held a public consultation on possible reform of the PDA in 2018. The Chief Ombudsman made a submission, which is now available to read.

  • 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.

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - Education (Update) Amendment Bill 2016

    Submissions
    While we agree that on-line learning can make an important contribution to education, we are concerned about the breadth of the proposed Communities of On-Line Learning (COOL) scheme, and in particular the apparently unrestricted ability of any st

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled

    Submissions
    The Office of the Ombudsman strongly supports New Zealand acceding to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled.

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - Small Passenger Services Sector Review

    Submissions
    The Office of the Ombudsman is concerned that the review has not given enough attention to issues of safety and disability (issues that are central to fitness and purpose), and focussed too heavily on accommodating and potentially aligning current taxi

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill

    Submissions
    This submission relates to the information management requirements of clause 275B of the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill.

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - Environmental Reporting Bill

    Submissions
    It is in the interests of all New Zealanders to have comprehensive and reliable information available regularly on environmental issues that affect all of us. I do however have significant concerns with one aspect of the bill, namely clause 16, under which the Secretary for the Environment (MFE) and the Government Statistician can veto release of information to be used in an environmental report.

  • Submission of the Ombudsman - Prisoners' and Victims' (Continuation and Reform) Amendment Bill

    Submissions
    We are concerned that the victims’ claims scheme, which the Bill makes permanent, provides neither a suitable way to compensate victims of crime nor a suitable way to prevent abuse or mistreatment of prisoners in accordance with New Zealand’s international obligations.

  • Submission of the Ombudsmen - Education Amendment Bill

    Submissions
    This submission relates to clause 158X of the Education Amendment Bill currently before the Education and Science Committee.

  • Submission of the Ombudsmen - Mixed Ownership Model Bill

    Submissions
    Our submission concerns clauses 6 and 7 of the Mixed Ownership Model (MOM) Bill, which remove the MOM companies from being subject to the OA and OIA.  These Acts are important accountabil

  • Submission of the Ombudsmen - Corrections Amendment Bill

    Submissions
    We had a limited opportunity to comment on the draft Corrections Amendment Bill (the Bill) and some amendments were made as a consequence of our submissions.  However, there remain other matters which concern us.

  • Submission of the Ombudsmen - the Public's Right to Know

    Submissions
    The Ombudsman's submission on the Law Commission's Issues Paper 18 The Public’s Right to Know:  A Review of the Official Information Act 1982 and Parts 1-6 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987