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  • Request for draft answer to parliamentary question tendered by HNZ staff

    Case notes
    Request to Housing New Zealand Limited for alternative Parliamentary answers prepared for Minister of Housing—request refused under s 9(2)(g)(i)—ss 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(ba)(ii) discussed—meaning of ‘officials’—obligation of confidence applied—s 9(2)(ba)
  • Request for DHB draft annual plan

    Case notes
    District Health Board—draft annual plan—need for Board and Minister of Health to reach agreement on plan prior to release—New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000
  • Request for reports on Fire Service levy audits

    Case notes
    Request for reports on Fire Service levy audits—duty of agents of New Zealand Fire Service Commission to report results of examination of records, books and accounts of insurance companies and agents to the Commission—s 51B Fire Service Act 1975—secrecy provisions—release would be contrary to the provisions of the Fire Service Act
  • Request for information relating to the state sector wage round

    Case notes
    Request to Minister of State Services for information relating to the state sector wage round—information relating to industrial negotiating strategies withheld—concern that release would prejudice current and future negotiations and would be likely to prejudice the ability of the State Services Commission to obtain information from state sector agencies regarding industrial negotiations
  • Application of OIA to information held by a Benefit Review Committee

    Case notes
    Application of OIA to information held by a Benefit Review Committee (BRC)—status of a BRC for the purposes of the OIA—whether a BRC is a ‘Tribunal’—information held by a BRC is subject to OIA
  • Request for draft answer to parliamentary question

    Case notes
    Request to Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for draft parliamentary answer prepared for Prime Minister—request refused under s 9(2)(f)(iv)—release of draft answer would undermine ability of Minister to shape answer actually given in Parliament—quality of accountability to Parliament would diminish—s 9(2)(f)(iv) applied—countervailing public interest considerations did not outweigh interest in withholding
  • Request for a police report relating to the Cave Creek tragedy

    Case notes
    Request for a Police report relating to the Cave Creek tragedy—existence of the report confirmed—search undertaken in Christchurch, Greymouth and Wellington—author of report consulted, as well as members of the Commission of Inquiry—report unable to be found
  • Request to the Treasury for information relating to work on social assistance policy

    Case notes
    Request to the Treasury for information relating to work on social assistance policy—information withheld under s 9(2)(f)(iv)—information directly connected to advice to be ‘tendered’ to Ministers—release would disrupt the ability of the Minister to consider Ministry’s advice—public interest did not outweigh need to withhold
  • Request for advice relating to an independent review, including legal advice transferred between agencies

    Case notes
    Request for information relating to independent review of PHARMAC’S Operating Policies and Procedures—some information withheld as it was considered legally privileged—legal advice transferred between agencies did not constitute a waiver of the privilege—common interest privilege applied
  • Request for hydrological data

    Case notes
    Request for hydrological data—supplier of information to local authority opposed to release to the requester—prejudice to future supply
  • 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
  • Request for advice to Minister where information relates to court proceedings

    Case notes
    Request for advice to Minister where Minister advising Governor-General regarding petition for exercise of Royal Prerogative of Mercy—during investigation and review convicted person instigated related court proceedings—contempt of court to disclose information—not appropriate to recommend release of any information—investigation discontinued
  • Recipient of unsolicited public release of Cabinet papers complains about deletions

    Case notes
    Recipient of unsolicited public release of Cabinet papers complained about deletions—OIA does not apply to unsolicited release of information—s 48 protections do not apply— Ombudsman lacked jurisdiction to consider complaint
  • Request by shareholder of a company to the Securities Commission for a copy of a report of an investigation carried out on the company

    Case notes
    Request by a shareholder of a company to the Securities Commission for copy of a report of an investigation carried out on the company—information withheld to protect the maintenance of the law and obligations of confidence—test for withholding under s 6(c) not met—s 9(2)(ba)(i) provided good reason to withhold some information
  • Request for file from Department of Child, Youth and Family Services

    Case notes
    A caregiver requested information relating to a child from the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services and was told it could be expected by a certain date. Relying on that advice and believing the relevant information would be available, the requester scheduled a meeting with another organisation in relation to the child.
  • Request for studies upon which Minister of Health had relied in making a public statement

    Case notes
    Request for studies upon which Minister of Health had relied in making a public statement—list of papers provided—requester disputes whether papers adequately supported her declared position—definition of ‘official information’—s 2—no requirement for holder to enter into debate—no investigation commenced
  • Council’s decision to charge for the creation of information

    Case notes
    Charge for supply of information—information not held in form requested—charging provisions of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 apply only to information held—ss 13(1A) and 17(e)—Council offered to create the information subject to the payment of a charge—application of Ombudsmen Act 1975—proposed charge reasonable in an administrative sense
  • Charge proposed for the supply of information relating to death of New Zealander overseas  

    Case notes
    Charge levied by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade—reasonableness of charge—consistency with other charges levied for supply of similar information—public interest in reduction of charge—proposed charge unreasonable—charge reduced
  • Request for list of persons banned from entering New Zealand

    Case notes
    Request for list of persons banned from entering New Zealand—privacy considerations—public interest in disclosure did not outweigh reason to withhold
  • Request for results of disciplinary investigation

    Case notes
    Request for results of disciplinary investigation undertaken by Fire Service Commission and related correspondence—significant privacy interests not outweighed by countervailing public interest, subject to release of an appropriate balanced statement
  • Request for affidavit of CYFS social worker

    Case notes
    A request was made to the Department of Child Youth and Family Services (CYFS) by the caregiver of a tamariki. The child was the subject of a Family Court hearing and the request was for an affidavit given by a CYFS social worker.
  • Request to Reserve Bank regarding advice it had prepared relating to New Zealand Post's banking proposal

    Case notes
    Series of questions put to Reserve Bank—whether information was held by the Reserve Bank or whether it would have to be created in order to answer questions—one question sought factual information which was held—remainder of the questions sought opinions which could be refused under s 18(g)
  • Request for information about potentially contaminated sites

    Case notes
    Request for information about potentially contaminated sites—Regional Council held information not known to District Council—privacy interests requiring protection—Land Information Memoranda—public health interests recognised—information withheld from requester but released to owner/occupier and District Council—complaint settled by agreement
  • Request for details of trade inquiries received by New Zealand Trade Development Board’s overseas offices

    Case notes
    Request for details of trade inquiries received by New Zealand Trade Development Board’s overseas offices—request declined—substantial collation and research—information could not be made available without a major disruption of the work of those offices—request withdrawn
  • Request for a report about the escape of a psychiatric patient from a secure forensic unit

    Case notes
    Request for report prepared by Capital and Coast District Health Board after escape by psychiatric patient from the secure forensic unit—information withheld—clinical information about patient protected—public interest identified in accountability of CCDHB for escape and steps taken to prevent future escapes—short statement released
  • Charge imposed without forewarning after the provision of the information

    Case notes
    Charge for official information—information belatedly made available—requester subsequently charged for the information—no entitlement to charge
  • Request for name of food outlet in outbreak of food poisoning

    Case notes
    Request for name of food outlet implicated in outbreak of food poisoning in circumstances where the class of outlet had received publicity—health authority satisfied with remedial measures taken—information withheld on grounds of commercial prejudice—identification and assessment of countervailing public interest considerations favouring disclosure
  • Request for information about action taken by a university after a student was convicted of fraud

    Case notes
    Request by journalist for information about action taken by a university after a student was convicted of fraud in relation to applications for aegrotat passes—s 9(2)(a) applied—public interest satisfied by release of media statement explaining action taken
  • Information withheld in response to parliamentary questions

    Case notes
    Information withheld in response to parliamentary questions—Ombudsmen have no jurisdiction over Ministers’ answers—Parliamentary privilege—Bill of Rights Act 1688
  • Request for report of misappropriation of funds and fraud by employee

    Case notes
    Request for internal investigation report into allegations of misappropriation of funds and fraud by senior employee of Fire Service Commission—information withheld to protect privacy—legitimate concern about the expenditure of public monies—summary released
  • Department of Corrections failed to meet requirements before placing inmate in restrictive regime

    Case notes
    Department of Corrections placement of inmate on restrictive regime designed for the most disruptive inmates unreasonable because criteria for placement not met—placement deemed unreasonable—inmate immediately returned to mainstream
  • Council offers ex gratia payment to complainant following its failure to provide correct information about dispute between neighbours

    Case notes
    Abatement notice issued in respect of non-complying structure—verbal agreement brokered by Council regarding acceptable modifications—modifications undertaken as agreed—other party to agreement disputed terms of agreement and withdrew—Council provided incorrect calculations regarding non-compliance—owner of non-complying structure incurred nugatory expenses—Council agreed to make ex-gratia payment to resolve matter