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Publications / Official Information / Making A Request

Making a request

The Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) gives anyone the right to request official information that we hold. This includes documents, reports, data, emails, and other records created or used in our work, unless there’s a good reason under the law to withhold or refuse them.

The LGOIMA promotes transparency and accountability in local government. By giving the public access to information, it allows people to understand how decisions are made, see how public money is spent, and take part in local democracy. It builds trust by ensuring transparency in the way we operate.

See the documents and information already available, our publications and LGOIMA responses.

Who can make a request?

Anyone can make a request, you can live in NZ or overseas or be an organisation. If you are an individual, you can ask for any personal information we may hold about you under the Privacy Act 2020.

Submit a request now

What to expect?

We will acknowledge your request upon receipt, using the contact method you used or indicated as your preferred option.

Timeframe

We must respond to a LGOIMA request as soon as reasonably practicable, and no later than 20 working days after receiving it. This timeframe can be extended (s14) if the request is large, complex or requires consultation. If an extension is needed, we'll inform you of the reason and let you know the new expected timeframe.

You can use the Ombudsman's calculator to find the latest date your request should be provided to you. 

Ombudsman's official information calculators

Charges

Generally, there will be no charge for your request. However, charges may apply when processing a request requires significant staff time (over two hours), involves multiple or repeated large requests from the same requester that could reasonably be consolidated, or requires extensive collation, research, or reproduction. The charging structure is in accordance with the guidelines set down by the Ministry of Justice.  If charges apply, you will be advised within five working days, you have the option to proceed, withdraw, or refine your request. Please refer to section 19 in our Official Information Policy for more information. 

How to make a request

Your request does not need to mention 'LGOIMA' — just tell us what you’re looking for.

Tip: The clearer your request, the faster and more complete our response can be.

To help us respond faster, please include:

  • What: Be as specific as possible what you want (e.g. a report, meeting minutes, emails about a project).
  • Time: If possible, include dates or date ranges (e.g. “January 2024 to March 2024”).
  • Details: Any details that help us find the information - names, topics, project titles, or document numbers.
  • Contact details: How do we contact you, so we can clarify your request if needed. We will hold your information in line with the Privacy Act 2020.

The Ombudsman has created a guide to help people make official information requests.

Read the Ombudsman's guide for requesters

What information we can and cannot provide

Some information we proactively release such as Committee papers, key reports and policies. You can find this information in our Publications section. 

When you make a LGOIMA request you may receive one of the following responses:

  • Full release - We provide all the information you asked for.
  • Partial release - We release some information but withhold or redact parts that we’re not able to share for example, to protect someone’s privacy s(7)(2)(a), maintain legal privilege s7(2)(g), or safeguard commercially sensitive details s7(2)(b)(ii). We will explain why anything has been withheld and refer to the relevant section of the LGOIMA.
  • Refusal - We may decline your request if there is a good reason under LGOIMA. For example, if the information doesn’t exist, is already publicly available, would be too costly to provide, or must be withheld for legal, privacy, or safety reasons. If we refuse, we will tell you the reason and cite the part of the LGOIMA that applies.
  • Summary - For large datasets, we may provide a summary instead of full records s15(1)(e).

 

Relevant Act sections

The reasons for withholding or refusing to give you some information are specified in:

  • Sections 6 (Conclusive reasons for withholding official information), 7 (Other reasons for withholding official information) and 17 (Refusal of requests) of the LGOIMA.
  • Sections 27 to 29 of the Privacy Act 2020.


Project Financial Information

We aim to be open and transparent about how projects are funded and delivered, while also protecting sensitive commercial details and avoiding unnecessary costs to ratepayers. The rules we follow come from the LGOIMA.

While a project is still underway: 

  • We don’t share detailed cost figures, invoices, or receipts until the project is finished and all contracts are complete. 
  • Costs can change during delivery. Sharing early figures can give the wrong impression or affect ongoing negotiations and procurement.
  • We may share broad, non-sensitive information (for example, confirmed funding sources that are already public) if this won’t affect live contracts.

 

Once a project is finished, we can share: 

  • The total final project cost
  • Any values that are no longer commercially sensitive

However, please note that:

  • We remove personal details and any pricing that could harm fair future contracting.
  • We don’t generally release original invoices or receipts because they usually include confidential pricing and supplier details that could affect future contract negotiations if released.

 

Review and complaints

You have the right to complain to the Ombudsman about our decision to release or not release any information.  

Information about how to make a complaint and the ability to make a complaint is on the Ombudsman's website:

 

Or call the Ombudsman's office on 0800 802 602.