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About official information
Official information is any information held by the government. This includes Ministers of the Crown in their official capacity and government departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Education.
The Official Information Act 1982 (or OIA) enables any eligible person to request official information. We are committed to complying with the purposes, principle and requirements of the OIA.
Official Information Act 1982 – New Zealand Legislation
Before you make an OIA request
We publish information online on a regular basis. Check whether the information you are looking for has already been released on our website.
Find out more about the information we publish:
You can also send us a general enquiry before making an OIA request.
Email: [email protected]
How to request official information
Contact us
You can contact us in a number of ways:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +64 4 463 8000
- Post: PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140.
What to include
When you contact us, include your:
- name
- contact address (email or post)
- request for information.
We may ask you for more details.
Be specific
- To help us make sure that you receive the correct information, be as specific as you can in identifying the information you want.
- The information you are requesting must be specified with 'due particularity' meaning that the Ministry must be able to identify the information you have asked for.
- Any request that lacks due particularity will not be valid. If this is the case, we may contact you to clarify your request.
Making official information requests: A guide for requesters – Ombudsman
Who can request information
Anyone who is in New Zealand can request official information.
New Zealand citizens overseas and corporate bodies with a place of business in New Zealand can also request information.
Charges
Not usually, but there is a provision for a charge to be made.
Any charge must be a reasonable one. You should be told of the charge, or given an estimate, before the information is provided.
Charging guidelines for OIA requests – Ministry of Justice
How long it takes to process requests
We will make and communicate a decision on your request as soon as we can. This will be no later than 20 working days after it was received, unless an extension is made.
Extensions
We may extend the maximum number of days for transferring a request or making a decision and communicating it to you for the following reasons:
- Your request is for a large quantity of information.
- Consultation is needed to make a decision on your request.
Any extension must be for a reasonable period of time in the circumstances.
Changes to requests
If you decide to change or clarify your request, that will be considered to be a new request. The 20 working days will start from the day after this new request is received.
Information withheld or refused
Requests can be refused, or information withheld, but only if a good reason exists under the OIA for not providing the information.
We will inform you of the reason for the refusal and of your right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate the refusal if you are not satisfied with the response.
Disagreeing with a decision made on your request
If you do not receive a response to your request for official information within the statutory time limit or you are unhappy with the response you receive, you can complain to the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman’s role is to investigate and review our (and other agencies) decision (or lack of decision) on your request.
This includes looking at:
- refusals and deletions
- delays and extensions
- charges
- the manner in which information is released
- conditions on release.
The Ombudsman can be contacted through their website.
