Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA)
We are committed to promoting openness and transparency in everything we do. Please contact us if you need assistance with your request for information.
Official information requests are governed by the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). Under this Act, everything we do is public information and our books have to be open and freely available.
If you are not happy with the information provided under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, you can complain to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Who can make a request?
Any individual, group or organisation can request information held by Kaipara District Council.
Disclaimer: All information requests responded to are listed on our website here. The name of the customer will be published along with brief details of the request. Should a request be made for a copy of the response, private contact details will be redacted.
How do I make a request?
You have a few options available to make an official information request:
- complete the form;
- email: administrationrequests@kaipara.govt.nz; or
- contact our Customer Service Centres here
Please be as specific as you can be in making your request as it helps us to find the information quickly for you.
All requests for information are generally considered to be a request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) or the Privacy Act 1993 (although you do not need to say that you are making a request under an Act).
How long will it take to process my request?
We will acknowledge your request and you will receive our decision on whether we will provide you with the information you have requested within twenty (20) working days, unless this timeframe is extended under LGOIMA. You can use the calculator from the Office of the Ombudsmen to determine when the twenty (20) working days expire. If we determine that the information will be provided, we must provide this to you without any undue delay.
If your request is complex, involves a large amount of research and collation, or requires us to consult with other parties, it may take additional time to collate our response. If we need to do this we will;
- let you know within the original 20 days;
- explain why additional time is required;
- tell you how much extra time is required and if we will charge for covering our costs to collate the requested information; and
- let you know that you have a right to complain to the Office of the Ombudsman about our decision.
If the information you want is held by another organisation covered by the Act, we may transfer your request to that agency. If we transfer your request, we will let you know within ten (10) working days of receiving your request.
Urgent requests
You may ask that your request be treated as urgent. If you do, you must give reasons explaining the need for urgency.
Withholding information
We may withhold information for specific reasons. If we do, we will explain the reason why. The specific reasons enabling us to withhold information are set out in LGOIMA. These include to:
- protect peoples' privacy;
- maintain legal privilege;
- enable the Council to carry out its commercial activities;
- protect the safety of any person;
- protect confidential or commercially sensitive information; and
- protect public health or safety.
What will it cost?
Generally, there will be no charge for your request. Occasionally however, if a request is for a significant amount of information, or requires substantial collation and research, we may consider a charge. Under the Ministry of Justice Guidelines you are entitled to:
- the first hour of time is free (in excess of one hour is charged at $38.00 per 30 mins);
- 20 pages of free photocopying (additional copying is charged at .20 cents per page); and
- we can recover any other actual costs (e.g. reproducing a photograph, or costs as charged to Council in answering the question/s).
If we are going to charge you, we will advise you of the cost of processing your request before we begin working on it. You can then decide if you want to continue, withdraw or refine your request. We may ask you to pay some or all of this cost in advance.
Review of decisions
If you are unhappy with a decision to withhold information, to charge you a fee, to extend the time frame on a request or you have concerns about how we have dealt with your request, you are able to have the decision investigated and reviewed by the Office of the Ombudsmen.
The Office of the Ombudsman can be contacted by:
Email: info@ombudsman.parliament.nz
Website: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
Post: PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143
Telephone: 0800 802 602
Need more information?
If you have any questions regarding official information requests, please email us at council@kaipara.govt.nz
