The Office of the Ombudsman has published updated guidelines in relation to the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The new guidelines relate to “The OIA for Ministers and Agencies”; “Making Official Information Requests”; and “Requests Made Online”.

Importantly, the updates clarify that the timeframe for an agency to respond to a request (generally 20 working days) is not affected if the agency examines the requester’s eligibility to make a request. To be eligible, a requester must be:

  • a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident; or
  • a person in New Zealand; or
  • an entity incorporated in New Zealand or with a place of business in New Zealand.

Agencies subject to the OIA are permitted to make reasonable enquiries as to the eligibility of a requester.