Official InformationPārongo Ōkawa

Official Information – Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA)

However if you cannot find the information you want, there are ways you can request it:

• Email us lgoima@wairoadc.govt.nz
• Post your request to: Wairoa District Council, PO Box 54, Wairoa 4160
• Phone our office +64 6 838 7309
• Ask in person at our main office, Queen Street, Wairoa

Please be as specific as you can be in making your request; it helps us to find the information quickly for you. Make sure you include either a postal or email address so we can provide you with a response.

All requests will be dealt with under the terms of LGOIMA 1987, see www.legislation.govt.nz.

How long will it take to process my request? 

We will acknowledge your request and you will receive the information within 20 working days. You can use the calculator from the Office of the Ombudsman to determine when the 20 working days expire.

However, if your request is complex, involves a large amount of research and collation, or requires us to consult with other parties, and we cannot provide you with the information within 20 days, we may extend the time limit. We will let you know if we need to do this.

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 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 Council to withhold information are set out in sections 6 and 7 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act. Examples of common reasons to withhold information are to:

• protect peoples' privacy
• maintain legal privilege
• enable the Council to carry on its commercial activities

What will it cost? 

If a request is for a significant amount of information, or requires substantial collation and research, Council is entitled to charge and those charges are based on guidelines from the Ministry of Justice.

Under these guidelines you are entitled to:

• The first hour of time free
• Twenty pages of free photocopying
• We can recover any other actual costs (e.g. reproducing a photograph)
• Time in excess of an hour is charged at $38/half hour
• Additional copying is charged at the rate contained in our current Annual Plan (Fees & Charges section)

Where charges are payable 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. The cost will be required to be paid in advance before staff are directed to undertake information recovery, collation quality control and releasing this information.

Review of Decisions 

If you are unhappy with a decision to withhold information, to charge a fee, to extend the time frame on a request or have concerns about how we have dealt with your request, you are able to have the decision reviewed by the Office of the Ombudsman. Visit their website for contact details www.ombudsman.parliament.nz

Contact

If you have any questions regarding Local Government official information requests email us.

lgoima@wairoadc.govt.nz