The principle of the Act is that information should be made available unless there are good reasons for withholding it. The Council is entitled to consider not releasing information if it would:
- Prejudice the maintenance of the law;
- Endanger the safety of any person;
- Breach the privacy of any person;
- Disclose confidential or commercially sensitive information;
- Cause serious offence to Tikanga Maori;
- Disclose the location of Waahi Tapu;
- Breach an obligation of confidence;
- Prejudice: public health or safety; the Council’s right to legal professional privilege; the commercial activities of the Council; or negotiations being carried out by the Council.
Requests for information may be written or verbal. The Council may ask for more particulars if the request for information is not sufficiently specific.
The Act requires the Council to respond to requests for information as soon as reasonably practicable and within 20 working days. Depending on the nature of the request and the extent of the information sought, the Council may charge for providing the information, pursuant to guidelines set down by the Ministry of Justice.
Requests for information can be made to either:
The Customer Call Centre (03) 941 8999 ; or
Your nearest suburban service centre.
