Information requests
Information requests
Waipā District Council is committed to promoting openness and transparency in everything we do. If you are interested in information that is not available on this website, there are two types of information requests we can help you with:
- Official information – you can request official information held by us under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA); and
- Personal information – you can request to see any personal information we hold about you under the Privacy Act 2020.
If you are not happy with the outcome of your request for official information, you can contact the Office of the Ombudsman. If you are not happy with the outcome of your Privacy Act request, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner.
How do I make a request?
When requesting information, please include your contact details and be as specific as you can about what you are seeking so that we can find the information you are looking for.
You can make a request in the following ways:
- Use our online form: Official Information Request - Online Form
- Email us at officialinformation@waipadc.govt.nz
- Call our Customer Service Centre: 0800 924 723
- Ask in person at our Customer Service Centre: 23 Wilson Street, Cambridge or 101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu.
- Post your request to: Official Information Request, Waipā District Council, Private Bag 2402, Te Awamutu 3840
- CCTV footage can be requested through our online Request for Information (CCTV Images) form.
How long will it take to process my request?
We will acknowledge your information request as soon as is practical. We will reach a decision on whether we can provide you with the requested information within 20 working days of receiving your request unless this timeframe is extended.
We will also let you know as soon as possible if we need:
- to extend the deadline on your request
- more information in order to respond to your request
- to transfer the request to another government organisation.
Once a decision is made to release information requested it will be provided without undue delay.
Withholding information
We may withhold information for specific reasons as permitted under legislation.
If we withhold or decline to release information, we will explain the reason/s why.
The most common reasons to withhold or decline to release information include to:
- protect people's privacy
- maintain legal privilege
- maintain commercial sensitivity of information
When you may be requested to pay for information
Generally, requests for information are free of charge. However, there are times when we can charge for responding to official information requests under LGOIMA.
If we decide to release information with a charge imposed, we will contact you first to explain the decision and how the cost has been reached.
You can then decide to proceed, withdraw, or refine your request.
Requests will be processed upon confirmation of the charge being accepted and paid.
Details of the fees and charges applicable for responding to LGOIMA requests are set out in our current Fees and Charges schedule.
Fees and charges
In determining these charges, Council has taken account of the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman charging guidelines In instances where a charge is to be applied, Council will notify the requester as soon as reasonably possible. The requester will be provided with an estimate of the cost for the work involved in providing the response. A deposit may also be required where the charge is likely to exceed $90.00.
A deposit will only be requested after a decision has been made to make the information available. The requester will be notified of the amount of deposit required, the method of calculating the charge and the likely final amount to be paid. Work on the request may be suspended pending receipt of the deposit. Any unused portion of any deposit will be refunded to the requester together with a statement detailing how the balance was expended.
Where repeated requests are made from the same source in respect of a common subject over intervals of up to eight weeks, Council may aggregate these requests for charging purposes.
What we charge for
Council may charge for
| Labour | - Time spent by staff searching for relevant material, abstracting and collating, copying,
transcribing, redacting and supervising access (where the information at issue is made
available for inspection) and where the total time involved is in excess of one hour;
- reasonably required peer review in order to ensure that the above tasks have been carried out correctly; - formatting information in a way sought by the requester; - reproducing film, video or audio recordings. |
|---|---|
| Materials | - paper (for photocopying); and - discs or other electronic storage devices that information is provided on (these will be provided at cost but we cannot accept a device provided by the requester as this poses a risk to Council’s ICT systems). |
Other actual and direct costs: For example, retrieval of information from off-site.
What we won’t charge for
Council will not charge for:
- Time spent locating and retrieving information which is not where it ought to be; or
- Time spent deciding whether or not access should be allowed and in what form.
Charge remission
Council may in its discretion chose to waive or modify any charge where this is warranted in the circumstances. This may include where:
- The payment of a charge might cause the requester financial hardship.
- There is a public interest in the release of the information without a charge.
Need more information?
If you have any questions regarding official or privacy information requests, email us at officialinformation@waipadc.govt.nz.
