Official Information Requests
For Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) requests over the Christmas Holiday period there are 3 weeks (20 December 2022 to 10 January 2023) that don’t count as “working days”.
Please be aware the response date for any request takes these dates into account.
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Central Otago District Council promotes openness and transparency of the information it holds, to the communities and public it serves. To this end a large amount of information associated with the dealings and activities of Council, is available on our website.
Council's LGOIMA Request Policy provides the framework and formalises Council's legal obligation on granting official information.
All requests for information are governed by the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) and the Privacy Act 2020. These aim to balance issues of transparency and public interest with limits on the disclosure of personal information.
How do I make a request?
- Online: LGOIMA Request
- By phone: Call us on +64 3 440 0056
- By email: Email us at info@codc.govt.nz with the subject of LGOIMA Request
- By post:
Send your written request to:
LGOIMA Request
Attention: IRM Lead
Central Otago District Council
PO Box 122
Alexandra 9340 - In Person:
Ask in person at any of our Service Centres, Cromwell, Roxburgh, Maniototo or the main office in Alexandra. Refer to our Contact Us page for further details.
Decision to release and charges (if any)
Council must decide as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the request:
- Whether a request for official information will be granted
- In what manner
- If any charges will apply.
In making this decision, Council officers as per the Staff Delegation Manual will consider all aspects of the LGOIMA Act 1987. Council shall adopt the principle that if the material is available it shall be released, unless there are grounds to withhold it under the Act.
If a request is estimated to take over one hour of staff time, Council may charge for searching for relevant material, abstracting, collating, copying, and transcribing to fulfil the request, consistent with the Ombudsman Charging Guidelines.
| First hour | No Charge |
|---|---|
| Initial charge for the first chargeable half hour, additional half hour or part therefor | $38.00 |
Charges related to photocopying and printing can be found in Council's fees and charges . If the request is likely to incur a charge, the Council will discuss this with the requester to refine the request and accordingly reduce or remove costs. Work will not commence until an estimate of charges has been provided to the requester, and the requester has accepted and paid these charges.
Timeframes
Council will ensure that requests are responded to within 20 working days unless the requester is notified within 5 working days of the request that the Council requires the period to be extended.
Council will make any official information it has decided to release available without undue delay.
For Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) requests over the Christmas Holiday period there are 3 weeks (20 December 2022 to 10 January 2023 ) that don’t count as “working days”.
Please be aware the response date for any request takes these dates into account.
