Official Information Act requests

Find out how to request information from Toitū Te Whenua under the Official Information Act.

Requesting information

The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) is a cornerstone of good government. Government information (official information) holds a high degree of public interest. Making this information more freely available allows the public to better engage in the political process and hold government to account for its decisions.

People in New Zealand can request official information and expect it to be made available unless there is a good reason to withhold it.

The OIA enables citizens, permanent residents, visitors to New Zealand, and body corporates registered or with a place of business in New Zealand to make a request for official information held by government agencies, including Toitū Te Whenua.

Making a request

You can contact us in a number of ways to request information:

  • Email customersupport@linz.govt.nz
  • Telephone: 0800 665 463
  • Postal address: Ministerial Support & Official Correspondence, Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand, PO Box 5501, Wellington 6145

We prefer requests by email or letter to ensure we understand what information or documentation you want.

We need to know:

  • your name
  • your contact address (email or postal)
  • specific details of the information you want.

If you make your request by phone, we will either:

  • confirm it in writing ourselves, or
  • if we’re not sure what information you are requesting, we may ask you to put it in writing.

We may ask you for more details no matter how you contact us, to ensure we fully understand your request.

Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission provides information on the OIA process.

Before making a request

Before making a request please check the other sources of information on our website. You may find the information you want is already publicly available.

Or search our website using the search box at the top of this page.

How long will it take?

We will acknowledge your request and are required by law to give you our decision on your request as soon as possible, and no later than 20 working days after we receive your request.

If we need more time to make our decision on your request (for example, if you are requesting a lot of information) we will let you know and give you an idea of how long it will take.

What does it cost?

Requesting official information is free, although we can charge a reasonable amount if it will take a lot of work to supply the information requested. There is no charge for the first hour spent on your request, or for the first 20 pages of photocopying.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with our response, we encourage you to contact us in the first instance to see if we can resolve the issue.

You can make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman if you remain unsatisfied with our response. They can investigate if you:

  • have concerns regarding the decision we made on your request
  • were unhappy about the way your request was treated or processed.

These concerns can relate to:

  • the withholding of information
  • extending the timeframe to respond to you
  • any charges for providing the information you have requested
  • delays in providing you with a decision or the information
  • your request being transferred.

The Office of the Ombudsman can investigate and review our decision and may make a recommendation to us if it is considered appropriate.

Office of the Ombudsman website

Improving transparency under the OIA

Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman have a programme to improve transparency under the OIA. This includes reporting on the volume of requests and complaints made to the Ombudsman.

Toitū Te Whenua is also committed to improving access to information of interest to the public by proactively releasing:

  • a variety of sea and land data released on our website and through the LINZ Data Service
  • corporate publications, performance and research reports
  • certain internal policies
  • cabinet papers and regulatory Impact Statements
  • issues we are seeking public feedback on through consultation
  • statutory decisions and activities concerning OIO decisions and enforcement activities, and tenure review
  • information for surveyors, local government, property owners and investors, lawyers and conveyancers, and Māori and iwi.