Overview
The Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 establishes the framework for public access to information held by New Zealand's local authorities and council-controlled entities. Inspired by the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), it allows all persons—not just citizens or residents—to request information, with protections for good faith decisions to release information. The Act mandates that local government meetings be publicly notified, open to the public, and that agendas, reports, and minutes be accessible. Exemptions to public accessibility require resolutions stating specific reasons. The Act also provides legal protections, such as privilege against defamation for meeting records. A review conducted by the New Zealand Law Commission in 2012 recommended its integration into a broader freedom of information law, a recommendation that has yet to be fully enacted. In 2022, new legislation was introduced to include national security grounds in withholding information under this Act.