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Make an official information request

How to make a LGOIMA request

We encourage you to use our online form when making an official information request (LGOIMA).

We will also accept requests received over the phone, by email or post, or in-person at any of our customer service centres - see contact details on our contact us page. Please ensure your request includes your name, preferred contact details and specific details of the information you want.

Submit a LGOIMA request online

Timeframes for responding to LGOIMA requests

We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 20 working days after receiving it.

We may need to extend the timeframe to respond if there is a lot of information involved or if we need to consult with others and can’t do this within 20 working days. Some other common reasons why we may take longer to respond would be if your request is broad, vague or open to interpretation.

Note that for the LGOIMA to apply, the information must be held by council. With the exception of providing a response to a request for a statement of reasons (about a decision that has affected you personally) there is no obligation on the council to form an opinion or create information to answer a request.

We will let you know as soon as possible if we need to extend the timeframe.

If you want your request to be treated as urgent, you must tell us why.

Withholding information

We may withhold information for specific reasons, and if we do, we will let you know why. The specific reasons are set out in the LGOIMA, and include to:

  • protect peoples' privacy
  • maintain legal privilege
  • enable Council to carry out its commercial activities
  • protect the safety of any person
  • protect confidential or commercially sensitive information
  • protect public health or safety.

Fees and charges

Sometimes we may need to charge you for an official information request. If we decide to charge, we will tell you the cost of your request before processing it. You can then decide to proceed, withdraw or refine your request.

We tend to charge when:

  • Answering your request requires substantial collation or research, or
  • Costs are incurred pursuant to a request response being needed urgently.

We might ask for some or all of the cost to be paid in advance. This is set out on our fees and charges page, under Corporate Services.

Learn more about the Ombudsman's guidance for charging for LGOIMA requests

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