Make an OIA request

You can ask for any official information we hold. This includes:

• reports, memos, letters, notes, advice and emails
• materials like tape recordings, videos or computer records
• internal policies or guidelines for decision-making, and
• reasons for decisions made about you.

You can read the OIA on the New Zealand Legislation website.

Official Information Act 1982

Before you make a request check if the information is already available, if you can make a request, and which agency holds the information you want.

Step 1: Is the information you are looking for already available

You can find a variety of information on this website, including:

• previously published OIAs
• annual reports
• resources — including statistics, surveys and research
• corporate publications.

We also publish responses to OIA requests on this website when the information is likely to be of public interest. You can also search for transport data sets on data.govt.nz

Data sets

Step 2: Can you make an OIA request

You can make an OIA request if you are 1 of these things:

• a New Zealand citizen
• a New Zealand permanent resident
• in New Zealand
• a body corporate that is incorporated in New Zealand
• a body corporate that is incorporated outside New Zealand but has a place of business in New Zealand.

Step 3: Which agency has the information

We may not hold the information you want to request. Check to see what information we and other agencies hold. If you think a different agency holds the information you are looking for, you need to request the information from that agency.

We hold information on:

• policy advice
• air services agreements
• Vote Transport administration, and
• monitoring Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Civil Aviation Authority and Maritime New Zealand performance.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Waka Kotahi holds information on:

• land transport rules
• licensing standards enforcement, and
• land transport funding.

You can contact Waka Kotahi to make an OIA request.

Email: official.correspondence@nzta.govt.nz

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)

The CAA holds information on:

• safety rules
• licensing, standards enforcement, and
• aviation security service.

You can contact the CAA to make an OIA request.

Email: oia@caa.govt.nz

Maritime New Zealand

Maritime New Zealand holds information on:

• safety rules
• licensing standards enforcement, and
• marine environment protection.

You can contact Maritime New Zealand to make an OIA request.

Email: enquiries@maritimenz.govt.nz

If you need information from other agencies

You can find out what information other agencies hold and how to contact them using the Directory of Official Information on the Ministry of Justice website.

Directory of Official Information

When you make a request you need to tell us:

• your name
• your contact details
• what your request is — try to be as clear and specific as possible, and
• how you want to receive the response, for example by email or post. Any supporting documentation supplied will usually be an attachment in the fully searchable PDF format. However, supporting documentation can be provided in any format, such as excel spreadsheet,  or printed hardcopy.

If your request is too broad or you ask for a lot of information we may ask you to narrow the scope of your request.

Email: OIA@transport.govt.nz

Telephone: + 64 4 439 9000

Write to:

The Official Correspondence Unit
Ministry of Transport
PO Box 3175
WELLINGTON 6140

How to find more information about making an OIA request

The Ombudsman website has further information about what official information is and how to make requests.

Requests for official information

The State Services Commission website has useful tips for requesting official information, as well as information on how agencies respond to OIA requests.

Tips for requesting official information

How agencies will respond to information requests

We will respond to your request:

• within 1 working day to acknowledge your request — note we respond to all OIA requests, although our response may tell you that we do not hold or cannot find the information you requested
• within 7 working days if we have any questions or we need to clarify something, for example, we might ask you to narrow the scope of your request if it is too broad or the request is for large amounts of information
• within 10 working days if we need to transfer all or part of your request to another agency
• as soon as reasonably practicable and certainly no later than 20 working days with our decision on your request - this includes instances where we need to extend the time frame for making that decision

If we need more time

If it will take more time to complete your request, we must let you know as soon as reasonably practicable and certainly no later than 20 working days after we receive your request. We will then update you as to when you can expect our response.

We may need to extend your request because the information you have requested requires:

• substantial collation and research, or
• considerable collaboration between internal or external parties that may delay a decision being reached within 20 working days.

If another agency holds the information

If we cannot answer your request because another agency or minister holds all or some of that information, we transfer your request to that agency or minister and let you know no later than 10 working days after we receive your request. We tell you if the transfer is for all of your request or part of it.

If you request information we hold, under the OIA we must give you that information unless we think there is a good reason to withhold it. If so, we tell you which reason we think applies.

Reasons to withhold information are set out in section 9 of the OIA, which you can find on the Legislation website.

Official Information Act 1982, Section 9

If you are not satisfied with our response to your request, you can contact us to see if we can fix the issue.

You can also make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman if you:

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

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

How to make a complaint

We publish OIA responses when the information is likely to be of public interest. We do not publish information that is governed by the Privacy Act 1993.

Official Information Act responses