Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987

Local authority meetings

49: Provisions applying when meeting open to public

You could also call this:

"Rules for public meetings of local councils"

Illustration for Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987

When you attend a meeting of a local authority that is open to the public, some rules apply. You are allowed to attend the meeting, and news reporters are also considered part of the public. If you want a copy of the meeting's agenda, you can ask for one and pay a small fee if required, and you will be given a copy if there are spare ones available. The agenda will include information about what will be discussed at the meeting, unless the discussion is about something that will happen in a private part of the meeting.

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This page was last updated on 18 July 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM123098.

Topics:

Government and voting > Local councilsRights and equality > Privacy

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Part 7Local authority meetings

49Provisions applying when meeting open to public

Where a meeting of a local authority is required by this Part to be open to the public during the proceedings or any part of them, the following provisions shall apply:
for the purposes of this Part, bona fide members of the news media shall be deemed to be members of the public, and shall be entitled to attend any meeting or any part of a meeting for the purpose of reporting the proceedings for any news media:
where copies of the agenda for any meeting are reproduced by any means for use by members of a local authority, that local authority shall cause such additional copies of the agenda to be reproduced as may in its opinion be necessary to ensure an adequate supply for persons requesting copies pursuant to paragraph (c):
where any member of the public who attends a meeting of a local authority requests a copy of the agenda and tenders the prescribed amount (if any), that person shall be given a copy of every agenda reproduced for use by members of the local authority at that meeting of which there is a spare copy, and may take each away with that person:
copies of the agenda supplied for members of the public as provided in paragraph (b) shall include such further statements or particulars, if any, as are necessary to indicate the nature of any items included in the agenda, unless that item refers to any matter to be considered by the local authority when the meeting is not likely to be open to the public.

Compare

1962 No 113 s 5
1963 No 109 s 2
1975 No 125 s 5