Official Information Act 1982

Purposes and criteria

6: Conclusive reasons for withholding official information

You could also call this:

"When the Government can keep official information secret to protect New Zealand"

If you ask for official information, it might not be given to you if it would be likely to harm New Zealand's security or defence, or its relationships with other countries. You might not get the information if it would stop other countries or organisations from trusting the New Zealand Government with confidential information. The information can also be withheld if it would hinder the maintenance of law, including preventing crimes and ensuring fair trials, or if it would put someone's safety at risk. You will not get the information if it would seriously damage New Zealand's economy, such as by revealing decisions about exchange rates, banking, or taxation before they are officially announced, as stated in section 5. The Government can also keep information secret if it is about borrowing money, overseas trade agreements, or controlling prices and wages, and releasing it would harm the economy.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM65366.


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5: Principle of availability, or

"Information should be available to you unless there's a good reason to keep it secret"


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7: Special reasons for withholding official information related to the Cook Islands, Tokelau, or Niue, or the Ross Dependency, or

"When New Zealand can't share information to keep some islands and places safe and happy"

Part 1Purposes and criteria

6Conclusive reasons for withholding official information

  1. Good reason for withholding official information exists, for the purpose of section 5, if the making available of that information would be likely—

  2. to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand; or
    1. to prejudice the entrusting of information to the Government of New Zealand on a basis of confidence by—
      1. the Government of any other country or any agency of such a Government; or
        1. any international organisation; or
        2. to prejudice the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial; or
          1. to endanger the safety of any person; or
            1. to damage seriously the economy of New Zealand by disclosing prematurely decisions to change or continue government economic or financial policies relating to—
              1. exchange rates or the control of overseas exchange transactions:
                1. the regulation of banking or credit:
                  1. taxation:
                    1. the stability, control, and adjustment of prices of goods and services, rents, and other costs, and rates of wages, salaries, and other incomes:
                      1. the borrowing of money by the Government of New Zealand:
                        1. the entering into of overseas trade agreements.
                        Notes
                        • Section 6(d): replaced, on , by section 3 of the Official Information Amendment Act 1987 (1987 No 8).
                        • Section 6(e): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Official Information Amendment Act 1987 (1987 No 8).