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Public Audit Act 2001

Information-gathering powers and disclosure of information

29: Access to premises

You could also call this:

"The Auditor-General can visit places to check how public money is being used."

Illustration for Public Audit Act 2001

The Auditor-General can enter a public entity's premises at any reasonable time to get documents or information. You can think of a public entity as an organisation that uses public money, like a school or a hospital. The Auditor-General can also enter other premises if a District Court Judge gives them a warrant, which is like a special permission slip, because they think that premises might have important documents or information. The Auditor-General can search for documents, look at them, and make copies of them or parts of them. This helps the Auditor-General do their job of checking that public entities are using public money correctly.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM88914.

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Part 4Information-gathering powers and disclosure of information

29Access to premises

  1. For the purpose of obtaining documents, information, or other evidence relevant to any matter arising in the exercise or performance of the Auditor-General’s functions, duties, or powers, the Auditor-General may, at all reasonable times,—

  2. enter into and remain on—
    1. a public entity’s premises; or
      1. any other premises if so authorised by warrant issued by a District Court Judge on the grounds that there is reasonable cause to suspect that documents, information, or other evidence relating to the activities of that public entity are or may be held at those premises:
      2. carry out a search for a document, examine a document, and make copies of a document or parts of a document.