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Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

Miscellaneous provisions - Review of water services system

343: Reviewer’s power to request information

You could also call this:

"The reviewer can ask for information to help them do their job, and you must provide it unless it affects someone's privacy."

Illustration for Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025

The reviewer can ask certain groups for information they need to do their job. You might be asked for information if you are a water service provider, a local authority, or a trustee of a consumer trust. The reviewer can also ask the Commerce Commission, the Water Services Authority, or a public service agency for information, as defined in section 10 of the Public Service Act 2020 or a statutory entity, as defined in section 10(1) of the Crown Entities Act 2004.

The reviewer cannot ask some officers of Parliament for information, such as an Ombudsman appointed under the Ombudsmen Act 1975, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, or the Controller and Auditor-General. When the reviewer asks for information, they must say what information they need, how they want it, and give a reasonable amount of time to provide it.

If you get a notice asking for information, you must give it to the reviewer unless it would hurt someone's privacy and that is more important than the reviewer's need for the information.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1004535.

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Environment and resources > Food and water safetyGovernment and voting > Local councilsGovernment and voting > Government departments
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342: Conduct of review, or

"How a review is done, following the Minister's rules and talking to the right people"

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344: Report, or

"A report is written after a review to tell what was found and what should happen next."

Part 5Miscellaneous provisions
Review of water services system

343Reviewer’s power to request information

  1. The reviewer may, by notice in writing, require any of the following entities to give the reviewer any information the reviewer considers necessary for conducting the review:

  2. a water service provider:
    1. a local authority:
      1. the trustees of a consumer trust:
        1. the Commerce Commission:
          1. the Water Services Authority:
            1. a relevant public service agency (as defined in section 10 of the Public Service Act 2020):
              1. a relevant statutory entity (as defined in section 10(1) of the Crown Entities Act 2004):
                1. any other relevant person or body.

                  1. However, the reviewer may not require the following officers of Parliament to give information under subsection (1):

                  2. an Ombudsman appointed under the Ombudsmen Act 1975:
                    1. the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment:
                      1. the Controller and Auditor-General.

                        1. A notice must specify—

                        2. the information required; and
                          1. the form in which the information must be given; and
                            1. a reasonable time for giving the information.

                              1. An entity that receives a notice must give the required information to the reviewer in accordance with the notice unless—

                              2. withholding the information is necessary to protect the privacy of a living individual; and
                                1. that necessity is not outweighed by the reviewer’s need for the information.

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