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Water Services Act 2021

Standards, enforcement, and other matters - Powers of compliance officers - Power to obtain information

108: Power to obtain information

You could also call this:

"Compliance officers can ask for and look at your records to check you are following the rules"

Illustration for Water Services Act 2021

You can be asked to give information to a compliance officer. They can look at your records and documents at a reasonable time. They can also make copies of these records. You might be asked to give the compliance officer some records or documents. They must give you a list of what they took within 10 working days. Some rules from the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 apply when a compliance officer is getting information. These rules are about keeping things private and confidential. A compliance officer can use their power to enter a place and inspect it to get information. They can do this under section 111. You cannot use this section to get around other laws that stop information from being available.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS374810.

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Part 3Standards, enforcement, and other matters
Powers of compliance officers: Power to obtain information

108Power to obtain information

  1. A compliance officer may, for the purpose of performing or exercising their functions or powers,—

  2. inspect, at all reasonable times, all records and documents of every description in the possession or control of a drinking water supplier that are required to be kept under this Act; and
    1. make copies of, or take extracts from, those records and documents; and
      1. direct any person who has possession or control of those records and documents to supply to the compliance officer, in any reasonable manner that the officer specifies, all or any of those records or documents; and
        1. take photographs, video recordings, and other visual images; and
          1. take audio sound recordings; and
            1. make electronic records.

              1. The compliance officer must, no later than 10 working days after directing a person to supply documents under this section, provide the person with an inventory of all documents taken.

              2. Subpart 5 of Part 4 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 (privilege and confidentiality) applies to anything done under this section.

              3. Nothing in this section limits any enactment that imposes a prohibition or restriction on the availability of any information.

              4. A compliance officer may use their power of entry and inspection under section 111 to obtain information under this section.

              Compare
              Notes
              • Section 108(5): inserted, on , by section 149 of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).