This page is about a bill. That means that it's not the law yet, but some people want it to be the law. It could change quickly, and some of the information is just a draft.

Valuers Bill

Regulation of public valuers - Disciplinary powers of Board

37B: Board may order that inquiry be held in private and may prohibit publication of information relating to inquiry

You could also call this:

"The Board can hold a secret inquiry and stop people from sharing information about it."

The proposed law says the Board can decide to hold an inquiry in private. You might wonder why they would do this. It is because they think it is the right thing to do, considering the interests of the people involved and the public. The Board can make orders to keep some information secret. They can stop people from publishing reports about the inquiry. The Board can also stop people from publishing documents that are used in the inquiry. If someone wants to keep their name or personal information secret, the Board can make an order to stop this information from being published. When someone asks the Board to keep information secret, the Board hears this request in private. But the other people involved in the inquiry can still be there and have a say. If the Board decides to hold an inquiry in private, they can let some people attend if they have a good reason to be there. The Board's orders to keep information secret stay in place until they say otherwise or a certain time has passed. If someone breaks these orders without a good reason, they can get a fine of up to $3,000.

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This page was last updated on 30 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1450153.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Courts and legal helpRights and equality > Privacy

37A: Inquiry to generally be in public, or

"Inquiries are usually open to the public."

38: Valuer’s rights at inquiry, or

"A valuer's right to attend and speak at an inquiry about them"

Part 2Regulation of public valuers
Disciplinary powers of Board

37BBoard may order that inquiry be held in private and may prohibit publication of information relating to inquiry

If the Board is of the opinion that it is proper to do so, having regard to the interests of any person and to the public interest, it may, on its own motion or on the application of any party to the inquiry, make 1 or more of the following orders:
an order that the whole or any part of an inquiry must be held in private:
an order prohibiting the publication of any report or account of any part of an inquiry, whether held in public or in private:
an order prohibiting the publication of the whole or any part of any documents produced at an inquiry:
an order prohibiting the publication of the name or any particulars of the affairs of—
1. any person who is the subject of an inquiry; or
2. any other person.

An application to the Board under subsection (1) must be heard in private, but the other parties to the inquiry are entitled to be present and to make submissions with regard to the application.
If an inquiry is held in private, the Board may allow any particular person to attend the private inquiry if it is satisfied that the person has a special and proper interest in the matter to be heard.
Unless reversed or modified in respect of its currency by a Board of Appeal, an order made under subsection (1)(b) to (d) continues in force until the time that is specified in the order or, if no time is specified, until the Board, in its discretion, revokes it on the application of any party to the proceeding in which the order was made.
A person who, without reasonable excuse, breaches any order under subsection (1)(b) to (d) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000.