Requesting information
People in New Zealand can request government information (official information) and can expect it to be made available unless there is a good reason to withhold it.
The Official Information Act 1982 (or OIA) enables citizens, permanent residents, visitors to New Zealand, and body corporates registered or with a place of business in New Zealand, to make a request for official information held by government agencies, including Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral.
Making a request
Your request should be as clear and specific as you can possibly make it. Before making a request please check our other sources of information listed below, and take into account the pressure on the MidCentral at present as a result of COVID-19.
You can contact us in a number of ways to request information:
- by email: hnzOIA@health.govt.nz
- by post: OIA Request, Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral, PO Box 2056, Palmerston North 4440
- by telephone: 06 350 8915
We would like:
- your name
- contact address (email or postal)
- details of the information you want.
We may ask you for more details.
If you make your request by phone or in person, we will either confirm it in writing ourselves or, if we’re not sure what you’re seeking, we may ask if you would mind putting it in writing.
Before making a request
Before making a request please check our other sources of information. You may find the information you require is already available as noted below.
Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral resources:
- Publications for copies of Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral annual reports, annual plans, quality account and other key publications
- About MidCentral for information about Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral
- Serious & Adverse Events for Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - MidCentral annual reports on adverse events
How long will it take?
We will acknowledge your request and are required by law to give you our decision on your request as soon as possible, and no later than 20 working days after we receive your request.
If we need more time to make our decision on your request, for example if you are requesting a lot of information, we will let you know and give you an idea of how long it will take. You can complain to the
Office of the Ombudsman if you are not happy with our decision to extend the time.
What does it cost?
Requesting official information is free, though we can charge a reasonable amount if it will take a lot of work to supply the information requested. There’s no charge for the first hour spent on your request or for the first 20 pages of photocopying.
What if I’m not satisfied?
You may wish to contact us in the first instance to see if we can resolve the issue.
- have concerns regarding the decision we made on your request
- are unhappy about the way your request was treated or processed.