What really goes into a LGOIMA request?

You’ve probably heard the term LGOIMA plenty of times—but have you ever stopped to think about what’s actually involved in responding to an official information request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA)?

As it turns out, there’s quite a bit happening behind the scenes.

When a request for official information comes in under LGOIMA, we’re required to respond within 20 working days (unless an extension is justified under the Act). This isn’t just a guideline—it’s a statutory obligation, and we’re accountable for getting it right.

A core principle of LGOIMA is that information should be made available unless there’s a lawful reason to withhold it. That means every request needs to be carefully worked through. The Legal team assess the scope of the request and decide which team(s) to assign the request out to. Once the information has been gathered the Legal team carefully review all the material against the relevant withholding grounds and weigh up any public interest factors before making a decision. Decisions are subject to independent oversight by the Office of the Ombudsman, ensuring transparency and accountability.

We also have obligations under the Privacy Act 2020. Protecting personal information is critical, and the Privacy Commissioner provides oversight here. So, alongside openness, we need to be equally careful about safeguarding people’s privacy. Often, parts of documents need to be redacted.

All of this means responding to a LGOIMA request is much more than simply pulling together a few documents. It involves judgement, analysis, and a solid understanding of the legislation. Information must be checked to confirm it’s in scope, accurate, and answers the questions raised in a way that is clear, accessible, and appropriate for the requester.

There’s also a very real practical challenge behind the scenes: council information sits across different departments and a wide range of systems. Knowing where to find it—and how to interpret it—takes both coordination and strong organisational knowledge. It is not uncommon for multiple teams to be involved to make sure nothing is missed.

Currently we’re exploring how tools like AI might assist with this work. While AI can help locate and sort information more efficiently, it can’t replace the critical human judgement needed to apply the law and strike the right balance between openness and our privacy obligations.

So next time you hear “LGOIMA”, it’s worth remembering there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye—it’s rarely as straightforward as it sounds.