Official Information Requests

Guide to Information Requests

Southland District Council holds a variety of information, and under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, information is to be made available unless there is a good reason to withhold it. It can be only withheld for reasons set down in the Act.

Most information you want is available through our Customer Services Officers. They will help you obtain this information, but if you want a lot of information, it may not be readily available or there may be reasons to withhold some or all of it. We will work with you to help you apply for it under the appropriate Act and if the information is not held by us, we will help you find the appropriate agency.

What information does Council hold?

  • Agendas and minutes of meetings
  • Property files containing information relevant to each property
  • Roading files
  • Subdivision plans
  • Drainage agreements
  • Rating records
  • Building permits specifications
  • Various maps
  • Plans of water, sewerage and stormwater systems

How do I access this information?

Contact the Council and ask for the specific information you want. We need to answer your request within 20 working days so we need to know what you are looking for and your contact address and phone number. For personal information we will need proof of your identity to ensure we do not give your information to someone else.

There is no charge for personal information under the Privacy Act, but sometimes there may be a charge under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

Sometimes infomation will be withheld by Council, and staff will tell you why and how you can contact the Ombudsman's Office or Privacy Commissioner if you are not happy with the decision.

For further information, click here to go to the Ombudsman's Office's website or here to go to the Privacy Commissioner's website.

About this page

First added: 24 March 2009
Last updated: 28 April 2009

Who to contact

If you would like to discuss a matter on this page, feel free to contact us:

Southland District Council
P.O. Box 903
Invercargill 9840
Phone: 0800 732 732
Fax: 0800 732 329
emailsdc@southlanddc.govt.nz