Making an OIA Request
In New Zealand, you can request government information (official information) and can expect it to be made available unless there is a good reason to withhold it.
Many aspects of the work we do are subject to the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). You are entitled to request information from us under the OIA.
Information relating to the BSA’s functions as a tribunal, namely the process of making decisions on complaints, is not ‘official information’ under the OIA, so we do not release this type of information.
Before you make a request
Check if the information is already available on this site. The BSA wishes to promote openness and transparency and to foster public trust and confidence by proactively releasing official information on our website where appropriate. We generally publish:
- Decisions on complaints: All BSA decisions dating back to 1989 are included.
- Annual Reports: Our Annual Reports also have details of complaints determined each year.
- Statements of Intent / Statements of Performance Expectations: These set out our strategic intentions and what we undertake to complete each year.
- Chief Executive expenses.
- Research reports: We commission and publish research relevant to the broadcasting sector and the BSA’s decision making, including testing community attitudes to standards issues.
Making a request
If the information you are looking for is not publicly available on our website, you can make an OIA request.
Requesting information
Please send your OIA request by email to: info@bsa.govt.nz or by post to: Broadcasting Standards Authority, PO Box 9213, Wellington 6141.
Make sure you include the following details:
- your name
- your email address or postal address
- specific details of the information you are seeking.
Further assistance
Making an official information request
Guide to making OIA requests produced by the Ombudsman.
See the Directory of Official Information to make sure you are looking for your information in the right place.
Our response
We will respond as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 20 working days after we receive your request. The OIA allows for extensions in certain circumstances. We will let you know if we need an extension.
The Act allows us to withhold information for specific reasons. If we do this we will explain why. You can find out more about withholding information in sections 6, 9 and 18 of the Act.
We are sometimes unable to disclose information under section 2(6)(b) where the BSA is acting in relation to its judicial functions as a Tribunal. Information relating to the process of making decisions on complaints is not considered ‘official information’ under the Act.
What if I am not satisfied?
Contact us first to see if we can resolve the issue. You can also make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Publishing responses
From 1 February 2019 the BSA may proactively release information in accordance with the Government’s commitment to the Open Government Partnership National Action Plan. This includes publishing our responses to requests for information under the OIA.
Our responses to OIA requests may be published below around one working week after the requestor has received their response. Our reply letter to the requestor explains what information, if any, has been withheld under the OIA and under which grounds. Generally we will not publish private or confidential information, or information that may impact the rights or interests of third parties.
The requestor's name and address will be removed where the requestor is a natural person.
We will not publish certain information, including:
- any person’s personal information, including the requester’s
- confidential information
- information requests that are not in the public interest
- information we have decided to withhold on OIA grounds
- information which is unsuitable for proactive release.
We reserve the right to decide which responses we will publish and why.
We will keep responses on this page for 12 months after release and then may remove them.