The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) published the Chief Ombudsman’s final opinion following an inquiry into complaints about the RBNZ’s handling of Official Information Act (OIA) requests relating to former Governor Adrian Orr’s departure, and said it will release a timeline of events covered by information previously withheld. After reviewing the withheld material, the Chief Ombudsman requested publication of the timeline but did not require the release of any additional documents or other information. The opinion also provided guidance on the different grounds for withholding information and how the public interest should be assessed. RBNZ Board Chair Professor Neil Quigley said the bank concluded its approach to the OIA requests was reasonable and met the overall public interest, while acknowledging its responses were late.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand 2025-08-27
Reserve Bank of New Zealand to release timeline on former Governor Adrian Orr’s departure after Chief Ombudsman OIA inquiry
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) published the Chief Ombudsman’s final opinion on its handling of Official Information Act requests related to former Governor Adrian Orr’s departure, agreeing to release a timeline of events. The Ombudsman did not mandate further document releases but offered guidance on information withholding and public interest assessment, with RBNZ affirming its approach as reasonable despite delayed responses.