Opening up Government Data and Information

New Zealand has a strong history of open and transparent government that is internationally recognised.  One of the pillars of open and transparent government is open government data and information.

Evidence suggests that opening up this information for re-use has considerable and widespread benefits to government, industry and the public.  At the same time, technological and cultural advances also make it cheaper and easier to do.

The Open Government Information and Data Re-use Work Programme  is focusing on this pillar of open and transparent government. It is a collaborative programme with users, the open data community, and suppliers. We use the opennz wiki for discussion on the programme and policies. You can also email opendata@linz.govt.nz.

Content in this section

  • Open and Transparent Government

    Government has released a Declaration on open and transparent government in New Zealand. Read the joint announcement by the Minister of Finance and Minister of Internal Affairs here.This states that "Building on New Zealand’s democratic tradition, the government commits to actively releasing high value public data". Read the full Declaration here.

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  • Open Government Information and Data Work Programme

    The work programme aims to:

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  • Declaration on Open and Transparent Government

    The Declaration on Open and Transparent Government  was approved by Cabinet on 8 August 2011.  The Declaration states:Building on New Zealand’s democratic tradition, the government commits to actively releasing high value public data(1).The government holds data on behalf of the New Zealand public. We release it to enable the private and community sectors to use it to grow the economy, strengthen our social and cultural fabric, and sustain our environment. We release it to encourage business and community involvement in government decision-making.

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  • New Zealand Data and Information Management Principles

    On 8 August 2011 government approved new principles for managing the data and information it holds. These replace the 1997 Policy Framework for Government held Information. See Cabinet Minute CAB Min (11) 29/12.They have been developed to ensure high quality management of the information the government holds on the behalf of the public. While new language is used, the enduring concepts of the 1997 framework, in particular, quality, ownership, stewardship and custodianship, are retained.

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  • Open Data Case Studies

    In June 2011 a set of Open Government Data Mini-Case-Studies were prepared by Open New Zealand to support the Declaration on Open and Transparent Government and accompanying Cabi

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