21 January 2025
45 Pipitea Street, Wellington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
dia.govt.nz
AHB
fyi-request-29524-
[email address]
Tēnā koe AHB
OIA request 24/25 0582 Request for Citizenship Ceremonies dates for 2025
Thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request received by the Department of Internal
Affairs (Department) on 11 December 2024.
You requested –
1.
I would like to request for all the Citizenship Ceremony dates for all city councils of North
Island from December 2024 to December 2025.
2.
I would also like to request what are the criteria and procedures for someone to attend a
ceremony in a place that is not where they usually live. Is there any supporting document
they need to provide?
For question two of your request, it may be helpful for me to explain, where information can be
freely provided without the need for collation or consultation, and the nature of the information
does not require considerations for withholding or refusal under the Official Information Act
(OIA), there is no need to action it as an OIA request.
After a discussion with our Ceremonies team, we have been advised that there is no specific
policy, and requests for applicants to attend a ceremony in a place in which they do not usually
live need to be considered individually.
If you could please em
ail [email address] with your request and reasons
they will be able to help.
In response to the remainder of your request, I can provide you with the following information.
Question one
As advised by email on the 19 December 2024, this portion of your request is not held by the
Department of Internal Affairs, but is believed to be held by, and more closely related to the
functions of North Island City and District Councils. Therefore, this portion of your request has
been transferred to North Island City and District Councils for response, in accordance with
section 14(b) of the Official Information Act 1982 and section 12(b) of the Local Government
Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA).
Transfers were made to the following North Island City and District Councils:
• Auckland City Council
• Carterton District Council
• Central Hawkes Bay District Council
• Far North District Council
• Gisborne District Council
• Hamilton City Council
• Hastings District Council
• Hauraki District Council
• Horowhenua District Council
• Hutt City Council
• Kaipara District Council
• Kapiti Coast District Council
• Kawerau District Council
• Manawatū District Council
• Masterton District Council
• Matamata-Piako District Council
• Napier City Council
• New Plymouth District Council
• Ōpōtiki District Council
• Otorohanga District Council
• Palmerston North City Council
• Porirua City Council
• Rangitikei District Council
• Rotorua Lakes Council
• Ruapehu District Council
• South Taranaki District Council
• South Waikato District Council
• South Wairarapa District Council
• Stratford District Council
• Tararua District Council
• Taupō District Council
• Tauranga City Council
• Thames/Coromandel District Council
• Upper Hutt City Council
• Waikato District Council
• Waipa District Council
• Wairoa District Council
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• Waitomo District Council
• Western Bay of Plenty District Council
• Whakatane District Council
• Whanganui District Council
• Whangarei District Council
I must advise the Auckland City Council refused the transfer as they have responded to a similar
request from March 2024 advising:
Auckland City Council is no longer permitted to release future ceremony dates to the public
due to security reasons. Three weeks before the date of the ceremony, the Department of
Internal Affairs will send invitations to applicants who have been approved for citizenship.
Applicants will be invited to attend the ceremony closest to the area they live in.
I understand Auckland City Council have also provided this refusal to you directly.
I can advise that Wellington City Council refused transfer as they advised they have recently
provided a response to you on the same matter.
You can expect to hear from the receiving local authorities shortly in response to your request.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, the Department has
decided to proactively release a copy of this response on its website. All requestor data,
including your name and contact details, will be removed prior to release. The released
response will be made available here:
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Official-Information-Act-
Requests-2.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Julia Taylor
Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Service Delivery and Operations
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