The Official Information Act 1982 allows people to request access to information held by: Ministers of the Crown, Government Departments and organisations, State-owned Enterprises, Crown Health Enterprises, Educational Institutions, including Boards of Trustees.

This website provides free public access to up-to-date unofficial versions of New Zealand Acts (Acts of Parliament), Bills (proposed Acts), and Regulations (properly called Statutory Regulations). Links to Deemed Regulations are also provided (the Deemed Regulations themselves are not hosted on the website). The website also provides Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs, a type of proposed amendment to a Bill).

The purpose of law about official information is: to increase the availability of official information in order to promote good government and to protect official information where necessary in the public interest or to preserve personal privacy.