Hon Bill English
Minister of Finance

Hon Chris Tremain
Minister for Internal Affairs

Hon Maurice Williamson
Minister for Land Information

11 November 2013

NZ ranked 4th in Global Open Data

New Zealand has been ranked 4th in the 2013 Global Open Data Barometer, released in London by the World Wide Web Foundation and Open Data Institute.

“This is a real coup for New Zealand. The Barometer is the first survey of global trends which ranks 77 countries on how they release their public data and the benefits those initiatives have for citizens and the economy,” says Mr English.

“This is proof we are lifting the performance of the public sector through transparency and shared information. New Zealand was commended for its Declaration on Open and Transparent Government, its release of open data, in particular, maps, land ownership and census data and for regular reporting to Ministers.”

“The open government data work aligns with the Government’s better public service targets that New Zealand businesses have a one-stop online shop for all government support and can complete their transactions with the Government easily in a digital environment,” says Mr Tremain.

“The Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO) is leading this work through the ICT Strategy and Action Plan which was launched in June last year.”

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is a lead agency in terms of making public data available for reuse, innovation and enterprise.

“A great example of this is the internationally-acclaimed LINZ Data Service (LDS), which has set the benchmark for the release of public data and is a testament to the value of the Government’s open data programme and geospatial strategy,” says Mr Williamson.

“The Government is committed to meeting the changing needs of New Zealanders through digital technologies. However this does not mean all data is open and freely available. The key focus will remain on maintaining privacy and security for restricted information.”

For further information go to: http://www.opendataresearch.org/dl/odb2013/Open-Data-Barometer-2013-Global-Report.pdf

ENDS

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