The Otago Daily Times sought the information about the salaries of the regional executive management team pre and post restructure, but chief executive Brian Rousseau had expressed concern about releasing information in the form of bands because some of the positions identified had only very limited numbers of employees in each band.
The Office of the Ombudsmen advised this month that it was now required to consult the Privacy Commissioner in relation to the merits of the board refusing the request.
Mr Rousseau's salary band is released each year in the board's annual report.
The Otago Daily Times has pointed out to the Office of the Ombudsmen that there may be some inconsistency about the giving out of information on salaries, citing a case where the salary band of a lower level employee was given in a public setting.
It noted that in response to a question by the parliamentary health select committee last year about how many public relations and/or communications staff and contractors/consultants the board employed, it answered that it employed one staff member and gave the salary range - between $70,000 and $80,000.
