Right to information

If you want to know more about a council service or decision, you should first check to see if that information is publicly available on Council’s website and if not, whether Council has an administrative scheme set up permitting release to you. If not, you may request information under the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act).

Under the RTI Act:

• you are able to apply to your council for access to any documents held by the council
• if you believe information held in local government records about your personal information is inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or out-of-date, you can apply to have the information changed.

You can contact your council to apply to its RTI coordinator on official forms or in writing explaining which documents are required.

The RTI Act encourages councils to release documents unless they contain information that is not in the public interest to disclose. The council’s RTI coordinator must provide you with reasons for refusing access to documents. If you are dissatisfied with the RTI coordinator’s decision on access to documents, you can either apply for a review of the decision to council (internal review) or to the Office of the Information Commissioner (external review). If you elect internal review but remain unsatisfied with that internal review decision, you can then seek external review by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

Charges do not apply to reviews or applications that are confined to your personal information. However, charges apply for access to non-personal documents. Charges also apply for photocopies of documents. An application fee must be paid whether you seek personal information or not.

You can find out more information at www.rti.qld.gov.au.