Freedom of Information

Introduction

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act), members of the public can seek access to documents and files held by the Department. The object of the FOI Act is to 'extend as far as possible the right of the Australian community to access to information in the possession of the Government of the Commonwealth'.

The FOI Act aims to achieve this objective by:

• ensuring that information about Commonwealth agency operations is available to the public,
• giving any member of the public a general and legally enforceable right of access to information held by Ministers and agencies, limited only by specific exemptions and exceptions outlined in the FOI Act, and
• creating a means of amending incorrect, incomplete or misleading information about individuals that is held by Commonwealth agencies.

How to make a Freedom of Information application

Applications for access to documents do not need to be in a specific format or on a special form, but must:

• be made in writing,
• provide enough information to enable the Department to identify the documents being sought,
• specify an address within Australia to which notices can be sent, and
• be accompanied by a $30 application fee.

Please give as much information as you can about the documents you want (for example, give a file number, a reference to a press report about the topic or describe the subject matter in which you are interested). Although you are not obliged to provide a telephone number or email address, it can be useful if officers of the Department wish to contact you regarding your request.

Applications should be sent to:

The FOI Officer
Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
GPO Box 2154
CANBERRA ACT 2601

The Department will also accept applications made by way of facsimile (to 02 6271 1012) or email (to foi@dbcde.gov.au), provided the relevant fee is subsequently forwarded to the Department. Cheques and money orders should be made payable to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and sent to the above address.

An applicant may seek remission of the application fee at the time of making a request. In such a case, processing of the request is only undertaken once either the application fee is remitted by the decision-maker, or if the fee is not remitted, the applicant pays the fee.

Fees and charges

In addition to the application fee, further charges for processing an FOI request may apply. The Department may decide to remit, reduce or not impose fees and charges for any reason, including financial hardship or general public interest, if such grounds can be established by the applicant.

Further information

Please note that processing an FOI request can take some time, particularly where a large number of documents are sought. If you seek documents containing information about a person, company or organisation other than yourself, the Department is required to consult those third parties before a decision is made.

You may not obtain access to all the documents you seek, because some documents may be exempt from release under the FOI Act.

Further information about the way the Department is organised, its powers, the kinds of decisions made within the Department, arrangements for public involvement in work of the Department, and the documents held by the Department, is set out in Appendix 6 of the 2008-09 Annual Report

How to contact the FOI Officer

The Department's FOI Officer can be contacted on (02) 6271 1741 or by email at foi@dbcde.gov.au if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request.