On 19 October 2011, the Governor-General approved an amendment to the Administrative Arrangements Order transferring responsibilities for privacy and freedom of information policy from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Attorney-General’s Department. The Privacy and Freedom of Information Policy Branch within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has transferred to the Attorney-General’s Department as the Information Law and Policy Branch. Relevant parts of this webpage and its contents will shortly be updated and relocated to the website of the Attorney-General’s Department (www.ag.gov.au).
The Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 came into effect on 1 December 1982 and gives individuals a right to:
- see documents (including those containing personal information about themselves) held by federal government ministers, their departments and most statutory authorities;
- ask for information concerning them to be changed, if it is incomplete, out of date, incorrect or misleading; and
- appeal against a decision not to grant access to a document or amend or annotate a personal record.
The FOI Act also requires federal government agencies to make available detailed information about the way they are organised, their functions and decision-making processes and the documents they hold.
- Freedom of Information Act 1982
- Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations
- Freedom of Information (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1982
For further information about the FOI Act, see FOI Questions and Answers.
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