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Home > Council Information > Access to Information > Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
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Access to Information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act)
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From 1 July 2010, the new Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) will replace the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW), bringing about the biggest change to rights to government information in New South Wales in 20 years.
Council is committed to being transparent, open and accountable and will proactively release more information to the public. Council is currently developing its first Publication Guide. It will describe Council’s structure, functions and what types of information Council makes publicly available on its website. It will replace Councils Statement of Affairs 2009. Alternatively if have any questions in regard to the types of Council information you can access please refer to Councils Access to Information Guidelines | Access to Information Application Forms |
To access non-contentious Council information you can submit the Access to Information Application Form - Informal and to
access information of a contentious nature you can submit the Access to Infomation Application - Formal. Any associated fess with regards to information requests can be found in Council’s fees and charges.
The NSW Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) is an independent statutory authority.
The OIC promotes awareness of the new law, provides assistance and training to government agencies and the public, and handles complaints. We have developed a comprehensive range of resources to help members of the public to understand their rights under the new system. You can read more information about your rights under the act on the OIC's website: www.oic.nsw.gov.au
| How to Access Council's Information |
Council proactively releases a range of information on our website and in other accessible formats. The right to information reforms mean that formal applications for access to information should be a last resort. To access Council's information: • search the Council’s website, to see if it is already available • contact Council's Customer Service Team on (02) 49349700 or email mcc@maitland.nsw.gov.au and ask for the information and Council will decide whether the information you want: – is open access information that is readily available. If it is, they should tell you where and how you can get the information. – should be made available as part of a ‘proactive release’ of information. – can be disclosed to you through ‘informal release’, for example where no third party personal information is involved. – requires a ‘formal access application’, for example because consultation with a third party is required. Fees If you request a copy of information held by Council, Council may charge a fee to cover photocopying, for certain types of requests Council has an authority to charge a fee. Please refer to Council’s fees and charges for more information.
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