Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) provides you with a legal right to access documents held by the Glenelg Shire, with some Exemptions.  Documents you can request under FOI include:

  • documents about your personal affairs, regardless of the age of the documents
  • any other documents which were created on/after 1 January 1989.

The Act also gives you the right to request any incorrect, incomplete or misleading information we hold about you be amended or removed. 

How do I make a valid request?

You can make a request, or with written authorisation enable another person to make a request on your behalf (for example a solicitor).  Under section 17 of the FOI Act, a request must meet three requirements to be valid:

1. your request must be in writing

2. you must provide sufficient information about the documents you are requesting to enable us to identify and locate relevant documents

3. you must pay the application fee, or if payment of the application fee is going to cause you hardship you can request to waive the fee in full or in part.

How much will it cost?

The current Application Fee is $32.70.  This fee changes each new financial year.

Other fees and charges which may be incurred in accordance with the Freedom of Information Regulations 2014: 

Search charges  $24.50 per hour or part of an hour 
Supervised inspection of documents $24.50 per hour or to be calculated per 1/4 hour or part of a 1/4 hour 
 Photocopying A4 Black and White $0.30 

Other charges

  • transcription
  • access in a form other than photocopying
  • charge for providing a written document
  • charge for writing a written transcript of a tape
  Reasonable costs incurred by the agency

If the access charges are anticipated to exceed $50, we will write to you and confirm whether you wish to proceed with the request. There are instances where we will seek a deposit towards the charges. We will also suggest practical alternatives you could adopt in an effort to reduce the anticipated charges.

How long will it take?

We have 30 days from the date you make a valid request to provide you with a decision. However, we can extend this time by up to 15 days if we need to consult with third parties whose information may be contained in the requested documents. We may also extend this time by up to 30 days with your agreement. We will let you know if the timeframe changes.


Can I appeal a decision about my request?

If you are dissatisfied with a decision, you may apply for review by the Information Commissioner.

You must apply in writing within 28 days after you receive your decision letter, identifying the Glenelg Shire as the agency concerned and the decision to be reviewed. You should also provide an explanation of why you disagree with the decision. You may lodge your application by:

Email:  enquiries@ovic.vic.gov.au

Post:
Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
PO Box 24274
Melbourne VIC 3001
Fax: (03) 8684 7588

More information about reviews by the Information Commissioner, including a review application form to assist you in making your application, is available at www.ovic.vic.gov.au 

 

Complete the Form

2024-2025-Freedom-of-Information-Access-Request-Form.pdf(PDF, 830KB)

The completed form should be addressed to:

Email: enquiry@glenelg.vic.gov.au

Post: Freedom of Information Officer, 

Glenelg Shire Council,

PO Box 152, 

Portland Vic 3305.

 

 

Freedom of Information Part II Statement

Please refer to Council's 2024-2025 Glenelg Shire Council GSC Freedom of Information FOI Statement(PDF, 488KB)  which describes our powers and functions, the documents and information we keep and the ways you can get access to them.

 

Contact

Freedom Of Information Officer

 

Phone: 03 5522 2294

 

email: enquiry@glenelg.vic.gov.au

 

Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)

Visit the OVIC website for more information on how to complete a Freedom of Information Request.

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