Access to Information

Your rights to access Council information are provided in the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (the GIPA Act).

Under the GIPA Act, there are four (4) different ways through which Council releases information; these are detailed below.

Open Access Information

Council is required by law to publicly release certain information on its website, unless there is an overriding public interest against doing so.

This information about Council has been compiled and made available on the Open Access Information page.

Proactive Release

If it is in the public interest, Council is authorised to release as much other information as possible, free of charge or at the lowest possible cost.

Council routinely identifies and proactively releases information on its website; this can include information of current and/or historical interest.

Informal Request

Council is authorised to release information without the need for a formal access application, subject to any reasonable conditions. Information not available on our website may be requested informally by contacting Council's Right to Information Officer.

Please note that the GIPA Act provides no statutory timeframe by which informal requests must be decided within. Council is not required to disclose government information pursuant to an informal request and is also not required to consider an informal request for government information.

Formal Release

If the information you seek cannot be accessed through any of the above means, a formal access application can be submitted to Council.

Upon receipt of a valid access application, Council must give the applicant notice of its decision within twenty (20) working days, although this timeframe can be extended under s57 of the GIPA Act. Processing charges at a rate of $30 per hour may also apply as part of deciding the application.

You can find out more about right to information and ways to access government information under the GIPA Act on the NSW Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) website. The IPC is an independent statutory authority responsible for overseeing the provisions of the GIPA Act. 

Council is committed to open, accountable and transparent government. A range of information is currently available on Council's website under the GIPA Act and Council will proactively publish more information on Council's website and improve the efficient release of information.