Applying for Access to Information
Applying for access
Requests for access to documents under Right to Information (RTI) and Information Privacy (IP) legislation exclude documents that are already available via other means.
For example, minutes of Rockhampton Regional Council are readily available public documents, which can be accessed by the community. So before making a formal Right to Information application, check Council's website or contact Council about the location of information.
For documents that are not available, via other avenues of access, applications need to be made in writing by lodging an Information Access Application.
An Information access application can either be made:
Where an application is made in writing, to ensure compliance - the following information must be included:
- Applicant name and contact details
- Agency identification - Name of the Government department, agency or Minister from whom you are requesting the information
- Specify the information sought
- Subject matter
- Relevant reference numbers
- Types of documents (if known)
- Date or time period of the document/s
The completed application must be addressed and forwarded to:
RTI Officer
Rockhampton Regional Council
PO Box 1860
Rockhampton QLD 4700
Email: enquiries@rrc.qld.gov.au
All applications must clearly identify the specific documents requested or provide sufficient information about the documents, to enable the RTI Officer to identify the documents being sought. The Right to Information Fact Sheet(PDF, 457KB) has further details about making a Right to Information access application.
To find out more about Right to Information, visit the Queensland Government website.
Fees and charges for accessing information
Access to documents that are not related to an individual's personal information will incur an application fee and possibly processing charges, for each 15 minutes or part thereof, if the time spent dealing with the application is more than 5 hours.
An access charge of $0.25 will be incurred for each black and white copy of an A4 document.
No application fee or processing charges are incurred for access to documents or parts of documents that relate to an individual's personal information, but access charges may be payable. Examples of personal information are described below. However, documents which contain both personal information and non-personal information will incur an application fee and processing and access charges as detailed above.
What is personal information?
Under the Information Privacy Act 2009, personal information is defined in Section 12 as:
"information or an opinion, including information or an opinion forming part of a database, whether true or now, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion"
Key Elements of the Definition
- Information or opinion - it doesn't matter whether its true or false
- Form - it can be written, spoken, photographic, electronic or any other form
- Identifiability - The person must be identifiable or reasonably able to be identified from the information
Examples of Personal Information
- a person's name, address, phone number or email address;
- a photograph or video of a person;
- Medical records or health information;
- Religious beliefs, sexual orientation or political opinions;
- Membership in trade unions, professional body or association
- Employment history or educational records;
- Audio recordings or sign language communications that identify a person
The definition is fairly broad - but it includes any information that can reasonably identify a person, even if it is not explicitly about them.