FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982 - SECT 27
Consultation--business documents
Scope
(1)
This section applies if:
(a)
a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document containing
information ( business information ) covered by subsection (2) in respect of a
person, organisation or undertaking; and
(b)
it appears to the agency or Minister that the person, organisation or proprietor
of the undertaking (the person or organisation concerned ) might reasonably
wish to make a contention (the exemption contention ) that:
(i)
the document is exempt under section 47 (trade secrets etc.); or
(ii)
the document is conditionally exempt under section 47G (business
information) and access to the document would, on balance, be
contrary to the public interest for the purposes of subsection 11A(5).
Note: Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would be
contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
(2)
This subsection covers the following information:
(a)
in relation to a person--information about the person's business or professional
affairs;
(b) in relation to an organisation or undertaking--information about the business,
commercial or financial affairs of the organisation or undertaking.
(3)
In determining, for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), whether the person or
organisation concerned might reasonably wish to make an exemption contention
because of business information in a document, the agency or Minister must have
regard to the following matters:
(a)
the extent to which the information is well known;
(b)
whether the person, organisation or undertaking is known to be associated with
the matters dealt with in the information;
(c)
the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources;
(d)
any other matters that the agency or Minister considers relevant.
Opportunity to make submissions
(4)
The agency or Minister must not decide to give access to the document unless:
(a)
the person or organisation concerned is given a reasonable opportunity to
make submissions in support of the exemption contention; and
(b)
the agency or the Minister has regard to any submissions so made.
(5)
However, subsection (4) only applies if it is reasonably practicable for the agency or
Minister to give the person or organisation concerned a reasonable opportunity to
make submissions in support of the exemption contention, having regard to all the
circumstances (including the application of subsections 15(5) and (6) (time limits for
processing requests)).
Notice of decision to give access
(6)
If the agency or Minister decides to give access to the document, the agency or
Minister must give written notice of the decision to both of the following:
(a)
the person or organisation concerned;
(b)
the applicant.
Access not to be given until review or appeal opportunities have run out
(7)
However, the agency or Minister must not give the applicant access to the document
unless, after all the opportunities of the person or organisation concerned for review
or appeal in relation to the decision to give access to the document have run out, the
decision to give access still stands, or is confirmed.
Note 1:
The decision to give access to the document is subject to internal review (see
Part VI), review by the Information Commissioner (see Part VII) and review by the
Tribunal (see Part VIIA).
Note 2:
For when all opportunities for review or appeal in relation to the decision to give
access to the document have run out , see subsection 4(1).
Notice and stay of decision not to apply unless submission made in support of exemption
contention
(8) Subsections (6) and (7) do not apply unless the person or organisation concerned makes a
submission in support of the exemption contention as allowed under paragraph (4)(a).
Edited copies and business information
(9)
This section applies:
(a)
in relation to an edited copy of a document--in the same way as it applies to
the document; and
(b)
in relation to a document containing business information--to the extent to
which the document contains such information.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982 - SECT 47G
Public interest conditional exemptions--business
(1) A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would disclose
information concerning a person in respect of his or her business or professional affairs
or concerning the business, commercial or financial affairs of an organisation or
undertaking, in a case in which the disclosure of the information:
(a)
would, or could reasonably be expected to, unreasonably affect that person
adversely in respect of his or her lawful business or professional affairs or that
organisation or undertaking in respect of its lawful business, commercial or
financial affairs; or
(b)
could reasonably be expected to prejudice the future supply of information to
the Commonwealth or an agency for the purpose of the administration of a law
of the Commonwealth or of a Territory or the administration of matters
administered by an agency.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to trade secrets or other informati
on to which section 47
applies.
(3) Subsection (1) does not have effect in relation to a request by a person for access to a
document:
(a)
by reason only of the inclusion in the document of information concerning that
person in respect of his or her business or professional affairs; or
(b)
by reason only of the inclusion in the document of information concerning the
business, commercial or financial affairs of an undertaking where the person
making the request is the proprietor of the undertaking or a person acting on
behalf of the proprietor; or
(c)
by reason only of the inclusion in the document of information concerning the
business, commercial or financial affairs of an organisation where the person
making the request is the organisation or a person acting on behalf of the
organisation.
(4) A reference in this section to an undertaking includes a reference to an undertaking that
is carried on by:
(a)
the Commonwealth or a State; or
(b)
an authority of the Commonwealth or of a State; or
(c)
a Norfolk Island authority; or
(d)
a local government authority.
(5) For the purposes of subsection (1), information is not taken to concern a person in
respect of the person's professional affairs merely because it is information concerning
the person's status as a member of a profession.
Note: Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would be
contrary to the public interest (see
section 11A).