The Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the City of Port Phillip 
 
 
Important general advice for applicants 
 
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 generally doesn’t result in speedy decisions 
 
  Council processes Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) applications as quickly as possible. 
However, you may find the process to be slow. The reason the process may seem slow is due to the 
intricacies of the FOI Act and Council’s commitment to adhering correctly to the Act. This ensures 
that FOI applications are attended to properly and all affected parties are fairly treated. 
  Clarification of the terms of an application and the requirement for access charges to be paid can 
reset the ‘due date’ for Council’s decision on access to documentation. 
  Applications must be clear or they cannot be processed 
 
  An FOI application must be worded in a way that clearly identifies the requested document. 
Applications often need some work before they become valid under the FOI Act; Council’s FOI 
Officer is required to assist the applicant to clearly state which document is being sought. 
  Council must complete a thorough and diligent search 
 
  When an application becomes valid under the FOI Act, Council is required to complete a thorough 
and diligent search for each document that was requested. The discovered documentation is then 
considered for potential release in terms of the requirements of the FOI Act. 
  Access charges apply to FOI requests (in addition to the application fee) 
 
 
  The legislation requires that FOI applicants contribute to the cost of processing their FOI request by 
paying for search time and copying charges. 
  When access charges apply, Council notifies the FOI applicant as quickly as possible as to what the 
potential charges are likely to be. 
  The current access charges rates are as follows : 
Search fees 
$21.30 per hour or part thereof 
Copying Fees 
20 cents per black and white A4 page 
$1.00 per colour A4 page 
Other charges — including transcription and 
Reasonable costs incurred by the agency 
colour copying 
 
  Consultation with third parties is often required 
 
  Consultation is often required with third parties. For example, if a requested document contains 
information concerning someone else’s personal affairs, or if a document holds a business or 
commercial entity’s information, Council may be required to consult with the affected third party. 
  You may not receive the requested information 
 
  Council’s decision on access to a document must comply with the FOI Act. This means that some 
information may not be released to you. You have the right to request access to any Council 
document that is not already available to you by other means and Council endeavours to release as 
much information as possible, however you may not receive the requested information. 
  Appeal rights 
 
  Applicants have appeal rights. Depending on the nature of the appeal, it may be made to Victoria’s 
FOI Commissioner, or to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. 
  Affected third parties also have appeal rights against Council’s FOI decisions. Documents that are 
subject to appeal are not released to the FOI applicant until the appeal is resolved. 

---