Information about reviews and complaints under the
Freedom of Information Act
What should I do prior to applying for internal review or contacting the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner?
Before you apply for an internal review or contact the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner, we recommend that you telephone the officer who made the FOI
decision. It is often possible to resolve concerns or answer your questions using this
approach and, if not, the officer wil be able to assist you in applying for review.
How do I apply for internal review to the AAT?
You can apply to us for an internal review of the FOI decision. The application for
internal review must be made within 30 days or such further period as we allow, after the
day the decision is notified to you. To apply for an internal review you must do so in
writing. You may also wish to explain why you are not satisfied with the decision. A
different and more senior officer authorised under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(the FOI Act) wil conduct the internal review and make a new decision within 30 days
after receipt of your application.
If you have already applied for internal review and want to seek a further review of that
decision, you wil need to apply to the Australian Information Commissioner.
How do I apply for review to the Australian Information Commissioner?
You may also apply directly to the Australian Information Commissioner for review of the
FOI decision. The application for review must be made within 60 days after the day
notice of the decision was given. An application for review must be in writing, include
details of how notices in relation to the review are to be sent to you and include a copy
of the decision. You may also wish to explain why you are not satisfied with the decision.
An online application form is available on the Of ice of the Australian Information
Commissioner’s website, details of which are provided below.
What if I want to make a complaint about the handling of a Freedom of
Information request?
If you have a complaint about the way in which we have processed your request for
access under the FOI Act you can ask the Australian Information Commissioner to
investigate. An online complaint form is available on the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner’s website, details of which are provided below.
Where can I find further information or contact details for the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner?
Further information is available on the Of ice of the Australian Information
Commissioner’s website at
www.oaic.gov.au and you can contact the office on 1300 363
992 or by email at
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx..
FOI 2 (July 2016)
Document Outline
