Part 5: Whole-of-Government annual reporting

Freedom of Information

Decisions on open access

During 2020–21, we made 20 decisions to publish open access information. This includes the following material:

• ACT Ombudsman Annual Report for 2019–20
• Quarterly updates to the ACT Head of Service and key stakeholders (4 updates during the period)
• ACT Policing’s Administrative Framework for engagement with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community, Volumes 1 and 2
• Investigation into the administration of parole by ACT Corrective Services
• Report on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2016 for 2019–20
• Inspector of the ACT Integrity Commission Annual Report 2019–20
• Investigation into the transparency of commercial land valuation decisions in the ACT
• Ombudsman Guidelines – Open Access information
• Ombudsman Guidelines – Ombudsman Reviews
• Ombudsman Guidelines – Amending personal information
• Ombudsman Guidelines – Considering the public interest
• Ombudsman Guidelines – Dealing with access applications
• Ombudsman Guidelines – Informal Requests for Government Information
• July 2020: Child safe standards discussion paper
• Scatter Gun Complaints Policy – Managing complaints sent to multiple AMC oversight agencies, and
• Relationship Protocol between agencies responsible for the oversight of the AMC (amended).

We did not make any decisions to refuse to publish open access information or descriptions of open access information.

Access applications

The Office received 5 applications for release of information under the ACT FOI Act. Access was granted to all the information sought in one application. The decision in relation to 2 applications was to refuse access. In relation to one application, the decision was to partially release the information sought. In the other application, the Office did not hold the information requested.

Charges and application fees

The ACT FOI Act provides that information should be released at the lowest reasonable cost to applicants. We do not charge for information released under an access application made to the Office. In our oversight role, the Office does not charge any fees for Ombudsman review.

Human Rights

The Human Rights Act 2004 (the Human Rights Act) forms part of the legislative and policy framework relevant to the complaints we receive. The Human Rights Act provides protections for peoples’ civil and political rights and requires that agencies act consistently with those rights. When assessing a complaint, the Office considers whether the action or decision of an agency may engage one or more human rights.