Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 1992 gives the public the right to apply for access to documents held by Catalina Regional Council (CRC) (subject to some limitations). It is an individual’s responsibility to ensure that personal information held by CRC is accurate, complete, and up to date.

 Documents accessible under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) include (but are not limited to):

• Paper records;
• Maps, plans and drawings;
• Electronic records including emails.

 Access rights do not apply to documents that are already publicly available.

 While the FOI Act provides a general right of access to documents, it also recognises some documents require a level of protection; specifically, those documents that meet the exemption criteria in Schedule 1 of the Act, which includes (but is not limited to):

• Personal information that identifies a third party;
• Information concerning trade secrets;
• Information of commercial value;
• Any documents, which if released, would have a detrimental effect on the functioning of Catalina Regional Council or would harm the interests of private individuals or commercial organisations.

Information statement and application process

 Part 5 of the FOI Act requires Catalina Regional Council to prepare and publish an Information Statement which includes:

• The CRC’s mission statement;
• Details of legislation administered by CRC;
• Details of CRC’s structure and functions;
• Details of decision-making functions of CRC;
• Opportunities for public participation in the formulation of policy and performance of CRC's functions;
• Documents held by CRC;
• The operation of FOI at CRC.

Click here to download FOI Statement.

Click here to download FOI Application Form.