Hon Peter Collier asks the Minister for the Environment for statistics on Freedom of Information applications processed by departments, agencies, and statutory authorities under her responsibility for the 2004 financial year. The Minister refers him to the Information Commissioner's Annual Report and website, noting that data is still being collated and clarifying the process for handling non-compliant applications.

AnsweredQoN 2162Legislative Council
Asked
23 June 2005
Portfolio
the Environment

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the Minister to the
Freedom of Information Act
for the financial year 2004 and ask for each Department, Agency and statutory authority under her ministerial responsibility -
(1) How many Freedom of Information applications were received?
(2) What is the average time taken to process a Freedom of Information application?
(3) How many Freedom of Information applications have been rejected?
(4) How many of these rejections have been successfully appealed?
(5) How many of these rejections are pending a decision of the Freedom of Information Commissioner?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
16 August 2005
Responded by
Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for the Environment
Response time
54 days
The Minister for the Environment; Science has provided the following response: (1) - (5) The Annual Reports of the Office of the Information Commissioner contains extensive statistical information on Freedom of Information applications to individual government agencies. Additional information, including the Commissioner's decisions, are available on that agency's website. Statistical information for the 2004-05 year is being, or will be, collated by each agency to submit to the Information Commissioner at the end of the financial year for inclusion in the Commissioner's 2004-05 Annual Report. It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
(1) - (5) The Annual Reports of the Office of the Information Commissioner contains extensive statistical information on Freedom of Information applications to individual government agencies. Additional information, including the Commissioner's decisions, are available on that agency's website. Statistical information for the 2004-05 year is being, or will be, collated by each agency to submit to the Information Commissioner at the end of the financial year for inclusion in the Commissioner's 2004-05 Annual Report. It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
Statistical information for the 2004-05 year is being, or will be, collated by each agency to submit to the Information Commissioner at the end of the financial year for inclusion in the Commissioner's 2004-05 Annual Report. It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
It should be noted that: · an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
· an FOI application is not 'rejected' by an agency, even when an application does not comply with the requirements of s 12 of the FOI Act the agency must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to change the application so that it complies with those requirements (see s 11(3)); and · there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.
· there is no requirement under the Act for a reason to be given for exceeding the 'average' time for processing.

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