Better health and ageing for all Australians

Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation and the Information Publication Scheme (IPS)

This page provides information about the FOI Act, how to make an FOI request, charges, and contacts for further information.

In this section:

The 2010-11 reforms to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) have established the OAIC Information Publication Scheme (IPS) for relevant Australian Government agencies.
The IPS commences on 1 May 2011 and requires agencies to publish a broad range of information on their websites, and to make it available for downloading where possible. The IPS will enhance the amount of government information that is available to the public and underpin a pro-disclosure culture across government. As part of this, agencies are also required to publish an Agency Plan to explain how they intend to implement the IPS
DoHA's Information Publication Scheme

Purpose of Freedom of Information (FOI)

The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 , (“the FOI Act”) is to give members of the public rights of access to information held by the Government of the Commonwealth and of its agencies.

Making a Freedom of Information (FOI) request

The request must:
    • be made in writing;
    • state that the request is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act;
    • provide enough information to DoHA to clearly identify the documents sought.
To make an FOI request, download and complete the request for access to documents under Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (RTF 69 KB)

FOI requests should be sent to:
By post:
Freedom of Information Coordinator
FOI Unit
Department of Health and Ageing
GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Or
Email FOI (foi@health.gov.au)

Charges

The FOI Act provides that charges may be imposed for processing FOI requests.
DoHA may decide to reduce or not impose charges for any reason, including where the applicant can establish grounds of financial hardship or general public interest.
Cheques and money orders are to be made payable to Department of Health and Ageing.

Contacts and further information

If you would like further information about making a Freedom of Information request, please contact the FOI Unit on +61 2 6289 1666 or by email to foi@health.gov.au
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) website provides useful information about the FOI process, publications and resources.