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    Freedom of Information

    Whether you want to make a request under Freedom of Information (FOI), or just get an idea of costs and expected waiting times, we can help.

    Glen Eira City Council is currently processing a high number of Freedom of Information requests and related enquiries.

    This means that we may take longer than expected to get back to you.

     

    Prior to lodging an FOI request, we encourage you to contact us with a general enquiry at foi@gleneira.vic.gov.au. This will allow us to direct you to the most expedient pathway for accessing the information or documents that you are looking for.

     

    Thank you for your understanding and patience.

     

    Timeframes 

    If you are making an FOI request and you require documents by a particular date, please note that we cannot guarantee that you will receive a decision or the documents requested by that date. This may be because:

     

    • your request is not valid when we receive it, under section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic), in which case we may need to work with you to provide you with advice about how to pay the fee or clarify the scope of your request;
    • consultation with third parties may be required, and therefore the deadline for decision may be extended;
    • the documents are required to be withheld until the expiry of a third-party 60 day review period;  
    • processing your request would be a substantial and unreasonable diversion of Council’s resources and therefore we may decide that it cannot be processed under section 25A of the FOI Act;
    • the document is exempt from the access process set out in the FOI Act, and therefore, we are required to direct you to another process through which to access the documents. 

    If you are requesting documents for the purposes of legal proceedings and the documents are required urgently, we suggest that you explore options such as obtaining a subpoena in order to obtain the documents more expediently. 

     

    Use of AI 

    We understand that using artificial intelligence (AI) can make it easier to either write a Freedom of Information request or respond to any questions we may ask you as a part of the FOI process. For example, responding to a request for clarification. 

     

    If you are using an AI tool to assist you in making your FOI request or in responding to our correspondence, please ensure that your request or response is still clear and addresses relevant matters clearly and succinctly. This will assist in your request being processed more efficiently.  

    What is FOI?

    The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) (Act) gives you the right to access Glen Eira City Council documents, subject to exemptions. You also have the right to ask us to change or remove incorrect information about you. 

    In this context, documents can be: 

    • maps 

    • films 

    • microfiche 

    • photographs 

    • computer print outs 

    • tape recordings 

    • video tapes 

    • written documents 

    Are there other ways to access information?

    Yes, you can access some information without submitting an FOI request. See below:

    • As part of open and transparent decision-making, we maintain a range of documents and registers for publication or inspection by the public.
    • Some information may be available from us or under other laws, either with or without a charge.

    Our FOI officer can help you work out if you need to submit an FOI request.

    For more information, visit our Publication of information statement page.

    How to make a Freedom of Information request

    For a request to be valid under the Act, it must be:

    • in writing
    • accompanied by an application fee of $34.50
    • clear enough that we can identify the documents you want.

    You can submit a FOI request online or download and manually complete our FOI application form (DOCX, 102KB). 

    Email completed forms to foi@gleneira.vic.gov.au

    Mail completed forms to:

    Freedom of Information Officer
    Glen Eira City Council
    PO Box 2421 
    Caulfield Junction VIC 3161

    Fees and charges

    How to pay the application fee

    You can pay the $34.50 application fee:

    • over the phone with your credit card by calling 9524 3333
    • in person at our Service Centre, corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Caulfield.

    If you think the fee may cause you hardship, let us know and we may waive the fee.

    Are there any other fees?

    In addition to the application fee, we may pass on access charges of providing documents to you.

    Before processing a request, we will estimate the access charges. If the estimate is more than $70, we will ask if you want to proceed with your request, and ask for a deposit.

    How will you use my personal information?

    When you submit an FOI request, you provide your personal information, including your name and contact details. We collect this information to process your request which includes consultation with third parties from time to time depending on the nature of the request and Council’s legal obligation to consult.

    Please visit our Privacy page for more information.

    How long does it take?

    We must provide a decision in writing within 30 days after receiving a valid request.

    If we require a deposit, we must provide a decision in writing within 30 days of receiving the deposit.

    In some instances, we may need more time to process your request. If so, we will contact you and explain our reasons.

    Any more questions?

    If you have any more questions, email foi@gleneira.vic.gov.au or download our Frequently asked questions (PDF, 97KB).

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