Premier & Cabinet

Type:
Department of Premier and Cabinet Circular
Identifier:
C2010-38
Status:
Archived

C2010-38 Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 - Publication Guides

Description

Keypoints

  • The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 commenced on 1 July 2010.
  • All agencies are reminded that they must publish their Publication Guides by 1 January 2011.
  • Draft Publication Guides must be submitted to the Information Commissioner for consideration before publication.

Detailed Outline

The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, which replaced the Freedom of Information Act, has been in operation since 1 July 2010.

The Act requires, among other things, that all government agencies adopt and publish a Publication Guide that:

  • describes the structure and functions of the agency,
  • describes the ways in which the functions (including, in particular, the decisionmaking functions) of the agency affect members of the public,
  • specifies any arrangements that exist to enable members of the public to participate in the formulation of the agency's policy and the exercise of the agency's functions,
  • identifies the various kinds of government information held by the agency,
  • identifies the kinds of government information held by the agency that the agency makes (or will make) publicly available,
  • specifies the manner in which the agency makes (or will make) government information publicly available, and
  • identifies the kinds of information that are (or will be) made publicly available free of charge and those kinds for which a charge is (or will be) imposed.

Under section 21 of the GIPA Act, all Government agencies were given six months to adopt and publish their Publication Guide. The deadline is 1 January 2011.

The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) publishes a register identifying which agencies have submitted their Publication Guide to the OIC as required by the GIPA Act. A copy of the register is available on the OIC's website.

All CEOs should take all necessary steps to ensure that their agency's Publication Guide is published before 1 January 2011 in accordance with the requirements of the GIPA Act.

Brendan O’Reilly
Director General

Which agencies does this Circular apply to?
All NSW public sector agencies.

Overview

Compliance

Not Mandatory

AR Details

Date Issued
Dec 3, 2010
Review Date
Dec 3, 2015
Replaces
Replaced By

Contacts

Contact
Contact us
Phone
02 9228 5555
Publishing Entity
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Issuing Entity
Department of Premier and Cabinet