As you would be aware, the Freedom of Information Act 1989 requires an agency to publish each six months in the Government Gazette an up-to-date summary of affairs.

The Acting Ombudsman has written to me recently requesting that consideration be given to whether publication of an agency's summary of affairs in the Gazette is the most effective way of publicising policy documents held by the agency.

Whilst I consider that it would be too onerous and costly for there to be a statutory requirement compelling all agencies to publish their summaries of affairs more widely than in the Gazette, I support the Acting Ombudsman's proposal that such information should be made as readily accessible as possible. Accordingly, I would appreciate it if all Ministers would encourage agencies within their portfolios to publish their FOI summaries of affairs in their annual reports and, where possible, on their websites on the Internet.

Bob Carr
Premier

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superseded by M2007-11