2004-2005 Freedom Of Information Request Statistics
The Freedom of Information Act 1989 was enacted to assist in making information held by Government agencies available to the public.The Council is an agency for the purposes of the Act.The Act contains provision for the exemption of some documents from access and Council needs to take these into account when processing Freedom of Information applications.Council is required to consult with persons who may consider a document is an exempt document under the relevant section of the Act.
Documents affecting personal affairs and documents affecting business affairs are the sections most commonly relied upon by affected parties when claiming exemptions.
Any enquiries in relation to Freedom of Information applications may be addressed to Council’s Freedom of Information Officer, Mr Craig Dalli on 9839 6418 or Council’s Governance Services Co Ordinator, Mr Ken Marsh, on 9839 6431.
SECTION A - NUMBER OF NEW FOI REQUESTS
|
FOI Requests |
Personal |
Other |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
A1 New (inc transferred in) A2 Brought forward |
12 - |
15 1 |
27 1 |
14 1 |
|
A3 Total to be processed |
12 |
16 |
28 |
15 |
|
A4 Completed A5 Transferred out A6 Withdrawn |
12 - - |
14 - 1 |
26 - 1 |
10 3 1 |
|
A7 Total processed |
12 |
15 |
27 |
14 |
|
A8 Unfinished (carried forward) |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
SECTION B - WHAT HAPPENED TO COMPLETED REQUESTS?
|
FOI Requests |
Personal |
Other |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
B1 Granted in full B2 Granted in part B3 Refused B4 Deferred |
6 4 2 - |
6 1 7 - |
12 5 9 - |
5 4 1 - |
|
B5 Completed |
12 |
14 |
26 |
10 |
SECTIONC - MINISTERIAL CERTIFICATES
|
2004/2005 |
2003/2004 | |
|
C1 Ministerial Certificates issues |
Nil |
Nil |
|
C2 Total Processed |
Nil |
Nil |
SECTION D - FORMAL CONSULTATION
|
Issued |
Issued |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
D1 Number of requests requiring formal consultation(s) |
7 |
3 |
SECTION E - AMENDMENT OF PERSONAL RECORDS
|
Result of Amendment Request |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
E1 Result of amendment - agreed E2 Result of amendment - refused |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
|
E3 Total |
Nil |
Nil |
SECTION F - NOTATION OF PERSONAL RECORDS
|
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 | |
|
F1 Number of requests for notation |
Nil |
Nil |
|
F2 Total |
Nil |
Nil |
SECTION G - FOI REQUESTS GRANTED IN PART OR REFUSED
|
Basis of Disallowing or Restricting Access |
Personal |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
G1 Section 19 (application incomplete, wrongly directed) G2 Section 22 (deposit not paid) G3 Section 25(1)(a) (diversion of resources) G4 Section 25(1)(a) (exempt) G5 Section 25(1)(b)(c)(d) (otherwise available) G6 Section 28(1)(b) (documents not held) G7 Section 24(2) - deemed refused, over 21 Days G8 Section 31(4) (released to Medical Practitioner) |
- - - 6 - - - - |
- - - 10 2 2 - - |
- 1 1 2 - 1 - - |
|
G9 Totals |
6 |
14 |
5 |
SECTION H - COSTS AND FEES OF REQUESTS PROCESS
|
Accessed Costs |
FOI Fees Received 2004/2005 |
FOI Fees Received 2003/2004 | |
|
H1 All completed requests |
$2,135 |
$580 |
SECTION I - DISCOUNTS ALLOWED
|
Type of Discount Allowed |
Personal |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
I1 Public interest I2 Financial hardship - Pensioner/Child I3 Financial hardship - Non profit organisation |
- 1 - |
- 1 - |
- - - |
|
I4 Totals |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
I5 Significant correction of personal records |
- |
- |
- |
SECTION J - DAYS TO PROCESS
|
Elapsed Time |
Personal |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
J1 0 - 21 days J2 22 - 35 days J3 Over 35 days |
11 1 - |
23 3 - |
6 3 1 |
|
J4 Totals |
12 |
26 |
10 |
SECTION K - PROCESSING TIME
|
Processing Hours |
Personal |
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 |
|
K1 0 - 10 hours K2 11 - 20 hours K3 21 - 40 hours K4 Over 40 hours |
11 1 - - |
23 2 - 1 |
10 - - - |
|
K5 Totals |
12 |
26 |
10 |
SECTION L - REVIEWS AND APPEALS
|
Total 2004/2005 |
Total 2003/2004 | |
|
L1 Number of internal reviews finalised |
2 |
- |
|
L2 Number of Ombudsman reviews finalised |
1 |
- |
|
L3 Number of District Court appeals finalised |
- |
- |
DETAILS OF INTERNAL REVIEW RESULTS
|
Bases of Internal Review |
Personal |
Other 2004/2005 |
Other 2003/2004 | |||
|
Grounds on which Internal Review requested |
Upheld * |
Varied * |
Upheld * |
Varied * |
Upheld * |
Varied * |
|
L4 Access refused L5 Deferred L6 Exempt matter L7 Unreasonable charges L8 Charge unreasonably incurred L9 Amendment refused |
1 - - - - - |
- - - - - - |
- - 1 - - - |
- - - - - - |
- - - - - |
- - - - - - |
|
L10 Totals |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
*NOTE: Relates to whether or not the original agency decision was upheld or varied by the internal review.
REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION - OTHER LEGISLATION.
It should be noted that the above statistics do not accurately reflect the level of requests for information processed by Council under legislation other than the Freedom of Information Act 1989.
Under the Local Government Act 1993 and other associated legislation, Council is required to allow free inspection of the current version of specified documents.
While this legislation provides for free inspection, it also allows for copies of documents to be taken on receipt of a reasonable copy cost.
Blacktown City Council commenced a system to track all requests for information/copies of documents in November 2003. For the year 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005, 948 applications were processed.