The Freedom of Information Act 1982 gives the public a legal right to see Council documents created after 1 January 1989 and also any personal documents relating to individuals (regardless of how long they have been held).
Any individual or organisation can make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). Please note charges apply for FOI requests - see table below.
How to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request
To submit a Freedom of Information request, please complete the below online form.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Form
What you can access
You have a right to apply for access to documents that are held by Council in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
This includes:
- Documents created by Council
- Documents supplied to Council by external organisations or individuals
You can apply for access to:
- Documents about your personal affairs, regardless of the age of the document
- Documents of a non-personal nature held by Council not older than 1 January 1989
What you cannot access
Not all documents are automatically available.
The Freedom of Information Act allows Council to refuse access to certain documents or information. These documents or information are often called ‘exempt’ documents.
In some cases you may be refused access to an entire document and in some cases you may be given access to a document with exempt information deleted.
Under the Freedom of Information Act you may not be able to access:
- Cabinet documents
- Some internal working documents
- Documents covered by legal professional privilege, such as legal advice
- Documents containing personal information about other people, (including names , address or other contact details)
- Documents containing information provided to Council in confidence
- Documents containing information provided to Council by a business
- Documents which are covered by secrecy provisions in other legislations
This information should not deter you from asking for access as each document is assessed on its own merits before a decision is made.
Greater Dandenong City Council Freedom of Information Part II Statement
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 provides the community with a right to access information, unless categorised as exempt, in the possession of the Government of Victoria and other bodies constituted under the law of Victoria. Part 2 of the Act requires all agencies to annually publish a statement setting out the particulars of the agency and listing all documents that are either produced by or in possession of the agency.
The purpose of this Part II Statement is to:
- make the community aware of the existence of documents held by Greater Dandenong City Council;
- provide the community with the information needed to identify specific documents of interest; and
- provide details of how to apply for access to said documents.
Freedom of Information Part II Statement - 642KB
Note: Greater Dandenong City Councils Freedom of Information Part II Statement is a dynamic document that is continually revisited and updated. Information included in this document is correct at its time of publication.
Costs associated with FOI requests
Please note the following fees and charges for processing a 'request for access to information (FOI)' request. All fees are GST free. Some fees and charges may be waived due to financial difficulty, if the request is routine or if the request is in the public's interest.
All FoI fees are determined by the Freedom of Information (Access Charges) Regulation 1993. Other charges may apply - go to Freedom of Information Victoria for up to date information on the application fee and access charges.
Responding to FOI requests
Council must respond to a request within 30 days of receiving it. This time frame may be extended if further clarification, consultation or access charges are required. Sometimes a request is refused to protect personal privacy or for other special reasons. If a request is refused, applicant has up to 28 days to appeal.
Prescribed Documents available for public inspection under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2015
In addition to information made available under the FOI Act, Council is also required to make available for public inspection Prescribed Documents in accordance with the Local Government Act 1989 and Local Government (General) Regulations 2015 – Regulation 12.
Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner is an independent regulator with combined oversight of information access, information privacy, and data protection.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic), the public have a right to request access to documents held by Victoria public sector agencies.
For more information and to watch a video on how to make a Freedom of Information request in Victoria, visit the Office of the Victorian Information Commission.
Council has a range of information and documents that are available for public inspection. Find out more.
Requests to inspect Councils register of interest can be made in writing.