New report tabled in Victoria marks important step forward for information access rights

Queensland’s Information Commissioner and Right to Information Commissioner have welcomed a report tabled in the Victorian Parliament this week, recommending significant reform and modernising the information access regime in that State.

The report on the Inquiry into the Operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) was tabled on 23 September by the Victorian Integrity and Oversight Committee, including 101 recommendations.

Last year the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) made a submission to and appeared before the inquiry to give evidence, drawing on Queensland’s experience with its second generation “push model” legislation, which promotes proactive and administrative release of government held information, rather than relying on people to make requests (or ‘pull’ the information out) – which is the model currently found in Victoria.

Information Commissioner, Joanne Kummrow, said the tabling of the report came at a fortuitous time for those who champion information access rights in Australia and modernising policies and legislation.

“Later this week we celebrate International Access to Information Day (IAID) on 28 September. It’s a day to remind us all about the importance of having timely and easy access to government-held information and how it plays a vital role in people’s lives,” Ms Kummrow said.

“IAID is an opportunity for the community, government and public sector to come together across Australia and acknowledge the right to information and the many benefits, such as greater transparency, accountability and openness, while also protecting human rights,” she said.

Right to Information Commissioner, Stephanie Winson, agreed and said the report was an important step forward to advance a more unified approach to information access across jurisdictions in Australia. .

“This report is a thorough and considered assessment of the current issues with regards to information access, and it is encouraging that the committee has suggested significant reforms,” Ms Winson said.

“Many of these were recommended by our sister agency the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner and I’m pleased  OIC Queensland could contribute to the discussion and share our experiences with the push model and proactive release,” she said.

Find out more about Queensland’s IAID 2024 celebrations, including the Solomon Lecture, or view OIC’s submission to the Victorian Integrity and Oversight Committee.