Published on Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland (https://www.oic.qld.gov.au)

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Key functions

Right to Information

OIC has responsibility for investigating and reviewing decisions of agencies and Ministers on access to and amendment of information under the Right to Information Act 2009 (Qld) (RTI Act) and Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) (IP Act). This role includes identifying whether agencies and Ministers have taken all reasonable steps to locate relevant documents, as well as deciding applications for extensions of time to process access applications and applications from non-profit organisations for financial hardship status. It also involves determining whether particular entities are covered by the legislation.

OIC attempts to resolve external review applications informally wherever possible.  However, if informal resolution cannot be achieved, a decision is made that either affirms, varies or sets aside the agency/Minister’s decision. Decisions of the Information Commissioner can be appealed to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal or judicially reviewed by the Queensland Supreme Court.

Privacy

The IP Act recognises the importance of protecting the personal information of individuals. It creates a right for individuals to access and amend their own personal information and provides rules for how agencies may and must handle personal information.

OIC has the responsibility for:

  • the management and mediation of privacy complaints against Queensland government agencies
  • responsibility for the accuracy of privacy audits
  • education and training on privacy compliance
  • submissions to enquiries and reviews on privacy-related matters
  • presentations to government and the community
  • functions under the IP Act related to compliance notices, waivers and modifications of privacy principles in the public interest.

Regulatory Audit & Investigations

OIC monitors and reports on agency compliance with the RTI Act and the IP Act by conducting audits, reviews and surveys of government departments, local governments, statutory authorities, government owned corporations and universities, in order to measure the extent to which the agencies have achieved the right to information and information privacy reforms. Under the RTI Act, OIC reports on review outcomes to the Parliamentary Committee for Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee, and under the IP Act, reports can be sent to the Speaker for tabling in the Legislative Assembly.

Corporate and Strategic Services

This team is responsible for delivery of corporate functions, which includes strategy, planning and performance, governance and risk, information technology, communications, finance, human resources, and business support.

Information and assistance provide an enquiries service which receives approximately 4000 enquiries annually.  Enquiries come from members of the public, statutory authorities, local government, and government departments.  They range in complexity from simple enquiries through to unique and complex scenarios which have not yet been tested under the legislation. OIC also publishes a range of guidelines and other resources for government and the community to assist in meeting their obligations under the legislation.

OIC is responsible for delivering a range of training activities designed for government agencies, government owned corporations, non-government organisations, universities, Ministers and the community. OIC undertake a variety of communication and promotional activities throughout the year. Here are some ways to keep in touch with OIC: