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4 Object of Act and its achievement

(1) The object of this Act is to extend as far as possible the right of the community to have access to information held by Queensland government.

(2) Parliament recognises that, in a free and democratic society—

(a) the public interest is served by promoting open discussion of public affairs and enhancing government’s accountability; and

(b) the community should be kept informed of government’s operations, including, in particular, the rules and practices followed by government in its dealings with members of the community; and

(c) members of the community should have access to information held by government in relation to their personal affairs and should be given a way to ensure the information is accurate, complete, up-to-date and not misleading.

(3) Parliament also recognises there are competing interests in that the disclosure of particular information could be contrary to the public interest because its disclosure in some instances would have a prejudicial effect on—

(a) essential public interests; or

(b) the private or business affairs of members of the community about whom information is collected and held by government.

(4) This Act is intended to strike a balance between those competing interests.

(5) The object of this Act is achieved by—

(a) giving members of the community a right of access to information held by government to the greatest extent possible with limited exceptions for the purpose of preventing a prejudicial effect on the public interest of a kind mentioned in subsection (3); and

(b) requiring particular information and documents concerning government operations to be made available to the public; and

(c) giving members of the community a right to bring about the amendment of documents held by government containing information in relation to their personal affairs to ensure the information is accurate, complete, up-to-date and not misleading.

(6) It is Parliament’s intention that this Act be interpreted to further the object stated in subsection (1) in the context of the matters stated in subsections (2) to (5).