Gresham and Queensland Principal Club

Application number:
2001 S0026
Decision date:
Monday, Aug 13, 2001

Gresham and Queensland Principal Club
(2001 S0026, 13 August 2001) 

The applicant, a member of the Gold Coast Turf Club, had taken his concerns regarding travel and entertainment expenses incurred by committee members to the Queensland Principal Club (the QPC).  He was not satisfied with the response he received from the QPC and sought access to two internal memoranda created during the investigation of his complaints. 

The QPC claimed the documents were exempt under s.41(1) of the FOI Act.  Commissioner Albietz found that the bulk of each of the memoranda comprised purely factual matter that was not eligible for exemption under s.41(1) by virtue of the provision made in 41(2)(b) of the FOI Act.  He also decided that disclosure of the balance of the information would not be contrary to the public interest, given the significant weight of the public interest in the accountability of the QPC for its performance of its statutory supervisory and regulatory functions.  Commissioner Albietz also rejected the Gold Coast Turf Club's contention that the matter in issue qualified for exemption under the s.40(a) and s.40(b) exemption provisions (prejudice to a test, examination or audit).