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Public release of government-held information

Queensland agencies such as the Mental Health Review Tribunal, Office of the Health Ombudsman and Energy and Water Ombudsman have been making progress in proactive release and administrative access.

Find out how they are demonstrating good practice (PDF, 377.8 KB)

Access to information helps land rights campaigners in Thailand

Right to information (RTI) laws around the world are helping citizens gain access to information that can inform and assist them in better understanding issues that affect them.

Read how access to information played a pivotal role in uncovering expired and illegal consessions on government-owned land (PDF, 399.42 KB)

FOI request informs inquiry

Freedom of Information (FOI) and Right to Information (RTI) requests can help Australians access government-held information in their quest to better understand government decisions.

In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), one resident sought documents to understand why there was a 305% increase in her property’s valuation, and consequently her rates bill.

Read more about why this case was examined as part of the inquiry (PDF, 673.33 KB)

Training minimises risk

Disclosure of personal information can have serious consequences and also damage the reputation of the agency it was entrusted to.

Educating staff through effective training can help to minimise this risk for agencies. Find out how your agency can make the most of its training (PDF, 656.86 KB)

Privacy and mobile apps

Mobile apps aim to make life easier, but they can also seek permission to access personal information stored on hand-held devices.

The Office of the Information Commissioner looked at several agencies, who have developed apps, to find out how they handle personal information collected via these apps.

Read more about the Privacy and mobile apps report (PDF, 420.57 KB)

Reflecting on right to information and privacy in Queensland

Over the past 10 years, the Office of the Information Commission (OIC) has been working with Queensland’s public sector to ensure strong information access and privacy protections.

The OIC recently released a report titled 10 Years on, which includes agency self-assessments of their progress. Read a snapshot of this report (PDF, 661.17 KB)

Making it easier to draft privacy statements

The Department of Justice and Attorney-General however, has developed an online tool to help draft privacy statements.

To find out more about the On-Q tool (PDF, 828.5 KB)

NZ leads the way in Cabinet papers proactive release

In 2018 New Zealand’s Cabinet made a commitment to proactively release its papers within 30 business days of a Cabinet decision.

Learn more about NZ’s commitment to transparency and accountability. (PDF, 938.72 KB)

What do Queenslanders know about their rights to access government information?

Australia is part of of the Open Government Partnership – an international commitment by governments to promote transparency and empower citizens.

Learn more about what Queenslanders had to say (PDF, 742.53 KB)

Data breaches in the modern world

In 2018 a UK based company that manages recruitment processes, PageUp, experienced a data breach that had worldwide implications.

Some Queensland agencies suspected they might be impacted by the breach. Find out what happened (PDF, 747.48 KB)

The pursuit of transparency

Since the Right to Information Act came into effect, other legislation in Queensland has been amended to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Environmental reporting improves information access for Queenslanders

Since 1990 Queensland’s State of the Environment (SOE) Report has always been on the front foot when it comes to proactive release of information – setting a benchmark for other states and territories to follow. Read more about the benefits of adopting a push model (PDF, 969.31 KB)

Information empowers communities

A key recommendation of the 2011 review conducted by the Office of the Information Commissioner contributed to an important advance in the use of data collected by the Queensland Police Service (QPS). Find out how the release of QPS crime data over the years has been empowering communities (PDF, 789.14 KB)

Precious keepsakes recovered thanks to RTI

Find out how Sam used his right to access important information (PDF, 801.38 KB), which ultimately helped him track down his deceased wife’s stolen jewellery.

Handing over personal information

Find out how the Information Privacy Act helped Linda and improved privacy procedures at the institute (PDF, 814.64 KB)

Peace of mind

After suspecting a privacy breach by her health provider, Lucy lodged a privacy complaint to find out what personal records had and had not been accessed. Find out how the Information Privacy Act helped Lucy (PDF, 821 KB)

Universities are subject to the Right to Information Act 2009

This story shines a light on how Jo’s information access request ultimately led to a greater understanding of why she didn’t pass her university exam. Find out how the Right to Information Act helped Jo (PDF, 825.81 KB)

Information access and medical records

Sometimes information access requests intersect with privacy concerns and that’s where the Office of the Information Commissioner’s early resolution process can help. Read more about Jack's information access request (PDF, 718.63 KB)