Agencies are required to report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on their freedom of information (FOI) performance on a monthly basis. This information is reported regularly to the State Coordination and Management Council and included in the FOI Annual Report.
This audit conducted a detailed analysis of Victoria Police freedom of information (FOI) processes and performance. Victoria Police received 2 381 requests in 2010–11, or 47 per cent of the 12 audited agencies’ FOI requests. Of the 2 381 requests, 79 per cent were personal requests.
This audit conducted a detailed analysis of the Department of Human Services' (DHS) freedom of information (FOI) processes and performance. DHS received 1 047 requests in 2010–11, or 21 per cent of the 12 audited agencies’ FOI requests.
The Attorney-General’s Guidelines on the Responsibilities and Obligations of Principal Officers and Agencies (the FOI Guidelines) require principal officers—secretaries and chief operating officers of agencies—to provide adequate resources and support to deliver timely and accurate freedom of information (FOI) responses.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is the lead agency for freedom of information (FOI). It is responsible for promoting FOI better practice across the public sector and reporting agencies’ FOI performance to Parliament.
Openness, accountability and transparency are fundamental principles of democratic government. The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) was designed to promote these principles in the Victorian public sector by giving the public the right to access government information.
The second reading speech of the Freedom of Information Bill advised Parliament that:
Freedom of information (FOI) is a cornerstone of a thriving democracy. FOI upholds the public’s fundamental right to access information held by the government. The community’s ability to scrutinise public sector activities and hold the government of the day accountable for its decisions is affected by the transparency and accessibility of government information.
Ordered to be printed
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER April 2012
PP No 125, Session 2010–12
In accordance with section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 a copy of this report was provided to the 11 departments, Tourism Victoria, the Transport Accident Commission, the Transport Ticketing Authority, VicRoads and WorkSafe with a request for submissions or comments.
Responses were received as follows: