Request for access to Council documents

Access to Council’s documents may be made under the Freedom of Information Act 1991. Applications must be in writing and must specify that it is made under Section 13 of the Freedom of Information Act 1991.

Applicants need to provide sufficient information to enable the correct document/s to be identified, though the Council is obliged to help with the application.

If you are seeking documents relating to your personal affairs the Council may request proof of your identity.

If you are seeking documents on behalf of another person relating to their personal affairs, the Council may ask you to submit a consent form signed by that person.

A request will be dealt with as soon as practicable (and, in any case, within 30 days) after it is received.

The Council, on receiving a FOI application, may assist the applicant to direct the application to another agency or transfer the application to another agency as appropriate.

For further information regarding applications under the Act including online and hard copy forms please click here.

Forms of access

Various forms of access are available depending on the form in which the information is stored. They include:

• Inspection of documents
• Copy of documents
• Hearing and/or viewing audio and/or video tape
• Transcript of recorded document
• Transcript of words recorded in shorthand or encoded form
• Print out of computerised information

Where the Council is unable to grant access in the form requested, access might be given in a different form.

Application fees and processing charges

The application fees associated with freedom of information requests are set each year by State Parliament.

The application fee for the 2022/2023 financial year is $39.00. A cheque/money order/cash for the amount must be forwarded to the Council with the request for access.

Processing charges of $14.70 per quarter hour may also apply for dealing with the application. Where the request for access involves personal affairs, there is no charge for the first two hours.

Other fees

Photocopying: 25 cents per page

Transcripts: $8.70 per page

Copy of photo, video, computer disk: Actual cost incurred.

Waiver and Remission

Where a person liable to pay a fee or charge to Council under the Act satisfies the Council:

• That he or she is the holder of a current State concession card issued by the Commonwealth;
• That he or she is the holder of a current State concession card issued by the Department for Family and Community Services;
• That he or she is a totally and permanently incapacitated disability pensioner;
• That he or she is a British Commonwealth Service Pensioner in receipt of a pension from, and assessed as eligible by, the Commonwealth Department of Veteran Affairs;
• That he or she is in receipt of Commonwealth unemployment or sickness benefits or State financial assistance;
• That he or she is a holder of a student identification card issues under the State Transport Authority Act, 1974; or
• By such other evidence as the council may require that the fee or charge should be waived or remitted on the grounds of financial hardship’

The Council may waive or remit the fee or charge.

Access to documents by Members of Parliament – Prescribed Threshold

A Member of Parliament who applies for access to documents under the Act is entitled to access to the documents without charge unless the work generated by the application involves fees and charges (calculated in accordance with Schedule 1) totalling more than $1000.

Refusal to process requests

Please refer to the Freedom of Information Act 1991 for an explanation of the circumstances under which the Council may refuse or defer access to information.

Statement of Information and Summary

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act a Statement of Information has been produced for the Coorong District Council.

Freedom of Information Statement 2022/2023

Request for Copies of Plans/Documents from Development Applications

Access to information received by Council in regards to a previous Development Application is available to the current owner of a property. Requests must be made in writing and forwarded to Council with the appropriate search fee and proof of identification.