Overview
The Victorian Freedom of Information Act 1982 allows you to request documents held by Ministers, State government departments, local councils, most semi-government organisations and statutory authorities such as public hospitals and community health centres.
The Act gives you the right to:
- access the activities of government organisations,
- request we amend or remove any incorrect or misleading information about you,
- access documents about your personal affairs, or
- access documents from 1 January 1989.
Things to know before you request
Before requesting information, ensure you have read Council’s Part || Statement (314KB)
You DO NOT need to make a Freedom of Information request for the following:
- Information held by other agencies, i.e. Victoria Police, Department of Health, Department of Family, Fairness and Housing, Department of Justice and Services Australia. Contact these agencies for help.
- Planning permits or plans relating to your property. Refer to our Planning Services webpage for more information.
- All information that relates to your personal affairs. Contact our customer service team for help.
What documents can you request?
You have a right to request access to documents that Council holds that the Act covers.
These include the following documents:
- created by the City of Casey
- supplied to the City of Casey by an external organisation or individual
- held by a Council (no earlier than 1 January 1989)
Document types include:
- emails
- correspondence (typed or handwritten)
- memos
- reports
- maps
- films
- diaries
- microfiche
- photographs
- computer discs
- tape recordings
- videotapes
What documents are not available?
We can refuse access to or parts of documents exempt under Part IV of the FOI Act 1982. Exempt records may include:
- law enforcement information
- information protected by legal professional privilege
- information about the personal affairs of another individual
- confidential commercial information (of businesses or Council)
- information provided in confidence
- documents covered by secrecy provisions in other legislation
We may exclude certain documents or information to speed up the process if deemed irrelevant. For example:
- information about complaints
- duplicate documents
- commercial information relating to third parties
- personal data relating to third parties.
How long does it take to respond once the request is submitted?
Once a valid application is received, the City of Casey has 30 days to inform you of a decision about your request. There may be circumstances where we need to consult with you to extend the 30 days. All outstanding charges relating to your request must be paid before the documents are sent to you. We must consult with third parties where their information is in the scope of the FOI request. If the third party does not consent to release the data, it will be removed.
Reviewing the outcome of your request.
If unsatisfied with the outcome, you have 28 days to seek a review from the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.
FOI fees
The FOI application fee is non-refundable. Before requesting, check the Publicly available documents and the Open Data Exchange. The application fee must be paid before we will assess your request. You can pay over the phone at 9705 5200 or in person at:
- Narre Warren: Bunjil Place 2 Patrick Northeast Drive
- Cranbourne: Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre 125 South Gippsland Highway
Access charges, other than photocopying, will be charged if required. We will contact you if the estimated costs exceed $50.00 to confirm that you wish to proceed with your request.
Request information
If you act on behalf of someone else (the applicant), you must attach the Third party consent form to your FOI request.
We hold hundreds of thousands of documents across many databases, departments and formats. To assist you with your request as fast as possible, please provide specific details such as:
- date range,
- location,
- type of document, or documents, and
- the subject of a complaint, or complaints.