Freedom of Information requests

Exemptions

We conduct business in an open and honest fashion because it's important the public understands how decisions are made. All information is available for public disclosure, unless it falls under one of the 23 exemptions contained in the FOI Act.

If information is withheld due to an exemption, the applicant will be informed in writing. Some exemptions are absolute, meaning that the information is automatically exempt from disclosure. However, most exemptions are qualified, meaning that the council must consider the public interest arguments before deciding whether to disclose the information. Under FOI, the presumption is to disclose the information, and only if the public interest test clearly demonstrates that it's not in the public's interest will the information not be released.

Page last updated: 10 May 2023