Information disclosure

The Right to Information Act 2009 commenced on 1 July 2010 and provides for greater access to information held by government bodies by:

  • Authorising and encouraging greater routine disclosure of information held by public authorities without the need for requests or applications;
  • Authorising and encouraging greater active disclosure of information held by public authorities in response to informal requests without the need for applications;
  • Giving members of the public an enforceable right to information held by public authorities; and
  • Providing that access to information held by government bodies is restricted in only limited circumstances which are defined in the Act.