Your Council

Access to Information

There are a number of means to access information held by Council including:-

Access via Section 12
Access via the Freedom of Information Act 1989

Section 12 (1) of the Local Government Act 1993 allows members of the public to view documents held by Council without charge. Applications to view information can be made by contacting Ashfield Municipal Council.

What documents can be viewed?

While the Local Government Act 1993 provides for general access to information, there are some documents and records which may be exempt and may not be released in accordance with the Local Government Act, Freedom of Information Act, Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act and other legislation.

Some exceptions can include documents relating to:

Matters which are not in the public interest to be released
Internal configurations of residential buildings (unless accessed by the owner)
Personnel matters concerning particular individuals and/or staff
The personal hardship of any resident or ratepayer
Commercial information and trade secrets
A matter which disclosure of which would constitute an offence against an Act or found an action for breach of confidence.

The Local Government Act s.12 (1) provides access to the current versions of many public documents such as Council's Management Plan, Annual Financial Reports and Codes of Conduct free of charge. These documents are accessible either on Council's website or by contacting Council's Customer Service Centre on 9716 1800.

Copying of documents

Legal copyright provisions apply to the copying of all documents at Ashfield Municipal Council. Due to the Copyright Act 1968, there may be documents which may not be copied, without consent of the copyright owner. Some of these documents could include certain building plans, publications and consultant's reports.

If documents are available to be copied, copying charges may apply.
Applicable fees and charges are outlined in Council's adopted Fees and Charges.

Processing of your application

To ensure that applications are processed as quickly as possible, applications should provide sufficient information on the application form to enable the correct documents to be identified.

Your request will be assessed by Council officers under section 12 of the Local Government Act 1993 and relevant legislation.

You will be notified within fourteen (14) days as to whether your application for access to information is to be granted, and, if so, when the information will be available for you to inspect.

Once Council notifies you the information is available, you will be able to inspect it at any time within 7 days of the date of notification. Should you require an extension of time, please contact Council's Customer Service Centre on (02) 9716 1800 or Fax (02) 9716 1911.

Documents can be viewed during office hours, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm at Ashfield Municipal Council Customer Service Centre.