Freedom of information
How to make a request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cwlth) (the FOI Act), members of the public are entitled to apply for access to documents that fall within its scope.
A request under the FOI Act must be in writing, either by mail or email, and must specifically state that it is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act. A return address or an email address to which the documents can be sent must also be provided.
To assist in the processing of your request, please provide as much information as possible about the documents you are seeking. A phone number or email address should be provided in the event that your request requires clarification.
If you wish to lodge an FOI request, or require any further information in respect of lodging a request, please contact the Commission's FOI Coordinator at:
The FOI Coordinator
National Water Commission
95 Northbourne Avenue
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6102 6016
Email: foi.coordinator@nwc.gov.au
Fees and charges
Although there is no application fee charged for an FOI request, the FOI Act provides for fees and charges associated with the processing of a request to be paid. These charges may relate to the time spent searching for and retrieving documents, decision-making time, photocopying and other costs. As soon as possible after receiving your request, the Commission will notify you of any estimate of charges associated with processing your request. Your request will not be processed until you respond to any such notification.
No charges apply to applicants seeking access to their own personal information under the FOI Act. For all other applications, the first five hours of decision-making time will be free; and applications not decided within the statutory time frame will be processed free of charge.
Disclosure log
From 1 May 2011 the National Water Commission is required, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), to publish a register of information that has been released in response to requests under the FOI Act. The register is described as a disclosure log.
The disclosure log will be regularly updated as information is released from 1 May 2011.
Information Publication Scheme
The disclosure log requirement complements the establishment of the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) which also commenced on 1 May 2011. The IPS provides a statutory framework for proactive publication of information by agencies.