Right to information applications are formal requests for information in the possession of, or under the control of Council, that are not be publicly available or can be released administratively. They may include documents containing personal or government information.
Before making a formal right to information application, check our website or contact us to find the location of the information you require. For example, minutes of Council meetings are readily available public documents that can be accessed by the community.
Documents released under right to information can be inspected as original documents or copies. Indicate your preference in your application.
You can arrange to inspect documents in a private reading room in our Waterside East office at Holden Place, Bundall.
How to apply
Complete the following form. Fees may apply. You will need to :
- supply details help identify documents
- provide evidence of identify if you are applying for personal information
- provide a letter of authorisation if you applying for personal information on behalf of another person
- evidence of financial hardship if you are claiming a fee waiver.
Apply online
Fees and charges
No application fee is payable for access to documents that solely relate to your personal information. However, if the documents are not solely related to your personal information, an application fee applies. The fee is currently $55.75.
There is no charge if the application takes under 5 hours to process. If the application takes longer than 5 hours to process, the charge will be $8.65 per 15 minutes of the time spent working on the application, including the first 5 hours.
There are no processing charges for applications for personal information.
If you are unsure if your the information you request contains your personal information, or yours and someone else's, contact the Information Access team for advice by phone on 07 5581 7502 or by email rtiip@goldcoast.qld.gov.au.
Timelines
We have 25 business days from the date a compliant application is received to provide a decision on access.
This timeline can be subject to extension, depending on the requirements of the application. For example, when a third-party consultation is required, a further 10 business days is added to the processing time.
We will let you know if an application is outside the scope of the Right to Information Act 2009 or if the application does not meet all the requirements of a valid application as soon as practical. We will also provide advice for making a compliant application.
Right to information exemptions
Access to some documents may not be available. This is due to the exemptions and public interest tests provided within the legislation.
Examples of matters which may restrict the release of a document include:
- information subject to legal professional privilege
- information that could endanger a person's safety
- disclosure of the personal information of another individual
- disclosure of information that could affect confidential communications such as complainant details
- information that could disclose the trade secrets of an agency or another person.
For a full listing of exemptions, refer to the Right to Information Act 2009.