Statutory review of the Freedom of Information Act
Summary
The Freedom of Information Act 2016 introduced a new framework for the public to access ACT Government information.
The aim of the new framework was to modernise and improve the transparency of the ACT Government. The Freedom of Information scheme is intended to be administered with a pro-disclosure bias.
As of 2025, the Act has been in place for over seven years. The statutory review provided a chance to assess if the scheme is meeting its objectives and to identify opportunities to improve and strengthen the scheme.
The report, The Journey to Pro-disclosure: Statutory Review of the Freedom of Information Act 2016, is positive.
The report confirms the scheme is broadly achieving its objectives, supported by:
- strong legislative framing
- a committed Freedom of Information processing culture
- supportive Executive leadership
- timely decision-making
- robust independence in Freedom of Information functions.