The ACT Ombudsman’s Office has published an Open Access Strategy outlining the types of information it will release, aimed at making it easier for the community to access Government information without having to make an access application.
The Ombudsman’s Office said the Strategy would be used by the ACT Ombudsman to meet the open access requirements set out in Freedom of Information Act 2016 (FoI Act).
“This is to ensure that members of the public need to make an access application as a last resort if the information they are seeking is not available online,” the Office said.
“This strategy outlines how the Office will take a pro-active approach to providing access to open access information, consistent with the open access obligations outlined in the FoI Act.”
It said the Strategy outlined what information would be made publicly available; how it would be made available; how published information would be reviewed to ensure it remained accurate, up-to date and complete; and when information would not be made available because it was contrary to the public interest.
“Information will be assessed for release with a pro-disclosure bias, consistent with the FoI Act,” it said.
“Open access information will be easily accessible to all members of the ACT community.”
The Office said that when a decision was made not to publish information, it would instead publish a description of the information; why the information was contrary to the public interest; and a statement outlining rights to review.
The Ombudsman’s three-page strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
