The results of a survey of community attitudes to accessing Government information have been released by Australia’s Information Access Commissioners and an Ombudsman.
A first of its kind, the cross-jurisdictional study was sponsored by Information Access Commissioners from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the Commonwealth, as well as the Ombudsman from the ACT, as part of Australia’s Open Government National Action Plan 2018-2020.
The group’s Information Access Study 2019 measures citizens’ awareness of the right to access Government information, and their experiences and outcomes in exercising that right.
It provides a broad insight into citizens’ views and experiences with the key findings including that the right to access information is consistently recognised as important by respondents across State and national jurisdictions.
The study found out that a majority of respondents across the jurisdictions were aware they had the right to access information from Government Departments and Agencies.
Around four in 10 respondents had contacted at least one Government Agency in the past three years, and in general, citizens were able to obtain information successfully.
In a joint statement the Information Commissioners and Ombudsman said the right to access information was a fundamental tenet of an open and democratic Government.
“The valuable insights provided in this inaugural cross-jurisdictional survey involving four Australian States, the ACT and the Commonwealth will assist in building a better understanding of information access frameworks,” the group said.
“It reinforces commitments under the Open Government National Action Plans to better measure and understand the value citizens place on the right to access Government information, and their experiences and outcomes.”
A one-page summary of the study’s findings can be accessed at this PS News link.
