Information on FOI for government agencies

The ACT Ombudsman works with agencies to ensure they comply with their obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2016 (ACT).

Guidelines for government agencies on implementing the FOI Act

To help ACT Government agencies interpret and administer the FOI Act, the Ombudsman has developed a series of guidelines.

These can be found on our FOI Guidelines page.

Please note, from time to time the guidelines may be amended, you should always read the relevant provisions of the FOI Act to check the current wording.

The FOI Act is freely available on the ACT Legislation Register.

Open Access Strategy

To help ACT Government agencies meet their Open Access Scheme requirements, the ACT Ombudsman has developed an Open Access Strategy that can be adapted and used as a template for others.

Apply for an extension of time

If you need to apply to the Ombudsman for an extension of time to process an application, please complete the Application for extension of time under the ACT Freedom of Information Act 2016 form.

Ombudsman FOI review decisions

Our decisions on FOI review applications are available on the FOI Review Decisions page.

Freedom of Information Forums

Throughout the year the Office holds forums for FOI officers working in ACT Government agencies.

These forums provide FOI officers with guidance on how to implement the FOI Act.

At the forums you will hear presentations from FOI experts and learn from their experiences.

The forums are used to consult on the development of Ombudsman FOI Guidelines.

You can contact our team by email to: actfoi@ombudsman.gov.au for more information.