OVIC responds to Monash University’s report: Culture of implementing Freedom of Information in Australia

The Office of the Victorian Information commissioner welcomes the publishing and recommendations of the Monash University Culture of implementing Freedom of Information in Australia report.

The report, led by Associate Professor Johan Lidberg and Adjunct Professor Moira Paterson, follows the completion of a three-year study that looked at the culture and practice of implementing freedom of information (FOI) in three Australian jurisdictions – Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.

OVIC recognises and accepts the important observations and recommendations made by the report into the culture of FOI, which reflect the need for FOI legislation reform in all three participating jurisdictions.

OVIC fully supports all 11 recommendations and has made similar recommendations in its submission to the Integrity and Oversight Committee’s Inquiry into the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

These recommendations, contained in the report, and a full statement from OVIC, can be found here.

OVIC remains optimistic the report’s findings will bring attention to the inadequacies of the current FOI system in Victoria, particularly in the context of the Integrity and Oversight Committee’s current Inquiry into the operation of the FOI Act.

Public access to information is a critical component of any democratic society. Strong FOI laws reflect that governments exist to serve their constituents and hold information not for themselves, but for the public good. While Victoria was the first non-federal jurisdiction to enact FOI legislation in 1982, changes in government administration have rendered this legislation outdated and not fit for purpose.

OVIC is committed to continuing to advocate for legislative change, and to work with agencies to improve FOI practices.

Read the report and OVIC’s response and commitment here.