OVIC’s 2025-2026 annual report tabled in Victorian Parliament

Today, OVIC’s 2025-26 annual report was tabled in Victorian Parliament.

This year’s report demonstrates the continued increasing demand for OVIC’s services and the positive impact of delivering our legislated obligations.  It also continued to highlight the need for legislative change, with the number of FOI requests received in Victoria for 2025-26 increasing by 7% and the number of FOI requests outstanding at 30 June 2026 increasing by 21.8%.

OVIC received 797 applications for review of FOI decisions – an increase of 16% from the previous year, and 1135 complaints about FOI handling – an increase of 36% from the previous year.  In addition, OVIC received 152 privacy complaints, responded to over 20,000 email enquiries and engaged in 99 consultations with regulated entities.

In the 2025-26 financial year, OVIC focused on delivering improved services in line with our core functions, accompanied by new and updated resources for both the public and regulated entities, including its inaugural Victorian Public Sector Insights – Information Security Monitoring and Assurance report.

As noted in this assurance report 20% of entities reported that they were currently using generative AI and a subsequent 26% stated they were ‘planning’ to implement the technology. Copilot was shown as the most used generative AI tool followed by ChatGPT.

The increased use of Artificial intelligence by both regulated entities and members of the public has been a focus for new and updated resources developed by OVIC such as OVIC’s ‘What to know before relying on AI’ guidance for people looking to use AI to engage with regulated entities.

This renewed focus on addressing industry trends has allowed OVIC to prioritise the growing demand for basic services whilst encouraging organisations to take a new approach to their own service delivery.

Adapting to the changing information environment whilst advocating for important reform will continue to be a focus for OVIC in 2026-27.

All of us at OVIC look forward to responding to current and emerging challenges to information rights and we will continue to strongly advocate for reforms in access to information, privacy and information security so that these rights are further enabled and protected.

– Sean Morrison, Victorian Information Commissioner

Click here to read the full 2025-26 annual report.