Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) gives you the right to request access to documents in the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (the Authority's) possession, unless they are exempt.

Before you submit a request, we recommend that you:

1. Conduct searches to see if the information is already available on the Authority's website or from the website of another organisation
2. Read our Information Statement
3. Visit the Victorian Information Commissioner's website
4. Read our Privacy Statement

How to make an FOI request

Requests must be made in writing and you must provide enough information about the documents you are requesting to enable us to identify and locate relevant documents.

You can apply online via the form below:

Click here to view form.

Or send it by post:

• The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority
• Governance & Risk Team
• 25 Baines Crescent
• Torquay, Victoria 3228

If you make a request for personal documents about you, you must provide proof of your identity.

If another person makes a request on your behalf, for example a lawyer, they must show that they have permission to do so.

Effective requests

You must clearly describe the documents you are requesting access to and provide as much detail to allow them to reasonably identify the information you are requesting

To avoid your request having to be re-scoped or declined, please do not make requests for:

1. all documents about a topic
2. for documents without a timeframe.

Fees and Charges

When you make an FOI request, you must pay an application fee. There may also be access charges relevant to your request.

FOI fees and charges are in fee units set by the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF):

Please contact us to find out how to pay an FOI application fee, access charge or to determine whether your circumstances mean that you do not need to pay or are eligible for a fee reduction. The Authority can accept payment of these fees and charges via electronic funds transfer.

Application Fee

When making an FOI request, you must pay an application fee of two fee units as set by DTF for the current financial year. This fixed-cost is non-refundable.  

You may claim a waiver or reduction of the application fee if payment of the fee would cause hardship. You must use documents to support your hardship claim. Example: Centrelink Healthcare Card.

Access Charges

Access charges are what it costs the Authority to facilitate your FOI request under the Freedom of Information (Access Charges) Regulations 2014. They can include:

1. Search time: 1.5 fee units per hour
2. Staff supervision: 1.5 fee units per 15 minutes
3. Photocopying: 20 cents per black-and-white A4 page
4. Listening to audio or viewing video
5. Writing transcripts of audio or video

If we estimate charges will be more than $50.00, we will advise you of our estimated charges and request a deposit before we process your request. If the charges are less than $50.00, we will let you know the payable charges when we send you our decision.

Consultation

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 requires the Authority to consult with third parties about your request if the information contained in the relevant documents falls within certain exemptions. As part of the consultation process, your name and a brief description of your request may be provided to any person or body with whom we must consult.

Part II Information Statement

A large amount of information is available on the Authority's website. We make available as much information as possible, limiting the need for the public to seek documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic).

This Part II Information Statement is designed to assist you in understanding the Authority's functions and the documents we hold relating to those functions.