Accessing Information

Development applications and any associated documents received in relation to a proposed development are now available on Council's website as required by the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA ).

These documents include certificates, specialist reports such as town planning, heritage, tree inspection, acoustic and land contamination reports, submissions received in response to the development application and the determination of the application. These documents may not be a complete history of the development application and may not be up-to date or accurate. Persons wishing to confirm information should contact Council directly. The documents are provided for information purposes only and Council does not accept any responsibility or liability for reliance upon this information.

Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the documents do not represent the views of Council but are the personal and professional views of the author of the documents.

These documents can be accessed using the Development Application Search.

For development history of a property a Development History Research Request application is required to be lodged.

In addition, other documents which are produced by Council during the course of a business transaction can generally be obtained by completing an Informal Access to Information Form, subject to the restrictions below. Examples of these documents include reports on matters Council or staff have made decisions on, development approvals on properties etc.

The restrictions to these are limited to the following:

• Where access to the documents would be contrary to the public interest;
• Any part of a document which discloses personal details of a person (excluding submissions to development applications);
• Any part of a document dealing with trade secrets;
• A matter, the disclose of which would constitute an offence against an Act or found an action for breach of confidence;
• Plans and specifications contained in building and development applications for any residential parts of a proposed building, other than plans that show the height and external configurations for the building in relation to the site on which it is proposed to be erected;
• Any part of a document that contains advice concerning litigation or advice that would otherwise be privileged from production in legal proceedings on the grounds of legal professional privilege;
• Information which would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.

Wherever possible, access will be provided in a manner which is mutually convenient and cost effective.

To apply, please complete an Informal Access to Information Form and lodge it with Council.

All requests will be dealt with as soon as practicable and in any case within 7 days of receipt.  Council's GIPA Disclosure Process Flowcharts provide further details on the disclosure process for Informal Applications.

When applying be sure to indicate if you require copies of the documents.

In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to obtain access to information by way of a Formal Access Application under the GIPA Act. In these situations a Formal Access to Information Application form is to be completed and submitted, together with the statutory fee.

The statutory fees applicable to a formal access application are $30.00 application fee and $30.00/hour thereafter to process the application. 

To discuss your application or to obtain a formal access application under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, please contact Council's Manager - Governance on (02) 9911 3525 or email us.

Formal access applications are required by law to be completed in 20 working days from the date of receipt. If consultation with a third party is required, a further 10 days extension is allowed. Council's GIPA Disclosure Process Flowcharts provide further details on the disclosure process for Formal Applications. 

Once assessed, you will receive a formal determination letter outlining the documents that can be released to you or reasons why any document/s have been withheld.

Council publishes the annual pecuniary interest returns of the following designated persons pursuant to the Government Information (Public Access) Regulations 2009:  Schedule 1 - Additional open access information – local authorities.   

In accordance with the Information and Privacy Commissions Guideline 1, Council has conducted the public interest test in relation each return and redacted any information where there is an overriding public interest against disclosure, for example a residential address or signature.