How to access information

The following Council information is available on our website or over the counter at our Customer Service Centre:

For historical research requests (prior to 1920), please contact History at Willoughby.

For more information you can visit the Information and Privacy Commission website.

Requests for information that come under this category typically include:

• Development applications and associated documents prior to 1 July 2010
• Other documents that may be subject to copyright such as plans, engineering reports, environmental studies and surveys

Note: If you wish to obtain a copy of a plan you will need to provide the Architect’s (copyright owner’s) written consent and in some cases the property owner’s consent.

For further information, please refer to section 1.4 of the Australian Copyright Council Fact Sheet - Building Plans & Copyright

Note: Printing or file retrieval may incur a fee (see Council's fees and charges).

Some applications by their nature are considered formal requests for information.  These typically include:

• information that relates to a third party who must be consulted
• information that is subject to legal professional privilege
• information that relates to a third party business that must be consulted
• information that relates to an investigation carried out by council
• large volumes of information that involves extensive search
• information which could not be provided informally
• you have previously been refused information
• the material is sensitive in nature and requires careful balancing of public interest considerations

The lodgement of a formal access to information application gives you a right to a review of the decision made by council.

Application and processing fees apply for formal requests. 

Council is required to deal with a Formal Access Application within 20 working days of its receipt. This time may be extended by 10 - 15 days if Council is required to consult with third parties.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision made by Council in a Formal Access Application, you have a right of appeal. There are three avenues of appeal - internal review, Information Commissioner review and external review by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

• Internal review:
  You can apply to the Council for an internal review. This is a review by someone more senior than the original decision maker and there is a $40 fee. You have 20 working days from receiving notice of a decision to ask for an internal review.
• Review by the Information Commissioner:
  If you are not satisfied with the internal review, or do not want one, you can ask for a review by the Information Commissioner. You have eight weeks from being notified of a decision to ask for this review.
• Review at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal:
  If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Information Commissioner or the internal reviewer or if you do not want to take these options, you can apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). If you have already had a review by the Information Commissioner, you have four weeks from notification of the decision to make this application. If you haven’t had a review by the Information Commissioner, you have eight weeks from notification of the decision to make this application.