Federal Government to Start Charging for Freedom of Information Requests

Requests for personal information will remain free, but anyone else wanting insight on the workings of government will have to pay.
Federal Government to Start Charging for Freedom of Information Requests
Australian Attorney General Michelle Rowland during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 27, 2023. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
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Already facing questions for releasing just 36 percent of the information sought under Freedom of Information (FOI) requests—less than the 59 percent approved by the former Coalition government—the Albanese government has announced that it will begin charging fees for access to Commonwealth documents.

This will, it says, assist public servants in providing “free and frank” advice to ministers and stop large volumes of anonymous FOI ­requests from AI bots.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.