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Council

Council Plans Documents Reports Policies 04

Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 1991 is in place to ensure that you have the right to have access to documents within Council’s possession. The Freedom of Information Act can also be used to amend documents that relate to you which are incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading.

Any documents in the possession of Council that are not available to the public will require an application to gain access. It is best to firstly ascertain if the document you wish to gain access to is a public document, you will be surprised how many of Council’s documents are already available to you.

Of course you can, our Freedom of Information Officer would be pleased to discuss with you the documents you are looking to access and give any guidance required.

A lot of our documents are already available to the public and do not require a freedom of information application. Some documents require a small photocopying fee where copies are required and they would all be free of charge for an inspection.

Please note that some documents are classed as exempt documents and may not be available under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Freedom of Information Officer will be available to guide you in any instance as to whether your application is necessary and its possibility of being an exempt document. You may contact the Freedom of Information Officer on 8406 8222.

Download the Freedom of Information Application Form.

Fill in all the necessary details and post your application with the appropriate fee to:

Freedom of Information Officer
City of Salisbury
PO Box 8
Salisbury SA 5108

All fees can be viewed by checking the Schedule of Fees document.

Your application can be emailed directly to the Freedom of Information Officer, however the application will not be considered 'officially received' until payment has also been received. If you choose to take this option please put a note with the payment advising of the application it relates to and address the payment to:

Freedom of Information Officer
City of Salisbury
PO Box 8
Salisbury SA 5108

You can choose not to use an application form and place your application to Council in writing. If you do this, the following guidelines must be adhered to, to ensure we receive a legal request:

  • specify that you are making an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1991
  • include your name and address
  • specify the documents you would like access to and what they may concern
  • identify if these documents may contain information about your personal affairs
  • advise how you wish to receive the information - e.g. photocopy, you wish to inspect it
  • include the application fee
  • if you are requesting a waiver of the application fee a copy of supporting documents is required e.g. a copy of your pension card

The application must be delivered or posted to:

Freedom of Information Officer
City of Salisbury
34 Church Street (PO Box 8 for postal applications)
Salisbury SA 5108

Further enquiries can be made to the Freedom of Information Officer on 8406 8222 or email.

For more information about Freedom of Information and the FOI Act, visit the State Records website.

Related Information

Freedom of Information Annual Statement

In accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 1991, a Council must, at intervals of not more than 12 months, cause an up-to-date information statement to be published in a manner prescribed by regulation. A copy of the current information statement can be obtained below.

Freedom of Information – 2021/2022 figures

During the 2021/2022 financial year, the City of Salisbury determined 8 applications under the provision of the Freedom of Information Act 1991.

Of these 8, one application was granted full release:

  • One was in relation to access to Video or photos of a vehicle and boat trailer that hit a car at St Kilda Boat Ramp 31/12/2021 between 0830-1500 hours.

Of these 8, seven applications were granted partial release:

  • One was in relation to a request for a copy of a demolition application and Council property demolition approval.
  • One was in relation to a copy of all documentation, including all letters, emails and file notes in relation to a dog complaint or any other type of neighbourhood complaint from 02-02-2019 to 20-07-2021
  • One was in relation to a request for copies of any documents, emails, photos, providing information on the state of a food business, such as building inspections.
  • One was in relation to a request for a copy of development plans and approval documents.
  • One was in relation to a request for copies of correspondence from Salisbury Council to the property manager or property owner certifying a retaining wall is constructed in accordance with the development approval.
  • One was in relation to a request for Documents relating to dog attack including the name, contact details of owners, name of person who assessed the dog’s behaviour and records of previous attacks.
  • One was in relation to a request for all documents, emails, correspondence, notes or other records relating to complaints made against or about a person relating to their dogs, or noise complaints regarding their dogs.

The Freedom of Information Annual Statement is a requirement under the Act.

The City of Salisbury’s Information Statement contains information on:

  • your Elected Members
  • structure and functions of Council
  • the effect of Council on the public
  • public participation in policy formulation
  • documents held by Council
  • access and amendment arrangements
  • Council electoral boundaries

The majority of this information is available to you on the website, however it is a requirement under the Freedom of Information Act 1991 to be able to provide members of the public with all of the above information in one publication.