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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The Freedom of Information Act can also be used to amend documents that relate to you which are incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading.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.

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 – 2022/2023 figures

During the 2022/23 Financial Year, the City of Salisbury received determined 11 applications under the provision of the Freedom of Information Act 1991.

Of these 11, one application was granted full release:

  • One was in relation to the identity of a dog owner and pet insurance. [414]

Of these 11, five applications were granted partial release:

  • One was in relation to a request for all documents and correspondence regarding grants funded or committed to local sporting clubs by the Malinauskas Labour Government. [413]
  • One was in relation to a request for a copy of all building plans, specifications and council applications for property located in Ingle Farm. [415]
  • One was a request for copies of any records related to the presence or use of asbestos at a property located at Ingle Farm and copies of all development applications, building plans and specification and detail of building work undertaken and materials used at the property. [419]
  • One was a request for a copy of the audio recording from the General Council meeting held on 31st January 2023. [420]
  • One was a request for all records relating to a residential smoke complaint [422]

Of these 11, one application was denied release:

  • One was in relation to the identity of a dog owner. [412]

Of these 11, two (2) applications were closed as Council did not receive payment for fees and charges payable in accordance with Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 1991 and Subclause 1 of Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2018:

  • One was a request to access the records of removal of disposed litter at a location in Parafield Gardens. [416]
  • One was a request for all information relating to the applicant on Council’s records within a set time period. [417]

Of these 11, two (2) applications were refused:

  • One was in relation to a request for extensive records regarding “Smart Cities”, “LoRa alliances” and the “Internet of Things.” The request was exceedingly broad such that it would substantially and unreasonably divert the Council's resources from their use by Council in the exercise of its functions. [418]
  • One was in relation to a request for information regarding the name of individual(s) who had made allegations or complaints against the applicant including details of the nature of the allegations or complaints. [421]

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.