Requesting information or documents

We make a range of information available for public access. Most requests for information or copies of documents can be dealt with informally and quickly. A phone call or email may be all that is needed - [link to Contact Us].

Freedom of information

You can formally request information that we hold under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The FOI Act gives any person the right to:

• access copies of documents (except exempt documents)
• ask for information held about you to be changed or annotated if it is incomplete, out of date, incorrect or misleading
• seek a review of our decision refusing you access to a document or to amend your personal record.

You can ask to see any document held at AIATSIS. However, we can refuse your request to access some documents, or parts of documents, that are exempt. These may include documents:

• relating to national security
• containing material obtained in-confidence
• Cabinet documents
• covering other matters set out in the FOI Act.

Except where material is exempt, or inappropriate to publish because it is personal information, all material released under Freedom of Information is published on our Disclosure Log.

How to make a Freedom of information request

Your request must:

• be in writing (including email)
• state that the request is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act
• provide information about the document(s) you wish to access so that we can process your request
• provide an address for reply.

You can email your request executive@aiatsis.gov.au, or post it to:

Director, Executive
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
GPO Box 553
Canberra ACT 2601

Fees

There is no application fee for an FOI request and there are no processing fees when requesting access to documents containing only your personal information. However, processing fees may apply to other requests. If this is the case, we will provide you with a quote for the fees before we proceed.