Annual Report 2009/2010 - Hawkesbury City Council - NSW ...

Policy for Access to Information
Introduction
In adopting an open file policy for access to information, Council recognises and promotes the public's right
to broad ranging access to Council information and documents. Also Council encourages open and
transparent governance and well informed community debate.
All requests will be processed promptly and in accordance with the relevant legislation.
Statutory Access to Council Documents
Requests to access documents may be made under the Freedom of Information Act 1989 or the Local
Government Act 1993.
It is pointed out that Section 12(6) of the Local Government Act 1993 provides that:
"The Council must allow inspection of its other documents (other than the documents freely
available under Section 12(1)) free of charge unless in the case of a particular document, it is
satisfied that allowing inspection of the document would, on balance, be contrary to the public
interest."
The following documents are available under Section 12(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, free of
charge:
• Code of conduct
• Code of meeting practice
• Annual report
• Annual financial reports
• Auditor's report
• Management plan
• EEO management plan
• Payment of expenses and provision of facilities to councillors policy
• Land register
• Register of investments
• Returns of the interests of councillors, designated persons and delegates
• Returns as to candidates' campaign donations
• Agendas and business papers for Council and Committee meetings (but not including business
papers for matters considered when part of a meeting is closed to the public)
• Minutes of Council and Committee meetings, but restricted (in the case of any part of the meeting
that is closed to the public), to the resolutions and recommendations of the meeting
• Any Codes referred to in the Local Government Act 1993
• Register of delegations
• Annual reports of bodies exercising delegated Council functions
• Applications under Part 1 of Chapter 7 of the Local Government Act 1993 for approval to erect a
building, and associated documents, subject to restrictions outline in Section 12(1A) of the Act
• Development applications (within the meaning of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act
1979) and associated documents, subject to restrictions outline in Section 12(1A) of the Act
• Local policies adopted by the Council concerning approvals and orders
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2009/2010 Annual Report