Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA) gives individuals the right to access documents (subject to certain restrictions) that are within the council's possession. It also allows for the amendment of documents which contain personal information that is incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading.
Many Council documents are available to the public and do not require a Freedom of Information application. These documents include public copies of minutes and agendas (including reports), policies and procedures adopted by the Council, strategic management plans, registers and returns, codes of conduct, codes of practice, by-laws, annual report and development applications available for viewing during the public consultation period in accordance with the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA).
Many of these documents are available on this website; however, they can also be inspected or purchased from the front counter at the Civic Centre, 4 Mackay Street, Port Augusta.
Please refer to the Section 4 of Council's Annual Report for a more specific list of documents available for public inspection.
Other council information is readily available without recourse to the Freedom of Information Act and we invite you to discuss your information needs with us. There are a few exceptions, such as personal and personnel records and matters which are subject to litigation, but generally, information is readily available for viewing at no charge or a minimal reproduction charge as per our Fees and Charges Schedule.
It is important to specify what you require as clearly as possible so our staff may quickly and efficiently help you.
If you wish to make an application for access to a Council document, which is not available publicly, then it will be necessary to complete a:
Freedom of Information (FOI) Request for Access to Documents
There are fees associated with processing an application as provided in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2003 (no fee is required for concession card holders or pensioners). Please refer to the State Records Website for current information and associated fees, or refer to the application form.
FOI in South Australia - State Records
An initial fee must accompany the Freedom of Information application and an administrative fee is charged for the time spent to process the application. In order to reduce the fees associated with this process it is advisable to contact the Council's Freedom of Information Officer, to discuss the specifics of the request.
Once a valid application is received, the Freedom of Information Officer is required to:
- search the council's Records Management systems to establish location of relevant document(s)
- physically locate and extract documents from place held
- read file to locate document(s) relevant to the request
- examine the document carefully
- consult with any person or body
- make the determination
- notify the applicant of the determination.
All applications must be made in writing using the prescribed form and accompanied with the application fee. The application together with the fee should be mailed to:
City of Port Augusta
Freedom of Information Officer
PO Box 1704
PORT AUGUSTA SA 5700