The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) gives you a legal right to request access to documents held by the government.
Make sure you check documents released from past FOI requests. Do this before you make a new request.
What you can request
You can request access to any document in the possession of:
- us (the department)
- certain agencies, such as portfolio Ministers.
We can refuse access to some documents, or parts of documents that are exempt. Exempt documents may include those relating to national security, documents containing material obtained in confidence and Cabinet documents, or other matters set out in the FOI Act.
How to make a request
You can submit an FOI request to us by either emailing foi@awe.gov.au or completing our online request form.
All FOI requests must:
• be in writing
• state that the request is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act
• provide information about the document(s) to assist us to process your request
• provide an address for reply
• clearly state which agency your request relates to.
If your request does not clearly identify the relevant agency, we will take it be a request for documents only in the possession of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. If it is unclear, we will seek clarification from you.
Personal details
You are not required to give us your real name, or any name at all, or provide proof of your identity. We do need this to give you access to:
- your own personal information or documents about your business affairs, or
- information on behalf of another person with their consent.
FOI Request form
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) must be completed before you can submit your request.