Freedom of information

Austrade responds to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). Find out how to make a request.

Informal requests for information

You can ask to see any document in Austrade. You can get certain information, including personal information we hold about you. You can do this without following a formal process.

To see if the information is already available, you can also check our Freedom of Information Disclosure Log and Information Publication Scheme.

Formal requests for information

The FOI Act gives any person the right to:

• access copies of documents held by Austrade unless exempt
• ask for information we hold about you to be changed or annotated if it is incomplete, out of date, incorrect or misleading
• seek a review of an FOI decision.

Exempt documents

We can refuse access to some documents or parts of documents if they are exempt. Exempt documents include those:

• with someone else’s personal or business information
• relating to national security
• containing material obtained in confidence and Cabinet documents
• other matters set out in the FOI Act.

How to make an FOI request

Your request must:

• be in writing
• state it is an FOI Act request
• clearly identify the documents you seek
• provide contact details for reply.

Post:

FOI Contact Officer
Legal Procurement and Fraud
Austrade
GPO Box 2386
Canberra ACT 2601

Email: foi.coordination.officer@austrade.gov.au

Third parties

Another person can make an FOI request on your behalf. You will need to:

• provide them with specific written permission
• let us know who can view the information if released.

Fees and charges

There is no application fee for an FOI request. You may need to pay processing charges. We will send you a written estimate with the basis of our calculation.

You can ask for the charge to be waived or reduced. Reasons might include financial hardship or public interest.

Find out about fees and charges on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) website. See What charges may apply?

Our response

You will be advised within 14 days that your request has been received. You will also be given an estimate of the charges that apply to your request.

We will send you a letter when a decision is made about your FOI request. A decision will usually be provided within 30 days. It can sometimes be extended. For example, if we need to contact another person or agency about the request.

If you disagree with our response

You can request in writing that we reconsider our decision through an internal review. We will advise you of our updated decision within 30 days of receiving your request.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) can review some decisions. They can also investigate complaints.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman can also investigate some complaints.

More information

Read more about freedom of information on the OAIC website.