How to access and amend information
You can access information that Queensland public sector agencies hold, unless it’s not in the public interest to do so.
There are two ways to access information:
- Our administrative access scheme (a quick and easy process that is available for certain information)
- Our formal right to information (RTI) application process.
You can contact us about these processes by email or post.
Administrative access
Providing administrative access to documents is a streamlined way for you to access certain documents from the Office. It is an easier, faster and cheaper alternative to applying under the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act).
Requests for information will be managed as administrative access requests wherever possible, consistent with our commitment to a pro-disclosure approach.
You will generally be provided with copies of:
- all the documents you have given to the Office
- all the documents the Office has given to you.
In most cases, there will be no charge for administrative access to documents, but we may charge photocopying if there are a large number of documents (charges will be consistent with the Right to Information Act).
To apply for administrative access to documents, please provide the following information in writing (by email or post):
- which documents you want
- how you would like the documents delivered (by email, to a street or postal address or left for collection at our reception desk); and
- a certified copy of one of your identity documents (see information about ‘proof of identity’ below).
If we hold personal information about you, and you consider it is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, or misleading, please contact us by email or post (please address your request to the Advisor, RTI and Privacy) and we will determine if this can be corrected without the need for a formal application under the RTI Act (alternatively, information about how to make a formal application is set out below).
Accessing and amending information under the RTI Act
You can apply to access information held by the Office under the RTI Act. General information about how to make applications is also available from the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Right to information
Your RTI application must be in writing, provide us with enough information so that we can identify the documents you are seeking, and provide us with your contact details.
You may also apply to amend your personal information contained in our documents, if you hold a copy of the document, and you consider you personal information is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading. Like an access application, you need to provide us with enough information so that we can identify the documents you are seeking to amend, and provide us with your contact details.
For both access and amendment applications, you should also note whether you are applying for yourself, or on behalf of someone else (and if so, the name of the of the other entity or person, and evidence of your authority to act on their behalf).
If you are applying for your own personal information, you need to provide us with a certified copy of one of your identity documents (see information about 'proof of identity' below).
Fees and charges
If you are making an access application for documents that do not contain your personal information, there is an application fee. There may also be processing and access charges. See further information about RTI fees and charges that apply to whole of government. Please contact us by email or post (please address your request to the Advisor, RTI and Privacy), if you would like to discuss fees and charges.
The Office of the Queensland Ombudsman does not accept payment by credit card. The preferred method of payment is direct deposit to the Office bank account using the details below. Payment through the post using a cheque (payable to Queensland Ombudsman) will also be accepted. Please do not send cash via post.
Account name: Queensland Ombudsman
BSB: 064-013
Account number: 1000 0724
Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Reference: "RTI-[your name]"
Proof of identity
If you would like to access or amend documents containing your personal information please provide a certified copy of an identity document, for example:
- current driver's licence
- identifying page of current passport
- birth certificate
- prisoner identity card.
A certified copy means a photocopy certified by a solicitor, barrister or justice of the peace to be a true copy of the original.
If you are unable to provide an acceptable proof of identity, you may instead provide a statutory declaration from a person who has known you for 12 months or more attesting to your identity.
Disclosure log
A disclosure log is intended to provide information of wider public interest that has been released under the RTI Act.
Access applications to our Office tend to be for personal information or the applicant (e.g. often about complaints they have made) and are therefore not suitable to be published on the disclosure log.
Further information
In addition to the information above, please refer to our Access to and amendment of information policy (PDF 211.8KB).
A lot of information about our Office is publicly available via our website, including via our Publication Scheme.
If you have any questions, please contact us by email or post (please address your request to the Advisor, RTI and Privacy).