Making an applications for assessed disclosure

Right to Information Officer
Department of Justice
GPO Box 825
Hobart TAS 7001

A form to assist in making an application is available here

Applications for information need to be made to the department, authority or council holding the relevant information or most closely linked to the information. A webpage like this one is available for most other public authorities.
If you are not using the form, please note that your applications must be made in writing and include the information which is requested in the form - this is a requirement of Regulation 4 of the Right to Information Regulations 2010.
Applications are to be accompanied by the application fee. This fee is 25 fee units, which is $35.00 as at 1 July 2011 and is indexed annually.
You may apply to have the fee waived if:
the you are in financial hardship we take that to mean that you are on income support payments (we would usually ask to see evidence that you are in receipt of Centrelink or veterans affairs payments);
Where you are a member of parliament and the application is in connection with their official duty; or
The you are able to gives us information which shows that the information sought is intended to be used for a purpose that is of general public interest or benefit.
Make sure you have looked for the information before you make a formal application, because if the information is otherwise available your application may be refused without the return of you application fee.

What will we do once we have your application for assessed disclosure?

We will check you application to make sure we have the information we need and that you have paid the application fee (or we will waive the fee)
We may transfer your application to another public authority if we do not believe we are best placed to provide you with the information.
Before your application is accepted, we may need to contact you to ask you about your application, this will help us to understand your request.
Once we have done these steps an officer will assess your application against the Right to Information Act 2009 and let you know the outcome of that process in writing.
You will be be notified of the decision on your application for assessed disclosure as soon as practicable, but in no more than 20 working days of the application being accepted.
If your request is complex or for a large amount of information we may ask you to give us more time.
If there is a need to consult with a third party about their business affairs or about their personal information, more time is automatically given and we will let you know the outcome as soon as practicable, but no later than 40 working days we will let you know if this is happening.
If the application or part of the application is refused, then the reasons for the refusal to provide the information must be provided as part of the decision together with details on the right to seek a review of the decision. This is done by writing to:

Principal Officer
Right to Information
Department of Justice
GPO Box 825
Hobart TAS 7001

If the officer assessing your request does not get back to you in the timeframe allowed then we are taken to have refused your application and you are able to make an application for review to the Ombudsman if your choose.

Some information on reviews by the Ombudsman can be found on the Office of the Ombudsman website.