Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Freedom of Information Act 1982 - SECT 17

Requests for access

17. Requests for access



(1) A person who wishes to obtain access to a document of an agency or an
official document of a Minister shall make a request in writing to the agency
or Minister as the case requires for access to the document.

(2) A request shall provide such information concerning the document as is
reasonably necessary to enable a responsible officer of the agency, or the
Minister, as the case may be, to identify the document.

(2A) A request must be accompanied by a fee of 2 fee units.





(2B) An application fee may be waived or reduced, whether or not the fee has
been paid, if the payment of the fee would cause hardship to the applicant.

(3) It is the duty of an agency or Minister, as the case may be, to assist a
person who wishes to make a request, or has made a request that does not
comply with this section or has not been directed to the appropriate agency or
Minister, to make a request in a manner that complies with this section or to
direct a request to the appropriate agency or Minister.







(4) Where a request in writing is made to an agency or Minister for access to
a document, the agency or Minister, as the case may be, shall not refuse to
comply with the request on the ground that the request does not comply with
subsection (2), without first giving the applicant a reasonable opportunity of
consultation with the agency with a view to the making of a request in a form
that does comply with that subsection.