FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982 - SECT 18 Transfer of requests

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982 - SECT 18

    (1)     A request for access to a document may be made to any agency which has a copy of the document.

    (2)     Where—

        (a)     a request is made to an agency for access to a document; and

        (b) (i)     the document is not in the possession of that agency but is in the possession of another agency; or

              (ii)     the subject-matter of the document is more closely connected with the functions of another agency than with those of the agency to which the request is made—

the agency to which the request is made may promptly transfer the request to the other agency and inform the person making the request accordingly and, if it is necessary to do so in order to enable the other agency to deal with the request, send the document to the other agency.

    (3)     Where a request is transferred to an agency in accordance with this section, it shall be deemed to be a request made to that agency and received at the time at which the transfer was made or fourteen days after the date of the original request, whichever is the shorter period.

    (4)     Where a request is made to the Public Record Office of Victoria for access to a document of a kind referred to in section 15(1), the Public Record Office may promptly transfer the request to the agency deemed, by virtue of that subsection, to be the agency in possession of the document.

    (5)     In this section where appropriate "agency" includes a Minister.