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Administrative access scheme

The Administrative access scheme allows you to access certain information held by the department without having to apply through a formal application process under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) or Right to Information 2009 (RTI Act).

Anyone can request administrative access to information we hold under this scheme. If the department decides to refuse administrative access to requested information, we will give reasons for the decision.

In some cases, we may redact information from documents before providing them. This may be, for example, to protect another person’s privacy or to remove confidential information or other sensitive information.

Decisions to refuse administrative access to information under the scheme are at the department’s discretion and requestors do not have rights of review (in the way that applicants have rights of review in relation to decisions made under the RTI and IP Acts).

Any person who is not provided with any or all of the information they have requested administratively may still apply under the RTI or IP Acts for access to that information.

If a requestor is dissatisfied with how the department handled their request under this scheme, they may make a complaint or provide feedback to the department.

There are no fees or charges associated with making a request for information under the scheme or receiving documents electronically. We may, however, pass on any reasonable costs incurred in providing access to documents by the provision of photocopies.

Once a request under this scheme is received by our department, the request will be assessed to determine whether the requested information can be administratively released. We aim to respond to requests made under the scheme within 20 business days.

Requests made under the scheme are processed in accordance with our Administrative Release Policy and Procedure ( 217.4 KB).

Types of information that may be suitable to be released under the scheme

Administrative release of information may be appropriate when:

  • there is demand for access to the requested information; and
  • there are no significant adverse effects as a result of disclosing the information; and
  • the information involved is of a kind that would be released if it was requested under the RTI or IP Acts, either generally or to a particular requestor.

Types of information that may be suitable for administrative release include:

  • documents containing a requestor’s own personal information, but excluding personal information of another individual (e.g. correspondence to the requestor, documents supplied by the requestor and records of contact with the requestor)
  • personal information of a requestor who is a current or former employee of the department (e.g. personnel records, remuneration information and group certificates)
  • information available on the department’s website that the requestor would like to access in a different format (e.g. where a document is an audio recording and the requestor wishes to receive the document as a transcript)
  • data or statistics relating to the department’s key functions and activities that are not already available online (excluding data containing personal information and sensitive unit level data)
  • documents that are publicly available
  • information that is routinely made available by the department
  • policies and guidelines of the department that are not already available online; and
  • information that would be released in full, and would not require consultation with any third party, if the request were made under the RTI Act or the IP Act.

The types of information listed above may not automatically be suitable for release under this scheme in every case. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis having regard to the content of the particular information being sought, and all relevant facts and circumstances that exist at the time of making a decision under this scheme.

Limitations on administrative release

Administrative release of information under the Scheme may not be appropriate in some cases, including where:

  • information is personal information of another individual, or disclosure may breach the privacy principles in the IP Act (e.g. a dataset containing personal information that has had identifiers such as names and addresses removed but still has the potential for a person to be re-identified)
  • the information is sensitive taking into account the identity of the requestor and the security classification of the information (if applicable)
  • a third party may have concerns with, or might wish to object to, release of the information, and administrative release would obviate or affect statutory rights that the third party would otherwise have if the request were made as an application under the RTI or IP Act
  • release may breach statutory provisions affecting the operation of government or statutory secrecy provisions that prevent disclosure of the information (some Acts prohibit the release of information except in certain limited circumstances)
  • disclosure may compromise other essential government or private interests (e.g. prejudicing an investigation, waiving legal professional privilege or disclosing confidential or commercial information)
  • disclosure may breach contractual terms affecting the release of information
  • disclosure of a document may breach copyright or involve issues related to intellectual property
  • more than minor redactions are likely to be made to requested documents (including in relation to information that is likely to be refused or deleted if the request were made under the RTI or IP Act)
  • information may be exempt information, or its disclosure may be contrary to the public interest, in accordance with provisions of the RTI Act.

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the types of information or circumstances when administrative release may not be appropriate.

Is the information you're looking for already available?

Our website provides a wide range of information about our department and its functions and activities.

You can check to see if information you are seeking is already publicly available online through:

If you cannot find what you are looking for, and before making a request to the department under the scheme, we recommend contacting our Right to Information team on (07) 3452 6949 or by email at RTI@dsdilgp.qld.gov.au. We can help determine if the information you are seeking is held by the department and is accessible (including administratively under the scheme) or if you need to make an application under the RTI or IP Act to access it.

How to make a request

To request administrative access to information that we hold, please send a written request to the department’s Right to Information team with your name, contact information and enough detail for the department to identify the information you are seeking. Requests under the scheme can be sent via:

If a request is for any information containing the requestor’s personal information, we will require evidence of a requestor’s identity before we can release any information (e.g. a certified copy of the requestor’s driver licence). If a request is made on behalf of another person or entity (as their agent), we also require evidence of the agent’s identity, as well as evidence of their authority to act as an agent for the requestor (e.g. a signed written authority authorising the agent to make the request on behalf of the requestor).

Last updated: 06 Jun 2024