Right to Information (RTI)

Brisbane City Council operates under the Queensland Government Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act 2009) and the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act 2009).

Accessing Council information

An application may be made under the RTI Act 2009 or IP Act 2009 for access to information and CCTV footage held by Council. There are separate processes for:

Before entering the application process, check whether the information required is accessible via administrative or other means (e.g. through Council’s publication scheme). If so, an application under the RTI Act 2009 or IP Act 2009 should not be lodged.

To check if information is already accessible, you can:

Applications under the RTI Act 2009 and IP Act 2009 are made by completing the Right to Information and Privacy Access Application form (either online or by paper application), providing certain types of information and paying the application fee as outlined below:

Table to explain RTI application process, link to form, whether additional information is required and any fee involved.
  Application under RTI Act 2009 Application under IP Act 2009
Application fee $51.70 (from 10 August 2020) No application fee
Processing charge (where total processing time exceeds 5 hours) $8 per 15 minutes or part thereof, for the total time spent (from 10 August 2020) No processing charge
Photocopying charge $0.25 per B&W A4 page (from 1 July 2016) $0.25 per B&W A4 page (from 1 July 2016)
Additional information required If applying for documents which contain your personal information, a copy of proof of identification (e.g. driver's licence, passport) will be required.  

Lodging an application

To lodge an application under the RTI Act 2009 and IP Act 2009 please complete the Right to Information and Information Privacy Access Application form. 

If you are unable or prefer not to submit an online application, a paper or scanned PDF format application can be lodged:

Applications will be processed within 25 working days, unless an extension is required. 

If you are dissatisfied with the RTI and IP Officer’s decision, you can apply for an internal review conducted by a different officer within Council, or an external review conducted by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

If you email or fax the completed application form, you will need to complete the separate credit card authorisation form (PDF - 49kb), or a Council officer will contact you to arrange payment of the relevant fee.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the RTI and IP team at an early stage to discuss their information requirements or if they wish to amend personal information held by Council.

For more information, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Council's disclosure log

Council's disclosure log contains a record of documents released in response to applications made under the Right to Information Act 2009. 

Council's Publication Scheme

The documents available from the lists below may be accessed and downloaded free of charge. Copies may also be obtained from a Regional Business Centre. There may be a small charge for this service.

About Council

Council’s services

Council’s finances

Council’s priorities

How Council makes decisions

Personal information

  1. Council has various areas that collect, use, store and utilise personal information as required and as authorised by law.
  2. Personal information is collected only when required to provide a service or to administer a responsibility.
  3. The personal information collected varies according to the types of transactions a person conducts with Council and the services provided by Council. These are wide-ranging and numerous. Some of the most common include animal registration, rates, parking, licencing, building approvals, food business approvals, waste management, immunisation, libraries, public transport and safety cameras, each of which requires collection of personal information as appropriate to the function.
  4. All personal information is collected in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 and in compliance with the 11 Information Privacy Principles listed in Schedule 3 of the Information Privacy Act 2009.
  5. Your personal information will not be disclosed to any other person or agency unless you have given your permission to do so or Council is required or permitted by law to do so.
  6. The personal information that is collected is stored securely and protected against loss, unauthorised use, disclosure and misuse.
  7. For more information on personal information holdings, you can read privacy, copyright, disclaimer.

Council policies

Council registers

If you are unable to find what you are looking for in the lists above, use the search function on Council's website.

If you need to access a document in a different format, you can phone Council on 07 3403 8888. If you need an interpreter to speak with Council, phone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask to be connected to Council on 07 3403 8888.

Last updated:11 August 2020