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

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:

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

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 $55.75 (from 1 July 2023) No application fee
Processing charge (where total processing time exceeds 5 hours) $8.65 per 15 minutes or part thereof, for the total time spent (from 1 July 2023) 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

Before lodging a request for CCTV footage, please contact Council on 07 3403 8888 to ensure that there is a CCTV camera in the required location and that the footage retention period has not passed.  Generally speaking, CCTV footage is unlikely to be kept for a period longer than 20 days. There is a separate processes for Government organisations requesting Traffic CCTV footage.

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 email the completed application form, you will need to complete the separate credit card authorisation form (PDF - 60.87kb), or a Council officer will contact you to arrange payment of the relevant fee.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online. However, if you are unable or prefer not to submit an online application, a paper or scanned PDF format application can be lodged:

Where evidence of identity is required to be lodged with an access application, this needs to be a certified copy (witnessed by a lawyer or notary public, a commissioner for declarations or a justice of the peace) of one of the following:

  • current driver’s licence
  • identifying page of current passport/birth certificate
  • copy of a prisoner’s identity card certified by a corrective services officer
  • statutory declaration of an individual who has known the applicant for at least one year.

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.

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

Refer to Council’s privacy obligations for further information.

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: 8 September 2023

Brisbane City Council acknowledges this Country and its Traditional Custodians. We pay our respects to the Elders, those who have passed into the dreaming; those here today; those of tomorrow.