Access to information

The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) requires agencies to provide access to government information and encourages proactive release of such information.

As required by the GIPA Act, the Commission provides the following information on its website:

  • agency information guide
  • a disclosure log of access applications
  • documents tabled in Parliament by or on behalf of the Commission
  • plans and policies
  • a register of government contracts.

Where information is not available on the website, an informal request may be made to the Commission’s Right to Information Officer. Where information is not available on the website or not provided by informal request, a formal access application can be made to the Commission.

What is public access to government information?

The GIPA Act replaced the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW) on 1 July 2010.

The GIPA Act establishes a comprehensive system for public access to government information by:

  • requiring government agencies to make certain sorts of information freely available
  • encouraging government agencies to release as much other information as possible; giving the public an enforceable right to make access applications for government information
  • restricting access to information only when there is an overriding public interest against disclosure.

The public access to government information system is overseen by the Information and Privacy Commission. For more information, visit the Information and Privacy Commission website.

How can you access information held by the Commission?

You can access government information held by the Commission by searching this website, making an informal request or by making a formal access application.

Search this website

The Commission releases as much government information as possible on this website.

Under the GIPA Act, certain information is required by law to be available free of charge on the Commission website. This is called "open access information" and includes the Commission's:

  • agency information guide
  • documents tabled in Parliament
  • plans and policies
  • disclosure log
  • register of government contracts.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on this website, contact the Commission on (02) 9228 4844.

Make an informal request

You can contact the Commission to ask if the information you are looking for has been released by the Commission, either on this website or in another form. The Commission may be able to provide that information without the need for you to make a formal access application, unless there are good reasons to require one.

Under the GIPA Act, however, Government agencies are not required to release information without an access application.

Make a formal access application

If the information you are seeking is not available on this website and is not otherwise routinely provided by the Commission on request, then you have a right to formally apply for access to specific information.

A formal request can be made by downloading and completing the government information access form, and sending it to the Commission at the following address:

Natural Resources Commission
GPO Box 5341
Sydney NSW 2001

A formal access application is subject to application fee and processing charges in accordance with the GIPA Act.

Agency information guide

The GIPA Act requires agencies to develop and adopt an agency information guide as a part of their mandatory open access information.

The Commission's agency information guide describes:

  • our functions and structure
  • what kind of government information we have
  • what kind of government information we make (or will make) available to the public
  • how that information will be made available
  • whether or not there is a charge to access specific kinds of information.

Disclosure log

The disclosure log records a summary of information the Commission has released in response to formal access applications, as required by the GIPA Act.

Documents tabled in Parliament

The most recent document tabled in Parliament:
Annual Report 2016-17

All Commission-related documents tabled in Parliament are available on the NSW Parliament website. To access these documents:

  1. Go to the House Papers webpage.
  2. On the left side menu, scroll down and select Tabled Papers and Reports.
  3. Click on Filter. Select Agency as the 'Natural Resources Commission'. Apply Filter.

Register of government contracts

All of the Commission's contracts with the private sector valued over $150,000 are required to be recorded in the register of government contracts, which is published on the NSW eTendering website.

The details of each contract is entered into the register of government contracts within 45 working days of the contract coming into effect, and remain on the register for 20 working days or until the contract is complete, whichever is longer.

To access these contracts:

  1. Go to the NSW eTendering website.
  2. On the Home page, select Agency as the 'Natural Resources Commission'. Click 'Go'.
  3. On the Advanced Search page, select 'Contract Award Notices'. Click 'Proceed to Step 2'.
  4. On the Advanced Search Criteria page, click 'Search'.