How to access information
You can access information that Queensland public sector agencies hold, unless it’s not in the public interest to do so.
There are two ways to access information:
- Our administrative access scheme (a quick and easy process that is available for certain information)
- Our formal information privacy (IP) or right to information (RTI) application process.
You can contact us about these processes by email or post.
Administrative access
Providing administrative access to documents is a streamlined way for you to access certain documents from the Office. It is an easier, faster and cheaper alternative to applying under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) or the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act).
Requests for information will be managed as administrative access requests wherever possible, consistent with our commitment to a pro-disclosure approach.
You will generally be provided with copies of:
- all the documents you have given to the Office
- all the documents the Office has given to you.
There is no fee for administrative access.
To apply for administrative access to documents, please provide the following information in writing (by email or post):
- which documents you want
- how you would like the documents delivered (by email, to a street or postal address or left for collection at our reception desk); and
- a certified copy of one of your identity documents (see information about ‘proof of identity’ below).
Accessing and amending information under the IP Act and the RTI Act
You can apply to access information held by the Office under the IP Act and the RTI Act. General information about how to make applications is also available from the Office of the Information Commissioner.
How to access your personal information
If the documents you want are only the ones that contain your personal information, you can apply for access by:
There is no application fee, although there may be access charges. See further information about RTI/IP fees and charges that apply to whole of government.
How to request amendment of your personal information
If you believe your personal information held by the Office is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading, you can apply to have it amended by:
Right to information
You can apply for non-personal information (or information that contains both personal and non-personal information) by making a right to information application (PDF 207.8KB).
There is an application fee and there may also be processing and access charges. See further information about RTI/IP fees and charges that apply to whole of government.
The Office of the Queensland Ombudsman does not accept payment by credit card. The preferred method of payment is direct deposit to the Office bank account using the details below. Payment through the post using a cheque (payable to Queensland Ombudsman) will also be accepted. Please do not send cash via post.
Account name: Queensland Ombudsman
BSB: 064-013
Account number: 1000 0724
Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Reference: "RTI-[your name]"
Disclosure log
A disclosure log is intended to provide information of wider public interest that has been released under the RTI Act.
Access applications to our Office tend to be for personal information of the applicant (eg. often about complaints they have made) and are therefore not suitable to be published on the disclosure log.
No documents have been considered suitable for inclusion on the disclosure log since 2011.
Proof of identity
If you would like to access or amend documents containing your personal information please provide a certified copy of an identity document, for example:
- current driver's licence
- identifying page of current passport
- birth certificate
- prisoner identity card.
A certified copy means a photocopy certified by a solicitor, barrister or justice of the peace to be a true copy of the original.
If you are unable to provide an acceptable proof of identity, you may instead provide a statutory declaration from a person who has known you for 12 months or more attesting to your identity.
Lawyers acting for a client must provide a copy of their client's written authority permitting them to access their client's documents held by the Office.
Court or tribunal appointed guardians must provide a copy of the relevant order.
Further information
In addition to the information above, please refer to our Access to information policy (PDF 135.7KB).
A lot of information about our Office is publicly available via our website, including via our Publication Scheme.
If you have any questions, please contact us by email or post (please address your request to the Advisor, RTI and Privacy).