Budget cuts to hamper FOI oversight: information chief
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The already clogged processing of freedom of information requests in Victoria is set to get slower, with state government budget cuts forcing job losses in the agency that regulates the government’s FOI, privacy and data protection systems.
Acting Information Commissioner Joanne Kummrow told The Sunday Age that her office had reduced its staff from 59 to 49 after the government cut its base funding by $500,000 in 2023/24.
Acting Information Commissioner Joanne Kummrow
“There is no doubt that these and future cuts to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner’s (OVIC) budget will impact upon our independent regulatory functions oversighting FOI, privacy and information security matters,” she said.
Kummrow said the cuts would lead to delays in OVIC’s work in reviewing agency FOI decisions and dealing with complaints from the public, with more than 1100 FOI reviews and complaints received last financial year.
The cuts come as OVIC’s annual report for 2022/2023 reveals the number of FOI requests made to government agencies is growing.
Kummrow said this year’s data shows an increase in complaints about delays in government processing of FOI requests and an increase in requests for reviews, to her office.
She said OVIC has also halved the number of FOI and privacy training sessions it delivers to public servants, reducing their frequency from monthly to bi-monthly sessions.
“While we are adjusting to these cuts, we will always endeavour to provide independent and quality services to the Victorian public,” she said.
Like other integrity agencies the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and Ombudsman Victoria, OVIC is overseen by the parliamentary integrity and oversight committee.
Kummrow’s comments followed Thursday’s tabling of the committee’s report on the performance of the integrity agencies which included detail about the likely impact of the cuts on OVIC’s work.
The committee is currently undertaking a review of the state’s FOI Act 1982, the first comprehensive review since the laws came into force.
Committee chair and Greens MP Tim Read warned that cutting funds to the Information Commissioner would be “a drag” on the FOI system and “reduce transparency in government”.
“OVIC needs the funds to do its job, especially when we’re holding an inquiry into the Freedom of Information Act,” he said.
“If the Victorian Labor government is serious about transparency, then they can’t defund OVIC to the point where it has to cut staff.”
A government spokesperson said the Justice Department like all government departments had started work to achieve the savings announced in this year’s budget.
“This work includes helping entities across the justice portfolio find savings,” said the spokesperson.
“We are continuing to work with OVIC to ensure that they can operate effectively and deliver efficient services to Victorians.”
Established in 2017, OVIC describes itself as the “primary regulator and source of independent advice to the community and Victorian government about how the public sector collects, uses and discloses information”.
The agency’s 2023/2024 annual report describes OVIC’s “foundations” as: “To uphold and administer the information laws that protect every Victorian’s personal privacy, while also ensuring fair access. And to promote and embed a culture of transparency among the Victorian public sector.”
In 2022 OVIC tabled a report detailing the delays Victorians face with their FOI requests.
The 2023/2024 annual report notes that “12 months on, these considerable delays continue to hamper access to information in a timely manner”.
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