Access to information
Information available to the public
Under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act), we must make certain information easily available to the public.
This is known as ‘open access information’. It includes information about:
This information and other information required by the GIPA Act about us and our work is collected in our Agency Information Guide. Our Agency Information Guide can be found here.
We also aim to make other information about us easily available, including:
- the work we do (in our News section).
- our reports and other publications (in our Find a publication section).
Information about our contracts with the private sector valued over $150,000 can be found on the NSW Government eTendering website.
To learn more about the GIPA Act and information access, visit the Information and Privacy Commission NSW.
Information not available to the public
Our office handles personal and sensitive information. Ombudsman complaints and investigations are conducted in the absence of the public.
The Ombudsman Act 1974 restricts the circumstances in which we are permitted to disclose information about what we do. The GIPA Act classifies information relating to our investigative, complaint handling and reporting functions as 'excluded information'.
This means there is no right to access this information under the GIPA Act.
Request access to information
If you cannot find the information you're looking for on our website, contact our office on 1800 451 524 or at info@ombo.nsw.gov.au.
We encourage you to contact us before submitting a formal access application under the GIPA Act. We will let you know if the information you are looking for is already publicly available and help you find it. If it is not publicly available, we can let you know if it is 'excluded information', which means it cannot be accessed under the GIPA Act, or if you may be able to access it from another source or by other means.
Make a formal access application
A formal access application must:
- be in writing (sent either to legal@ombo.nsw.gov.au or posted to the Ombudsman's office at Level 24, 580 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
- state that you are requesting information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
- include your name and postal or email address for correspondence
- include as much information as possible to help us identify the information you're looking for.
Our office does not charge a GIPA application fee.
We will let you know within 5 working days if your application is valid. The GIPA Act does not entitle anyone to access ‘excluded information’, which is information relating to our investigative, complaint handling and reporting functions. To the extent that an application is made to access ‘excluded information’, it will not be valid and will not be processed. If your application is not valid, we will let you know.
If your application, or any part of it, is valid, we will let you know within 20 days if you are able to access the information you have asked for.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome, you can request an internal review. You can also request a review by the Information and Privacy Commission NSW or the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
If you need help with a GIPA application, contact our office on 1800 451 524 or at info@ombo.nsw.gov.au
Disclosure log
If we give someone information in response to a formal access application and we think the information might also be of interest to others, we include it in our disclosure log:
Date of decision | Description of information released | Availability |
1 October 2020 | Information about who the Ombudsman and staff are accountable to | The information provided: Staff of the NSW Ombudsman are accountable to the Ombudsman in carrying out their work. This includes any matter where the [NSW Ombudsman’s Values and Guarantee of Service] have not been met. Any complaint about a breach may be sent to the Ombudsman’s general email address: info@ombo.nsw.gov.au The Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Ombudsman, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission and the Crime Commission monitors and review the functions of the Ombudsman. The Committee cannot investigate matters relating to particular conduct, nor reconsider decisions relating to the investigation of particular complaints or reconsider findings, recommendations and, determinations or other decisions of the Ombudsman or any other person in relation to a particular investigation or complaint. Correspondence to the Committee may be addressed to: Chair |
8 March 2022 | Information as to the dissemination / delivery of the Ombudsman's Good Conduct and Administrative Practice Guidelines (3rd ed) at the time of publication in March 2017 | Copies of the information may be requested by email to info@ombo.nsw.gov.au |
1 April 2022 | Information as to the delegation of functions under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 by the NSW Ombudsman, including delegations to Legal Counsel. | Copies of the information may be requested by email to info@ombo.nsw.gov.au |
13 September 2022 | Information as to the management and control of interagency collaboration, in particular when personal information is shared for a purpose other than in connection with the exercise by the NSW Ombudsman of its statutory functions and powers. | Copies of the information may be requested by email to info@ombo.nsw.gov.au. Information about open access information was also provided and is accessible on this website under "Agreements with agencies". |
6 March 2023 | Policies and procedures with provisions that may limit or restrict communications or services:
| Current versions of some of these documents may be found on the 'Policies' page on this website. Copies of the information (including the version current at February 2023 or not on the Policies page) may be requested by email to info@ombo.nsw.gov.au. |
15 June 2023 | Information sent to NSW government agencies and bodies about the issuing of the Ombudsman Ombudsman's Good Conduct and Administrative Practice Guidelines (3rd ed). (The scope of information to which access was provided is the same as that released on 8 March 2022 above.) | Copies of the information may be requested by email to info@ombo.nsw.gov.au |