Access to information
Information available to the public
Under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act), certain information must be made easily available to the public.
This is known as ‘open access information’. It includes information about:
We also aim to make other information about us easily available, including:
- Learn more about the work we do in our News section.
- View or download our annual reports and submissions from Find a publication.
See our contracts with the private sector valued over $150,000 on the NSW Government eTendering website.
To learn more about the GIPA Act and information access, visit the NSW Information and Privacy Commission.
Information not available to the public
Our office handles personal and sensitive information. We are also required by law to handle complaints and conduct investigations in the absence of the public.
The Ombudsman Act 1974 does not allow us to disclose information to the public except in specific ways. The main way is when we table a report in Parliament.
For these reasons, information relating to our investigative, complaint handling and reporting functions is ‘excluded’ from the GIPA Act. This includes our functions relating to community services.
This means that you cannot apply to access this excluded information under the GIPA Act.
Request access to information
If you cannot find the information you're looking for on our website, contact our Right to Information Officer on (02) 9286 1000 or nswombo@ombo.nsw.gov.au
We encourage you to contact our Right to Information Officer before submitting a formal access application under the GIPA Act. They 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, they can let you know if you can make an application for it under the GIPA Act.
Make a formal access application
A formal access application must:
- be in writing and sent to our address at Level 24, 580 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
- clearly state that you are requesting information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
- include the $30 application fee
- 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.
We will let you know within 5 working days if your application is valid. Your application will not be valid if it asks for excluded information – which is information relating to our investigative, complaint handling and reporting functions. You cannot make a formal access application to us for excluded information. If your application is not valid, we will let you know and refund your application fee.
For valid applications, 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 NSW Information and Privacy Commission or the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
If you need help, contact our Right to Information Officer on (02) 9286 1000 or 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: nswombo@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 |