Central Coast Council is committed to open, accountable and transparent government through the timely release of Council held information that is of interest to our community.

Under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act), you are entitled to see a lot of information that Council holds in records. You can access information in the following ways:

Self-search

Council’s website contains a wide array of regularly updated open access information. A list information required to be made available can be found under Schedule 1 of the GIPA Regulation which includes (but is not limited to):

• Policies, strategies and plans
• Business papers and minutes from Council meetings
• Annual reports
• Financial statements
• Information about development applications
• Disclosure log of access applications 
• Disclosure of interest pecuniary returns
• Register of government contracts (list of Council’s contracts with a value greater than $150,000)

You can use the search button at the top of the screen to find what you are looking for.

You can also refer to our Agency Information Guide which provides more information on Council, including our organisational structure, functions, decisions and the types of information held.

Proactive release

Council proactively releases other information free of charge, where there is no overriding public interest against doing so. This may include reports about particular issues, plans and initiatives of Council.

Council’s Authorised Proactive Release page contains released documents, including information about the Public Inquiry, coastal erosion, the Wyong Employment Zone (WEZ) and Council’s pecuniary interest returns.

Council also releases a range of information related to Council projects on the Your Voice Our Coast as part of our consultation processes.

Informal release

If the information you want is not on the website, you can informally apply to Council and we will tell you whether the information you want:

• Is open access information that is already available and how you can access the information,
• Can be made available as part of a proactive release of information,
• Can be disclosed to you through informal release, or 
• Requires a formal access application (See 'Formal release' below)

You can lodge an Informal Access to Information Application. There is no fee for lodging an informal information access application.

Timeframes

Please note that while Council aims to process Informal Access to Information applications as soon as possible, the GIPA Act provides no statutory timeframes by which informal requests must be decided within. Formal access applications will be prioritised due to strict legislative timeframes.

• Current timeframes are approximately 6-8 weeks.

Request for Property Ownership Information

If you would like access to property ownership details, please contact NSW Land Registry Services in the first instance.

Council may be able assist by passing your contact details on (with your consent) to the property owner to contact you. Please note that the owner does not have an obligation to contact you. This process will require you to complete the Property Ownership Request form.

Formal release

Access to other Council information (such as information of a personal or commercially sensitive nature) can be applied for by completing a Formal GIPA Application. This form will also be required if you request access to a large volume of information*.

A formal access application must: 

• Be in writing using the Formal GIPA Application form,
• Indicate that the request is made under the GIPA Act,
• Be accompanied by a $30.00 application fee,
• Provide a response to all questions on the form, and
• Provide sufficient detail to enable Council to identify the information requested.

The GIPA Act states that where no consultation is required, Council has up to 20 business days to process the application.

If the information requires records retrieval or consultation with third parties, Council may extent the due date by up to 15 business days under section 57(2) of the GIPA Act.

Please note that Council may charge a fee to cover photocopying and/or processing costs where applicable. In certain circumstances, Council will apply a 50% reduction to the processing charges (not the application fee). Please refer to Council’s Fees and Charges for more information. 

* Some information, such as plans, and reports submitted with development applications is protected by copyright. Copies of this information will not be provided to members of the public unless applicants have the consent of the copyright owner. To obtain a copy of a document that is protected by copyright, please use complete the Copyright Owner Consent form.

Your review rights

If you are not satisfied with our decision in relation to an access application, you may seek a review of the decision.

You have three review options:

1. Internal Review ( LINK TO FORM ) - By another officer of Council who is no less senior than the officer who made the original decision. You will need to complete the Internal Review Form and pay the $40.00 application fee.
2. External Review by IPC – You can request an External Review by the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC). You will need to contact the IPC directly for more information:
3. External Review by NCAT – You can request an External Review by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). You will need to contact NCAT directly for more information:

Disclosure Log

Information released in response to a formal access request may be of interest to other members of the public. In such cases, Council will publish details in its Disclosure Log in accordance with section 25 of the GIPA Act. 

Information listed in the Disclosure Log can be accessed by contacting Council’s Governance team:

Phone: 02 4306 7900
Email: ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au 

Lobbying

Lobbying of Council Officials is where a person or organisation makes representations to Council with a direct interest in a matter or by acting on behalf of others. Lobbyists can help individuals and organisations communicate their views on matters of public interest to council.

To ensure there is transparency and openness in Council decision making, Council has adopted a Lobbying Policy that sets out a framework for appropriate lobbying. All lobbyists, as defined by this Policy, are required to complete the Lobbyist Registration Form for each matter on which they intend to lobby Council. Council’s Lobbyist Register, published on Council’s website, records the details of lobbyists who have registered with council.

Register lobbyist details via the Registration Form (available as Appendix 1 in the Lobbying Policy and send the completed form to Council:

Phone: 02 4306 7900
Email: ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.auYour right to information

Council aims to ensure that all requests to access our information are processed in a timely manner and in accordance with:

• Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
• Local Government Act 1993
• Copyright Act 1968
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

In addition, Council must comply with:

• Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (the PPIP Act) which protects personal information and the privacy of individuals. In accordance with the PPIP Act and other legislation concerning public access to information, Council has developed a Privacy Management Plan and a Privacy Statement.
• Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 which protects personal and health information.

Further information

You can find out more about your right to information and new ways to access government information by visiting the Information and Privacy Commission website (IPC). The IPC is an independent statutory authority responsible for overseeing the provisions of the GIPA Act.