Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner

Thank you to Northern Councils Alliance for hosting us last week - an excellent session and a great opportunity to hear first-hand the what biggest issues facing Victorian councils are, and how OVIC can better service our community-facing organisations. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!

The Communiqué from Association of Information Access Commissioners (AIAC) meeting in October is now available to view on the OVIC website. This Communiqué recognises the progress and identification of contemporary challenges to the right to information worldwide on the 10th anniversary of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). View the full Communiqué here: https://lnkd.in/gzxdbbNd

A huge thank you to everyone who got involved in OVIC’s #IAID celebrations for 2025 – whether that was attending an event, sharing a post or downloading something we created for the occasion. 🥳 The event recordings, resources and animations are still available on the OVIC website if you’d like to catch up on what we got up to this year. https://lnkd.in/gDba9X6a

OVIC has joined Information Commissioners and Ombudsmen from around Australia releasing the results from the Information Access Community Study report for 2025. This report measures the public’s awareness of the right to access government information, and their experiences and outcomes in exercising that right. The report results, and a joint statement from the participating Commissioners and Ombudsmen, is available now on the OVIC website https://lnkd.in/gzUHrCXr

Freedom of Information rights – all Victorians have them, but understanding them can be an initial challenge. This #IAID, we’ve created a brochure and a poster explaining the basics of FOI rights and requests in Victoria that you can use to help kickstart these conversations. They’re printable on home and office computers, so you can display or distribute them on demand! Follow the link to our #IAID webpage to download via the 'supporting materials' tab👇 https://lnkd.in/gDba9X6a

Records Management 🤝 Access to Information This #IAID, OVIC and Public Record Office Victoria have joined forces with a timely reminder of the critical link between records management and Freedom of Information. The joint statement highlights the key links and features of good record practices, and recommendations for agencies looking to better facilitate access to information. Check it out here 👇 https://lnkd.in/g7qHcU3P

Happy International Access to Information Day! 🥳 This important yearly celebration is a reminder of your rights as Victorians to access information held by government, and why it is fundamental to a transparent and open government. Our Public Access Deputy Commissioner, Penny Eastman, would like to kick off our #IAID celebrations with an overview of our week to come - tune in to hear what we're up to over the next week! 🗣️ https://lnkd.in/gmp3XmN7

We know that short and sharp content is the best way to encourage engagement with FOI – which is why we’ve got a suite of short animations available on FOI concepts, including proactive & informal release, accessing health information & more. Check out the #IAID2025 playlist via the OVIC Vimeo channel. https://lnkd.in/gwT9iATc

Registrations are still open for our IAID webinar on the Ideal State of FOI in Victoria! This is your opportunity to hear key takeaways from the Integrity and Oversight Committee’s inquiry into the FOI Act, including ways the Act is currently failing and key features of a new and modern FOI framework. Register here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gk3KM_ZW

This Sunday 28 September marks International Access to Information Day - an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of open government and the public’s right to access government-held information. OVIC is just one of many jurisdictions around the country celebrating this #IAID - check out the OVIC website for free events and resources to get the conversation started at your organisation 🗣️ https://lnkd.in/gDba9X6a