The Information Publication Scheme Agency plan sets out how the National EPA will meet its obligations the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
Purpose
Our Information Publication Scheme (IPS) agency plan is required to:
- help us plan and administer our IPS requirements
- help public consultation about those requirements
- show what we propose to publish and how we will publish for a specified audience
- any other actions we will do to make sure we follow IPS requirements.
Objectives
Our IPS agency plan is designed to:
- manage our IPS requirements
- identify and publish all information required
- identify and publish any other information
- regularly review and check information is accurate, up to date and complete
- ensure that information is discoverable, understandable, machine-readable, re-useable and transformable
- measure our success with the IPS through community feedback and compliance review processes
- adopt best practice initiatives in implementing and administering our IPS plan.
We will also seek to continuously improve how we publish information under the IPS, including by considering user needs, accessibility requirements and feedback from the public.
Information we must publish
To comply with our IPS requirements, we must publish:
- this IPS agency plan
- our organisational structure
- details of our functions where possible
- details of agency officer appointments made under Acts (other than APS employees under the Public Service Act 1999)
- our annual reports
- documents released in response to FOI requests that are not subject to exceptions
- responses we make to parliament such as by senate order. These help to make our appointments and vacancies, contracts, files, and grants more transparent.
- details on how we consult with the public
- the contact details of an officer who can be contacted about access to information and documents that we hold
- our operational information which allows us to perform or exercise our functions or powers. This includes decisions or recommendations that affect members of the public. This information may include:
o agency rules and guidelines
o practices and precedents relating to the decision or recommendations
o data.
Please see our Information Publication Scheme page.
Other information we will publish
We will also publish:
- other information that is not exempt under the FOI Act when appropriate to do so
- information about our priorities, finances and lists.
How we will publish our information
We publish our information on our agency website wherever practicable. We will:
- make it easy to find and clearly described
- make it downloadable (where practicable to do so)
- provide in accessible formats wherever possible
- link to another website if it’s available there
- include details of who to contact to access this information if it’s not published
Sometimes we may need to provide our information to specific groups.
Administering our IPS agency plan
To comply with Part II of the FOI Act, our Information Law Team will ensure:
- documents remain accurate and up-to-date
- we make updates in consultation with business areas that hold the material
- business areas understand all requirements of Part II of the FOI Act
- business areas understand what the requirements of Part II are, including:
- information and documents we should or should not publish
- the circumstances in which charges may apply and how to calculate and publish them
- we follow section 93A of the FOI Act and guidance from the Information Commissioner
- we give regard to the objectives set out in sections 3 and 3A of Part II of the FOI Act
- we support reviews made by the Information Commissioner on our handling of the IPS
- If information about our operations is not published, we don't expect others to comply.
Contact us about our IPS agency plan
You can send feedback on this plan to foi@nationalepa.gov.au.