We recognise the rights of the public to request information from Council under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act).
 

Open Access

Under the GIPA Act, we are required to publish information on our website unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosing this information. 
 

Proactive Release

The GIPA Act requires us to proactively release information through press releases, publications and public notices in order to promote an open and transparent organisation.
 

Informal Release

Some information is not appropriate to show on Council’s website, for example, historical Development Application information. This information can be accessed by the community without the need to make a formal request. 

To apply for informal access to Council documents, please complete the Informal Access Application Form or contact us for more information.
 

Formal Release

If you are seeking information, which is not available on the website and is not routinely provided by Council, you can formally apply for access to this information.

To apply for formal access to Council documents, please complete the Formal Access Application Form or contact us for more information.
 
Formal requests for information are subject to fees, including a $30.00 application fee plus possible processing costs.

If you are a legal practitioner requesting personal information on behalf of a client, Council will require a letter of authority to be provided.
 

Rights of Review

If you wish to request a review of a decision about your formal access application, you can apply to Council for an internal review which incurs a $40.00 fee.

You also have the option to request an external review by the Information and Privacy Commission NSW or the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
 

Accessing Property Owner Information

In compliance with privacy laws, Georges River Council does not release individual property owner details, without consent of the property owner.
 
Here are some steps you can take to obtain the information:

Talk to the tenant or managing agent
If your neighbour's property is rented out, you could try asking the tenant or managing agent of the property for the owner's contact details. You could also ask the tenant or the agent to pass on a letter to the owner asking them to contact you.

Do a title search
A title search is a search to find out who owns a property. There are two steps you need to follow:

You need the title reference for the property. You can find this by doing a street address enquiry through NSW Land Registry Services. Enter the address in the street address enquiry and you will be told the title reference for their property.

Once you have the title reference, you can do a title search. You can do an online title search through one of the approved information brokers or over the counter at NSW Land Registry Services' office. The title search will list the names of the owner or owners of the property.

Search the phone book 
Once you know the name of the owner, you can look up the name of the owner in the phone book. The White Pages is available online. Please note that not everybody is listed in the phone book.
 
Lodge a formal access application
Apply to Council using a  Formal Access to information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) by completing the application form available online by clicking this link: Formal Access to Government Information.

Formal requests for information are subject to fees, including a $30.00 application fee plus possible processing costs.You should provide further information in your application form such as:

• your return postal address

• the reason you require the property owner’s details

• the name and address of the owner of the property you are seeking

Council will then consider your application and determine whether to provide you with the information that you have requested in accordance with the GIPA Act.
 

CCTV

Georges River Council only holds CCTV for a period of 28 days. Any request for the release of footage will require a Formal Access to Information Application.
 

Copyright Restrictions

Information held by Georges River Council is subject to the Copyright Act 1968. The Copyright Act does not permit materials covered by copyright (e.g. DA architect plans and other specialist reports) to be copied or published unless the owner of the copyright has given consent. Council will make available documents to inspect, but if there is no evidence of owner consent, Council cannot provide copies of copyright materials.

The Information and Privacy Commission released a fact sheet. The GIPA Act and Copyright December 2019 which sets out copyright advice to local government.
 

More Information

If you would like more information regarding the functions of Council, how to interact with Council or how to access information from Council, please refer to Council's Information Guide.
 

Useful Links

Information and Privacy Commission.