How does the IAU help me get what I'm after?
The Department is required by law to collect and store information, under the Archives Act and the Privacy Act. This means that information held by the Department must be released to external stakeholders, including individuals and agencies, in certain ways.
The Department is committed to making more government-held information available to members of the public without requiring them to make a freedom of information (FOI) access application.
Using the IAU is simpler and usually faster than an FOI request, and you can get the same information in most cases. It refers to the release or disclosure of information by the Department, without going through formal legislative process such as FOI, a public register or other agency specific legislation.
Practically this means that the information you request may be provided by informal avenues such as an email or phone call.
What information can the IAU help me access ?
Under administrative release, the Department may release both personal and non-personal information.
Information that we may provide under Administrative Release includes:
- personal information about yourself, such as service records and claims assessments
- non-personal information that isn’t publicly available
- documents that we would otherwise release in full under FOI, Australian Privacy Principle 12 or other legislation
- statistics or data about our key functions and activities
- access to your own personnel records if you’re a DVA staff member.
No charges apply to information provided under administrative release
For more information on administrative release please see the Departments guidelines XXX [link to guidelines]
What are the benefits of using the IAU?
Administrative release requests are less formal than FOIs and have a number of benefits. These include:
- Applicants do not need to lodge a formal written request, which is necessary under the FOI Act and other legislation.
- Information requests can be answered in different ways, and may be as simple as a verbal discussion with the applicant about the decision.
- The administrative release process is much simpler than FOI. It is also inexpensive, more efficient, and a potentially faster option for releasing information held by the Department.
- A statement of reasons outlining applicable legislative provisions is not required and this reduces processing times for the Department.
What are the limitations of using the IAU?
There are some limitations to accessing information administratively. Under administrative release, applicants have no rights of review and must therefore be informed of the implications of agreeing to seek information through this pathway.
Sometimes the Department is not legally able to provide specific information under an administrative access request. Instead, we must decline the request or redact some of the information as we would for decisions relating to an FOI request. You can learn more about redactions here [link to redaction page].
How do I make a request via the IAU?
The Department wants to make the process of accessing information easier for you. We are happy to receive your request via email, phone, or mail dependant on your preferences.