RTI application fees and charges
Application fee
You will need to pay an application fee of $53.90 when you apply for information under the Right to Information Act 2009.
Once we have assessed your RTI application, we will send you a charges notice estimating how much you will owe in processing and access charges before the information will be released. The final amount will not be more than this estimate.
There is no application fee for requests under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act), but you may have to pay access charges.
Our fees and charges increase on 1 July each year. On 1 July 2022 our fees and charges were increased by 2.5% in line with government's indexation policy. You can contact us to find out details about specific fees, charges or prices.
Learn more about what happens after you apply.
Processing charges
Processing charges are not imposed for applications under the IP Act.
RTI applications may incur processing charges of $8.35 per 15 minutes (or part thereof). If it is likely that the processing time will be 5 hours or less, there will also be no charge.
Contact us to discuss ways to reduce the charges. For example, reducing the number or types of documents you are requesting.
If you narrow the terms of the application, another estimates notice will be issued to confirm the new charges.
You may withdraw your application at this stage without having to pay processing charges.
You have 20 business days to reply to the estimates notice. If you do not reply within this period, we will consider your application to be withdrawn and the file will be closed.
If you miss the due date, you will need to lodge a new application, including the $53.90 application fee.
Any applicable processing charges must be paid even if access to the documents is refused.
Access charges
You may also have to pay access charges:
- black and white copies are $0.25 per A4 page
- colour copies are charged at the actual cost
- CDs are supplied at no cost
- actual costs are charged for copies of multimedia (e.g. audio or video reproduction) or USBs.
We will advise how much you have to pay in your notice of decision.
The final amount payable will not be more than the amount in your charges estimate notice.
Waiving charges
The sole ground for waiving charges is financial hardship.
We can only waive processing charges and access charges; the RTI application fee cannot be waived.
If it is uneconomical for us to recoup the costs of the access charges we may waive them.
Individuals
For individuals, financial hardship is simply assessed by whether or not you hold a:
- healthcare card
- pensioner concession card from Centrelink
- pensioner concession card from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
You must provide a certified copy of your concession card (both sides) when you apply in writing for the charges to be waived.
If you apply in person, bring along your original concession card and we will view it and return it to you.
If you post your application, you will need to have a copy of your original concession card certified by a Commissioner for Declarations, Justice of the Peace or solicitor.
Non-profit organisations
Charges may be waived if a non-profit organisation (e.g. a charity, church or club) can show financial hardship.
Non-profit organisations may apply to the Information Commissioner for financial hardship status by making a written application by post, fax, email or at the counter.
Financial hardship
If you think your organisation is in financial hardship and cannot afford to make an access application, you can apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision about your financial hardship status before you apply.
You must apply for financial hardship status before applying to access documents, which will ensure that:
- the Information Commissioner has enough time to assess the application and make a decision on financial hardship status before we prepare a charges estimates notice (which may be unnecessary if we waive charges)
- you can make an access application and be certain that your organisation will not have to pay any processing or access charges for the application
- if an application is not granted by the Information Commissioner, you can decide not to proceed with making an access application because your organisation cannot afford to pay the processing and access charges.