Request access to Council information

Our commitment to open government

We are committed to providing the community, and other outside agencies, with as much access as possible to information held by Council, consistent with the following principles:

• open and transparent government
• consideration of the overriding public interest in relation to access requests
• proactive disclosure and dissemination of information
• respect for the privacy of individuals.

Our Access to Council Information Policy outlines our approach to open government in more detail.

Our Agency Information Guide provides information about Council structure and functions, policy development, community involvement in local government, and public access to Council information.

The Guide has been created in accordance with the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 - the GIPA Act, which states there are four ways to access information:

Mandatory disclosure of open access information

Council is required to publish information that has been defined by the Act as “Open access information”.

Open access information is be made publicly available free of charge on Council’s website, unless to do so would impose unreasonable additional costs on the Council, in which case it must be made available by other means.

Council publishes most open access information on our website, free of charge. However, some information is only available by inspection at Council offices.

The Guide provides information as to what appears on our website and the information that may be accessed via an inspection.

All information classified as “open access” will be available for inspection free of charge, however an Informal Access to Information Application needs to be filled out prior to release. Copying charges may apply in accordance with Council’s Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Pro-active release of Council information

The GIPA Act encourages government agencies to proactively release as much information as possible to the public, unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information.

North Sydney Council will regularly review information that it holds and determine the kind of information it will pro-actively release. 

Informal release of Council information

Council is authorised to release other information that is held by it in response to an informal request. Members of the public may access information via this method Informal access applications should be made in writing. There is no fee payable, however charges may apply to cover reproduction costs. 

Formal Access application

Under schedule 1, 3(2)(c) of the GIPA Regulation 2018, formal access to information applications are required for Development Applications and associated documents made before 1 July 2010.

Members of the public have a right to access information in this way unless the GIPA Act provides a reason to withhold the information. Formal access applications must be made in writing, accompanied by a $30 fee. Other charges may also apply to cover processing costs. 

For more information about the GIPA Act, read our Access to Council Information Policy, or our Agency Information Guide or contact the Information and Privacy Commission NSW.

Finding information on our website

A lot of our Council information is available online, including our policies, masterplans and strategies, which can all be found in our digital directory.

Search the Policies, Plans and Strategies directory

Key policies and information that can be found in the directory and elsewhere include:

Councillors and Council meetings

• view Council meeting agendas, reports and minutes
• Code of Conduct - Councillors and Staff
• Code of Meeting Practice
• Mayor and Councillor Facilities and Benefits Policy
• Councillors pecuniary interests - go to our Councillor information area and view individual Councillor's profiles
• to see a record of voting on planning and development matters considered at Council meetings, contact Council to obtain a copy of the Planning and Development Voting Register.

Committees and Reference Groups meetings

• view Traffic Committee meeting agendas, reports and minutes 
• Reference Groups meetings agendas, reports and minutes
• North Sydney Local Planning Panel meetings agenda, reports and minutes.

Elections

• Declarations of Candidate's Campaign and Political Donations can be found via the Electoral Commission NSW. Alternatively, you can request a copy from Council. Personal information, such as signatures and home address numbers, are redacted.

Integrated planning documents

• Community Strategic Plan - sets out Council's overarching and long-term vision, priorities and aspirations for North Sydney. 
• Delivery Program - outlines the actions Council will undertake during its electoral term to contribute to the long-term strategies and desired outcomes of the Community Strategic Plan.
• Operational Plan - Council’s action plan for achieving the community priorities outlined in the Community Strategic Plan and the Delivery Program.
• Resourcing Strategy - outlines our long-term financial planning, long-term asset management planning, and medium-term workforce management planning.
• Our Annual Reports - document the performance of Council against the objectives in the North Sydney Community Strategic Plan and the actions identified in the Delivery Program and Operational Plan.
• Our Financial Statements - set out the financial performance, financial position and cash flows of Council.
• End of Term Council Reports - details the progress made in implementing our Community Strategic Plan at the end of each elected term of Council.

Council management 

• view our plans of management
• search the Council Land Register.
• view our Contracts with a value of more than $150,000
• view the Tenders submitted report.
• view the Tenders awarded report.

Planning and development

• Local Environmental Plan - the principal legal document for controlling development and guiding Council planning decisions to ensure new development is compatible and appropriate with the role and character of an area
• Development Control Plan - further detailed provisions on all aspects of development not covered under Local Environmental Plan
• Development tracking - view proposed development and follow them through the regulatory planning process
• view Development consents - records of development approvals granted, any variation from Local Policies with reasons for the variation, and development application decisions made on appeals
• for Development Applications (DAs) and associated documents made after 1 July 2010, information that is not available in the DA Tracking online tool or Development Consents area may be requested by a GIPA - informal access to information.
• DAs and associated documents prior to 2010 may be requested by GIPA - formal access to information
• view Voluntary Planning Agreements
• view Exceptions to our Development Standards register

Staff and employment

• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Delegations of Authority
• Pecuniary interests of designated staff and delegate positions

Inspections, notices and orders

• Food shops inspections list
• view Notices and Orders issued under Protection of Environment Operations Act
• view prosecutions and civil proceedings under the Protection of Environment Operations Act.

Our privacy policies are also available online.

Submit a request for further Council information

If you cannot find the information you require on our website, you can submit a GIPA request for the information. 

Submit request for Council information

Should there be sufficient public demand to publish a piece of information, Council will consider placing some of the following online:

• applications for approvals under part 7 of the Local Government Area (LGA)
• applications for approvals under any other Act and any associated documents received
• records of approvals granted or refused, any variation from Council Policies with reasons for the variation, and decisions made on appeals concerning approvals
• orders under part 2 of Chapter 7 of the LGA and any reasons given under section 136 of the LGA
• orders given under the Authority of any other Act
• records of building certificates under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 available for inspection by completing
• plans of land proposed to be compulsorily acquired by the Council
• compulsory Acquisition Notices
• leases and licenses for the uses of Public Land classified as Community Land.