Right to Information

Our administrative access schemes provide information available to external customers to obtain upon application to Longreach Regional Council. Fees associated with the purchase of documents within administrative access schemes are provided on our Fees and Charges Schedule.

Our publication scheme describes and categorises information routinely available from the Council. It has been developed to give the community greater access to information held by government.

The information in the publication scheme is grouped into seven classes:

1. About us – Who we are and what we do
2. Our Services – Services we offer
3. Our Finances – Financial & Non-Financial Performance Information
4. Our Priorities – What our priorities are and how we are doing
5. Our Decisions – How we make decisions
6. Our Policies – Our policies and procedures
7. Our Lists – Lists and Registers

Documents held by Council

You can apply to view all significant, appropriate and accurate documents currently published by Council. Simply contact one of our team for more information.

Annual Report

View the annual report for Longreach Regional Council.

Media Releases

Media releases can be viewed in our Newsroom.

Local Government Act

The principal piece of legislation which provides the legislative framework for Council is the Local Government Act 2009. The Act provides Council with autonomy and flexibility while requiring accountability for its performance.

Our services

Information about the services we deliver.

https://www.longreach.qld.gov.au/services

Our Finances

This section provides financial information about the council's projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, tenders and financial audit.

• Budgets - Council's current Budget
• Tenders - Council's Tenders
• Contracts - Council's Contract Register
• Fees and Charges - Council's Schedule of Fees and Charges

Our Priorities

The priorities of the Longreach Regional Council - Annual Report, Corporate and Operational Plans.

Click here to view Councils Strategies and Plans

Our Decisions

Click here to view Council Minutes

Our Policies

Click here to view Longreach Regional Council's Policies.

Our Lists

Lists and registers that we are required to hold by law. Section 534(1)(d) of the Local Government Act 2009 requires Council to report "a list of registers kept by it and open to inspection". You can ask for more information about our public registers by contacting Council.

A sample of our public registers open to inspection are (examples below):

• Council's Business Entities
• Councillors' Register of Interests
• Subordinate Local Laws (local law policies)
• Roads Register
• Delegations (by Council and by CEO)
• Enterprises
• Electoral Gifts
• Regulatory Fees

In our disclosure log, you will find details of non-personal information released under the RTI Act 2009. Download the Longreach Regional Council Right to Information Disclosure Log.

Some documents cannot be viewed due to containing personal information. Should you require these documents or require more information please contact our Right To Information Officer and we will endeavour to meet all reasonable requests.

Under the Right to Information Act 2009 any person has the right of access to information held by Council, unless on balance, it is not in the public interest to give the access.

Applications must be made by completing the application form below. All applications must provide sufficient information to enable the identification of the documents requested as well as certified identification of the applicant, e.g. driver's licence, birth certificate etc. within 10 business days of lodging the application. Council's RTI Officer will determine if the information or document requested is available under the provisions of the Right to Information Act 2009.

Applications relating to 'personal information' do not require an application fee.
You will be given notices outlining:

• That you are required to pay a charge
• What the estimated charge may be
• What the basis is for calculating the estimate
• That you can consult with the agency to amend the application in order to reduce the charge
• That you must agree in writing to pay the application charge, withdraw or request a waiver of charges on the grounds of financial hardship.

Council has 25 business days in which to provide applicants with a decision regarding access for information. There are some factors that can alter this limit as per section.69 of the Act.

It is strongly recommended you contact Council before submitting an application as the information you require may already be available.

Lodgement and Payment

Applications and payments can be lodged in person at:

Longreach Regional Council

96a Eagle Street

LONGREACH QLD 4730

(Between the hours of 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday)

OR

By post addressed to:

Chief Executive Officer

PO Box 144

ILFRACOMBE QLD 4727

(With cheque/money orders addressed to Longreach Regional Council)

Charges for Information

There will be no charge for examining any publication scheme information contained on the Council's website. However, there will be a charge if a large volume of printed material is required. You will be told about any photocopying charges at the time of your request. The cover price will be charged for any publications produced by the Council for sale.

Fees are as per RTI Fees and Charges - http://www.rti.qld.gov.au/fees-and-charges

Right to Information Contact Officers

Applications and inquiries relating to Right to Information may be directed to the Right To Information Officer between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday:

Right To Information Officer
Phone: (07) 4658 4111
Email: contact@longreach.qld.gov.au

Third-Party Consultation

If the documents requested contain information that may reasonably be expected to be of concern to a government agency or relevant third party, then the documents may not be released until consultation with the third party occurs. Should consultation be required, a further 10 business days is added onto the timeframe to allow for this.

Longreach Regional Council is committed to protecting its resources and to the safety and wellbeing of its staff, community and visitors to the region.

Council’s primary use of CCTV is to discourage and/or detect unlawful behaviour. When assessed as appropriate, council may install CCTV cameras:

• in and around council property;
• in identified high risk public spaces across the region.

The evaluation of the appropriateness of CCTV and the establishment and management of CCTV cameras and their footage is guided by the principles and parameters set out in Councils policy.

The intention is to manage CCTV carefully to achieve the best outcomes for Longreach and its community. Council is committed to its departments working together, and to working closely with other relevant agencies, including the Queensland Police Service.

Council continues to be committed to undertaking its CCTV system activities in an efficient, transparent, effective and lawful way, ensuring systems are ‘fit for purpose’. Council acknowledges the investigative, prosecution and crime prevention benefits of CCTV on private or commercial properties, however, council will not contribute to asset protection of such premises.

This policy describes a process that aligns with Longreach Regional Council’s commitment to protecting its resources and safety and wellbeing of staff, community and visitors to the region.

Obtaining CCTV footage

Access to council's public spaces CCTV systems and cameras is strictly controlled through Council's CCTV Policy and the Information Privacy Act 2009. System access is only available to:

• approved council officers
• approved contracted service providers
• Queensland Police Service.

CCTV recordings are stored digitally. Recordings not required for investigations or as evidence are recorded over or erased after 30 days.

Any person/s requesting access to camera footage can apply to Council by completing either:

• Information Privacy (IP) Act Access Application or
• Request To Information (RTI) Application.

If you are a party in legal proceedings, you may have other avenues to obtain footage. For more information check the Department of Justice and Attorney General website. http://www.courts.qld.gov.au/going-to-court/representing-yourself/requesting-information-for-legal-proceedings

Before making a request for public space CCTV footage, ensure you have:

• the location of the camera
• the date of required footage
• the time of required footage.

Law enforcement agencies can request footage by contacting Council on 07 4658 4111. Footage will only be released to an authorised law enforcement agency investigating an incident.

Locations of CCTV

Council is undertaking a mapping exercise to provide location details of where CCTV systems are located in public spaces. This information will soon be available.

Privacy

CCTV recordings are only accessed by authorised persons as outlined in the policy. The information collected may be provided to agencies like the Queensland Police Service for law enforcement purposes.

Your personal information will not be given to any other person or agency unless required by law. Any personal information is handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009.