On 1 July 2010, the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009External link (NSW) replaced the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW). Amendments to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) were passed in Parliament on 21 November and came into effect on 28 November 2018. The amendments impact the responsibilities of agencies under the GIPA Act, and how citizens can expect their applications to be processed and progressed.

The Information Commissioner has published up-to-date resources to inform the public of the impact of the GIPA Act amendments. NSW Information Commissioner GIPA Amendments 2018External link.

Other legislation that may be relevant includes:

• The Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998,External link which allows individuals to obtain access to, and to apply for amendment of, information held about them by NSW government agencies.
• The Court Information Act 2010External link, which provides for public access to information held by Courts about judicial proceedings.

Implementing the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
Public access to government information is overseen by the NSW Information and Privacy CommissionExternal link. The Information Commissioner's roles include:

• promoting public awareness and understanding of the Act
• providing information, advice, assistance and training to agencies and the public
• dealing with complaints about government agencies
• investigate agencies' systems, policies and practices and
• reporting on compliance with the Act to the Minister responsible.

For more information on the implementation of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, visit the NSW Information and Privacy CommissionExternal link website.