The latest OAIC report reveals a surge in FOI requests. 

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has unveiled a substantial increase in Freedom of Information (FOI) requests at certain government agencies.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) saw a 4,686 per cent surge in FOI requests during the past financial year, up from a mere 14 requests in 2021-22 to 670 requests in 2022-23. 

Researchers' demands for information pertaining to grant applications largely drove this surge. 

To address this, the ARC has reportedly revamped its ICT platforms, enabling researchers to access the data themselves.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission witnessed a 198 per cent rise in FOI requests, from 59 to 176 requests. The 2021 Royal Commission Report into Aged Care Quality and Safety played a central role in this surge.

Similarly, the Reserve Bank of Australia saw a substantial 183 per cent increase in FOI requests, reaching 65 requests in 2022-23. The annual report attributed this increase to the monetary policy tightening cycle and increased scrutiny of the bank's activities.

The OAIC’s latest report says that no single factor explains the varying number of requests across agencies. Instead, agency-specific factors are more relevant in accounting for significant increases and decreases in FOI requests.

Home Affairs emerged as the government agency with the highest number of FOI requests for 2022-23, totaling 13,095 requests, marking an 11 per cent decrease. Services Australia followed with 5,137 requests - an 11 per cent increase.

In total, six agencies constituted 71 per cent of all FOI requests: Home Affairs, Services Australia, the NDIA, Veterans’ Affairs, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and the Australian Taxation Office.

OAIC received 1,647 FOI enquiries during the year. Although it received 2 per cent fewer complaints (212 compared to 216), the organisation also concluded 44 per cent fewer complaints (124 compared to 223). 

This drop was attributed to the focus on resolving legacy information commissioner reviews from 2018 and 2019.

OAIC says it met its target of finalising 80 per cent of FOI complaints within 12 months, in fact exceeding it at 94 per cent. The average time to resolve an FOI complaint was 4.1 months.

The annual report also highlights the OAIC's efforts to uphold privacy and information access rights, especially during the 2022-23 fiscal year, marked by significant data breaches affecting millions of Australians. 

Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk has stressed the importance of having the right foundations in place to safeguard these rights.

While FOI complaints decreased, privacy complaints surged by 34 per cent, with a record 3,402 complaints in 2022-23. 

The OAIC also experienced a 5 per cent increase in data breach notifications. This trend reflects the community's increasing concern about data breaches, as indicated by the Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey 2023.

The OAIC initiated notable investigations into companies such as Optus, Medibank Private, Latitude Group, Australian Clinical Labs, Bunnings, and Kmart regarding their data handling practices and the use of facial recognition technology.

The organisation says it continues to co-regulate the Consumer Data Right with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and has contributed to the review of the Privacy Act 1988. 

It received additional funding to enhance its capabilities and efficiency in preparation for future regulatory challenges. 

Additionally, the OAIC is transitioning to a 3-commissioner model, including an Information Commissioner, FOI Commissioner, and Privacy Commissioner, to further strengthen its leadership.

The full report is accessible here.