Access to Information/GIPA Guidelines

Use this for development related and other open access information, such as:

• Development approvals
• Plans or reports
• Construction or occupation certificates
• Other information

For a full list, visit the schedule

How to apply

• Online – Submit the online form 
• In person – Complete the PDF  and lodge in person at Council’s Customer Service Desk
• Email – Email your request to council@cbcity.nsw.gov.au 

Timeframe: We aim to process these applications within 40 working days, but delays may occur due to high demand or archive retrieval.  
Fees and charges: No application fee. Photocopy fees apply for hard copies.

What to expect

• Applications are processed in the order they are received
• Online applicants automatically receive a copy of their application
• Online applications are received in real time
• Email and in-person applications are not received in real time as they require manual allocation, which could delay processing 
• Regardless of how an application is submitted, applicants may not hear from Council until the assessment of an application begins
• In-person applicants can request a copy of their application when lodging
• Requests that are very complex or broad, and which would need a large amount of resources, may require refinement. In these cases, we might ask you to rescope or narrow the request so it can be addressed in a reasonable and efficient manner
• Applying does not guarantee the release of information
• When processing is complete, you will receive Council’s response by email, or by post if email delivery fails or is not available

How documents are provided

• Once processing begins, an officer will check if Council holds the requested documents and notify you if not available
• If available, documents are usually emailed as PDFs after third party personal details are redacted
• Large files may be sent via a secure, time-limited download link

In the officer’s initial response, you will receive:

• Copies of documents that are not subject to copyright
• Copyright owner contact details as written on the documents

Release of information subject to copyright

Council cannot release copies of copyrighted documents without written consent from the copyright owner. 
Council will provide copyright owner details as they appear on the documents so you can seek consent directly. If you are unable to obtain copyright owner consent, we cannot provide you with copies of the documents however we can provide you access to view the documents.

To view the documents at Council’s Bankstown Civic Tower during business hours (there are no fees for file viewings), you can request a 1-hour file viewing with the officer processing your application.

Please note that copyright owner consent must be provided within 10 working days of receiving Council’s response.

If a file viewing is required, this must be requested within 10 working days of receiving Council’s response.

Use this for information not listed as open access in Schedule 1 Additional open access information—local authorities, GIPA Act, such as:

• CCTV footage
• Customer service requests
• Potholes reported
• Illegal dumping matters
• Tree maintenance reports
• Dog attacks
• Any information lodged by a customer
• Footpath repair records
• Roadworks
• Facility upgrades

How to apply

1. Online – Complete the online form 
2. In person – Complete the PDF and lodge in person at Council’s Customer Service Desk
3. Email – Email your request to council@cbcity.nsw.gov.au  

Timeframe: Section 57 of the GIPA Act  requires Council to issue you a decision within 20 working days after an application is paid and deemed valid. 

The decision period may extend up to 10 working days for the following reasons: 

1. Consultation with another person is required under a provision of the Act, 
2. Records are required to be retrieved from a records archive 

If both consultation and archive retrieval are required, the decision period may be extended by up to 15 working days in total.

Extensions

Council may request an extension if Council is unable to provide you with a notice of decision in the mandated response timeframe. As extensions require your consent, if Council cannot obtain your consent to an extension, your application may be deemed refused.

Fees and charges: 

• $30 application fee (covers the first hour)
• $30 per hour for additional processing
• Some applicants may be eligible for a reduction of up to 50% on processing charges. If the maximum 50% discount is approved, the $30 application fee will cover the first two hours of processing, as the application fee itself cannot be discounted. Supporting documentation/reasons must be provided if applying for a discount

Valid applications: Section 41(1)(e) of the GIPA Act  states a Formal GIPA application is not valid unless it:

• Complies with the following requirements (the formal requirements) for access applications-(e) it must include such information as reasonably necessary to enable government information applied for to be identified
• If the scope of information requested is missing details or requires further defining, narrowing down or clarification to deem your application as valid, a Governance Officer will contact you upon receipt of your application

What to expect

• Applications are processed in the order they are received
• Online applicants automatically receive a copy of their application 
• Online applications are received in real time
• Email and in-person applications are not received in real time as they require manual allocation, which could delay processing 
• Email applications must be followed by payment of $30 application fee within 10 working days. You will be contacted by a Governance Officer once your email application is allocated to Council’s Governance Team
• In-person applicants can request a copy when lodging and will be contacted by a Governance Officer once your application is allocated to Council’s Governance Team
• Applications are not valid until the:
  • $30 application fee is paid and
  • Scope of information requested is deemed valid

For Council to begin processing an application, the following details for scope of information is required as applicable: 

• Specified location or complete address
• Please ensure your request is worded clearly with any specific details of the documents you are requesting
• Specific time range for searches. For example, 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025
• Section 53(1) of the GIPA Act  requires an agency to provide access to government information in response to an access application that is limited to information held by the agency when the application is received. Therefore, your application timeframe can only be up until the date of your application
• When an application is deemed valid, an acknowledgement letter is issued to you within 5 working days. This letter provides further information about the process and due dates for a decision
• Council may contact you throughout the processing of your application for further clarification, additional fees or time extensions.
• Applying does not guarantee the release of information
• If the documents requested contain details about another person, business, or government agency, Council may need to consult with them first. This ensures sensitive or personal information is not disclosed without proper consideration, as required under Section 54 of the GIPA Act. During consultation, third parties can agree or object to the release of information
• After third party consultation, Council applies the public interest test to determine whether there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information (all or partial)
• When processing is complete, you will receive Council’s notice of decision

How documents are provided

• Council’s notice of decision will provide a summary of the searches for Council held information made within the scope of your application, documents found and Council’s decision(s) about providing access to them
• If you requested any copyright protected documents the notice of decision will include copyright owner details as written on the plans to assist you with obtaining their consent

Release of information subject to copyright

Council cannot release copies of copyrighted documents without written consent from the copyright owner. 
Council will provide copyright owner details as they appear on the documents so you can seek consent directly. If you are unable to obtain copyright owner consent, we cannot provide you with copies of the documents however we can provide you access to view the documents.

To view the documents at Council’s Bankstown Civic Tower during business hours (there are no fees for file viewings), you can request a 1-hour file viewing with the officer processing your application.

There is no time limit to access copyright-protected documents related to your Formal GIPA application, please note that:

1. Obtaining copies with copyright owner consent
You can provide copyright owner consent at any time after receiving your notice of decision. Send the consent to the officer who issued the notice of decision, and they will provide you with copies of the relevant documents.

2. Viewing the documents
To view the documents in person, contact the same officer after receiving your notice of decision. They will schedule a mutually suitable time for a file viewing.   

Internal review application of a Formal GIPA

If you would like Council to review decisions made in your notice of decision you can request Council to conduct an internal review of your Formal GIPA application within 20 working days from the date the decision was issued to you. 

Submit application here.

CCTV

Council can only provide access to CCTV footage from Council owned and operated cameras.

Any requests for CCTV footage will require a Formal Access to Information Application to be submitted.

Please ensure that in your request, you include as much information as possible so that we can locate the footage to which you refer.

If the footage relates to vehicles, you need to list the details below about your vehicle, so that if any footage is located, we do not redact any footage that shows your vehicle:

• Make and model of vehicle 
• Colour of vehicle 
• Registration number plate 
• Any other identifying information e.g. company name or logo etc.  
• Location/address of where vehicle was parked 
• Date and time

Adjoining neighbour property owner details applications – If you are a property owner or their authorised representative you can apply for a neighbour's postal address details if:

1. You share a boundary (your properties adjoin) and 
2. You need this information to communicate with them about trees, development notifications, or shared fences. 

Council will provide the information it holds if you are an adjoining property owner or their authorised representative.

The information Council provides is limited to the adjoining owner’s first‑name initial and last name (or company name) and their postal address, in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act and the Privacy Code of Practice for Local Government. Phone numbers and email addresses are not provided.

Court Subpoena

Handled directly by the court. Courts can subpoena Council for Council held information. If you require information regarding matters being considered in court, the information can be subpoenaed by the court. Council needs to comply with the court’s subpoena requirements and provides the subpoenaed information to the court in a full and unredacted format (copyright and privacy considerations do not apply). You should liaise with the court or your legal representation to explore this option. When Council receives a subpoena from the court, Council complies with the due date listed on the documents.

For details on fees and charges relating to submission and processing of subpoenas, please refer to Council’s current fees and charges.

Government agency requests 

Must cite relevant legislation. Council prioritises requests for information from other government agencies under the applicable act (other than GIPA) the information is requested under. Government agencies with investigative powers under specific legislation can request Council held information directly with Council’s Governance Team by providing the name and section of the act which their request is made under. When Council provides information to another Government agency under a specific legislation, it can be provided in full and in an unredacted format (copyright and privacy considerations do not apply).