Strathfield Municipal Council

Access to Information

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Strathfield Council is committed to the following principles in regard to access information held by Council.

  • Open and transparent government
  • Consideration of the public interest in relation to access requests
  • Respect for the privacy of individuals.

Section 12 of the Local Government Act 1993 provides provision for public access to information held by Council.

Members of the public are entitled to inspect such documents at the office of the Council during ordinary office hours or at any other place as determined by the Council such as Council's libraries.

Some of these documents are available in electronic form on this website. If you would like to view a document which is not provided electronically, please contact Council's Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999 to arrange access.

In accordance with s.12 (1), members of the public are entitled to inspect the current versions of the following documents without charge.  Many of these documents are available to view or download from this website.

  • Council's Code of Conduct
  • Council's Code of Meeting Practice
  • Council's Annual Report
  • Annual Financial Reports
  • Auditor's report
  • Management Plan
  • EEO Management Plan
  • Payment of Expenses and Provision of Facilities to Councillors
  • Council's Land Register
  • Register of investments
  • Returns of the interests of Councillors, Designated Persons and Delegates
  • Agendas and Business Papers for Council and Committee Meetings
  • Minutes of Council and Committee Meetings (not including business papers for matters considered by closed sessions of Council)
  • Register of current declarations of disclosures of political donations to Councillors kept in accordance with section 328A
  • Register of Councillor voting on planning matters kept in accordance with section 375A
  • Any codes referred to in the Local Government Act
  • Register of delegations
  • Annual reports of bodies exercising delegated council functions
  • Applications for approval to erect a building and associated documents
  • Development applications (within meaning of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979) and associated documents
  • Local policies adopted by Council concerning approvals and orders
  • Records of approvals granted, variations from policy and decisions made on appeals concerning approvals
  • Records of building certificates under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 applying to land within the council area
  • Plans of land proposed to be compulsorily acquired by Council
  • Leases and licences for use of public land classified as community land
  • Plans of management for community land
  • Environmental planning instruments, development control plans and contributions plans applying to land within Council's area
  • The Statement of Affairs and the Summary of Affairs under Freedom of Information Act 1989
  • Departmental representatives' reports presented at a meeting of Council  in accordance with section 433
  • Register of graffiti removal work (private property) kept in accordance with section 67C

Access Exemptions

The Local Government Act s.12 (1A) does not permit inspection of development applications which show the plans and specifications for any residential parts of a proposed building, other than plans that merely show its height and its external configuration in relation to the site on which it is proposed to be erected or commercial information, which would be likely to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it or reveal a trade secret. 

Under section 12 (7) and 11(3) of the Local Government Act, access to some documents and information held by Council may be restricted if the document or part thereof contains the following types of information:

  • Personnel matters concerning particular individuals (other than Councillors)
  • The personal hardship of any resident or ratepayer
  • Trade secrets
  • A matter the disclosure of which may:
    • be contrary to law, or
    • give rise to action for breach of confidence
  • That part of a draft or adopted plan of management that is the subject of a resolution of confidentiality under section 36DA
  • Documents which were submitted to or are to be submitted to a 'Closed Session' of a Council or Committee Meeting.

Copying of documents

Legal copyright provisions apply to the copying of all documents at Strathfield Council. Due to the Copyright Act 1968, there may be documents which may not be copied, without consent of the copyright owner. Some of these documents could include certain building plans, publications and consultant’s reports.

If documents are available to be copied, copying charges may apply. The cost of copying is contained in Council's Fees and Charges.