Right to Information (RTI)
Brisbane City Council is committed to providing access, where possible, to information held by Council. Council operates under the Queensland Government’s Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act) and the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act). This page outlines how to access information and CCTV footage held by Council, and how to submit an RTI or Information Privacy (IP) application.
Accessing Council information
Before you make an RTI or IP application, check whether the information you require is already accessible on Council’s website or via other means. To check if information is already accessible, you can:
- view the list of the publication scheme
- use the search function on Council's website
- view Council's Disclosure Log
- view the list of published datasets on Council's open data website
- phone Council on 07 3403 8888.
If you are seeking information on any of the below topics, follow the relevant links to find out if an information search or inspection of records option is available.
Building related searches
Building plans, approvals, certification and property notices.
Previous development applications and approvals
View specific development application details using Development.i, Council's development search and tracking tool.
Plumbing/drainage
Request copies of plans that show in-ground private sanitary drainage within a property that connects plumbing fixtures within the building to a sewer connection or on-site sewerage facility.
Stormwater and roofwater drainage
Request copies of stormwater drainage plans that show Council and non-Council owned stormwater drainage infrastructure.
Inspection of records search
For example: current rates position, resident parking permit information, natural assets local law (NALL), flooding reports and information, road acquisitions and study areas, plumbing and drainage information, stormwater network information, property notices and defects, environmental health licences.
Traffic signalling data request or intersection volume counts
- Request electronic intersection data and other traffic signal information such as plans and faults.
- Request traffic volume count service for Council-owned and operated traffic light intersections.
Fees and charges
The below tables outline the fees involved with submitting an RTI or IP application.
Application under RTI Act
| Application fee | $55.75 (from 1 July 2023) |
|---|---|
| Processing charge (where total processing time exceeds 5 hours) | $8.65 per 15 minutes or part thereof, for the total time spent (from 1 July 2023) |
| Photocopying charge | $0.25 per B&W A4 page (from 1 July 2016) |
Application under IP Act
| Application fee | No application fee |
|---|---|
| Processing charge (where total processing time exceeds 5 hours) | No processing charge |
| Photocopying charge | $0.25 per B&W A4 page (from 1 July 2016) |
Lodging an RTI or IP application
To lodge an application under the RTI Act and IP Act, complete the Right to Information and Information Privacy Access online application.
Alternatively, if you are unable or prefer not to submit an online application, a Right to Information and Information Privacy Access application form (PDF - 201kb) can be lodged:
- in person at a Regional Business Centre
- by mail to:
RTI and IP Officer
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001 - by email to RTI and IP Officer.
If you email or post your application form, you will need to complete the separate credit card authorisation form (PDF - 59kb), or a Council officer will contact you to arrange payment of the relevant fee.
Where evidence of identity is required to be lodged with an access application, you can:
- provide a certified copy (witnessed by a lawyer or Notary Public, a Commissioner for Declarations or a Justice of the Peace) of one of the following:
- current driver’s licence
- identifying page of current passport/birth certificate
- copy of a prisoner’s identity card certified by a corrective services officer
- statutory declaration of an individual who has known the applicant for at least one year
- present to one of Council’s Regional Business Centres and show an original identification document to a Council officer.
Applications will be processed within 25 working days, unless consultation or an extension is required.
Before lodging a request for CCTV footage, contact Council on 07 3403 8888 to ensure that there is a CCTV camera in the required location and that the footage retention period has not passed. Generally speaking, CCTV footage is unlikely to be kept for a period longer than 30 days. There is a separate process for Government organisations requesting Traffic CCTV footage.
Decision reviews
If you are dissatisfied with the officer’s decision, you can apply for an internal review conducted by a different officer within Council, or an external review conducted by the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Council's Disclosure Log
Council's Disclosure Log contains a record of documents released in response to applications made under the Right to Information Act 2009.
Council's Publication Scheme
The pages or documents available from the lists below may be accessed and downloaded free of charge. Copies may also be obtained from a Regional Business Centre. There may be a small charge for this service.
More information or assistance
If you are unable to find what you are looking for in the lists above, use the search function on Council's website.
If you need to access a document in a different format, you can phone Council on 07 3403 8888. If you need an interpreter to speak with Council, phone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50 and ask to be connected to Council on 07 3403 8888.