The Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA) gives individuals the right to access documents (subject to certain restrictions) that are within the Council's possession. It also allows for the amendment of documents which contain personal information that is incomplete, incorrect and out of date or misleading.
Many Council documents are available to the public and do not require a Freedom of Information application. Some of these documents include public copies of minutes and agendas, policies and procedures adopted by the Council, strategic management plans, registers, by-laws, annual report and development applications available for viewing during the public consultation period in accordance with the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. A list of other Council documents, available to the public, is included within Council's Freedom of Information Statement.
Many of these documents are available on this website; however, they can also be purchased at the principal council office at Darling Terrace, Whyalla.
If you wish to make an application for access to a Council document, which is not available publicly, then it will be necessary to complete a Freedom of Information request application form. The form can be accessed and printed from the State Records website at Freedom of Information (FOI) Request.
There are fees associated with processing an FOI application as provided in the Freedom of Information (fees & charges) Regulations 2003 (no fee is required for concession card holders or pensioners). Please refer to the Freedom of Information Statement for the costs associated with processing a request.
An initial fee must accompany the Freedom of Information application and an administrative fee is charged for the time spent to process the application. In order to reduce the fees associated with this process it is advisable to contact the Council's Freedom of Information Officer to discuss the specifics of the request. You may contact the Freedom of Information Officer directly on 8640 3444.
All applications must be made in writing using the prescribed form and accompanied with the application fee. The application together with the fee should be mailed to:
City of Whyalla
Freedom of Information Officer
PO Box 126
WHYALLA SA 5600