Documents Relied On Or Relevant To The Attorney-General’s Media Statements On 2 And 3 September About Time Taken By Departments Processing FOI Requests.

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The released documents support the Attorney-General's September 2025 media statements regarding FOI processing delays. They include material on the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025, which aims to reduce system inefficiencies and address process abuse while balancing access rights with efficient government operations. Key statistics show FOI processing costs increased 23% to $86.24 million in 2023-24 compared to $36.32 million in 2010-11, with agencies handling over 34,000 requests and spending more than 1 million hours on processing. Documents identify vexatious request campaigns as a significant burden, specifically citing the eSafety Commissioner's experience with a 2,288% increase in FOI requests (24 to 573) linked to an "end eSafety" campaign facilitated through a webform, which diverted agency resources. The disclosure highlights legislative efforts to modernise the FOI framework and address coordinated campaigns exploiting the system.