All 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 Attorney-General's Department released documents supporting media statements from 2-3 September 2025 regarding FOI processing delays. The Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025, led by Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, aims to reform the FOI Act 1982 to address system inefficiencies and process abuse. Documents show FOI processing costs to agencies increased 138% from $36.32 million in 2010-11 to $86.24 million in 2023-24, with over 34,000 requests and 1 million processing hours annually. The disclosure highlights vexatious request patterns, including a "Free Speech Union of Australia" campaign generating 573 FOI requests to the eSafety Commissioner in 2023-24—a 2,288% increase from 24 requests the prior year—designed to divert agency resources. Documents show the template-based campaign was facilitated through the website endesafety.au/ask. The Bill proposes modernising the framework to balance efficient government operations with information access rights while addressing resource diversion tactics.