Access to information
Transport and its agencies are committed to improving accountability and transparency by increasing access to government information.
The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) promotes transparency and encourages the proactive disclosure and timely release of government information. The GIPA Act does this in the following ways:
Mandatory Proactive Release
The GIPA Act requires NSW Government agencies to make "Open Access Information" publicly available, unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure. See Transport’s Mandatory Proactive Release.
- Disclosure logs
- Information guide for Transport Agencies
- Policy documents
- Transport agencies’ contract registers
- Grants Administration
Information relating to grants administered, or proposed to be administered, by the transport agencies is published in accordance with the Grants Administration Guide and is available here.
- Documents Tabled in Parliament
Under the GIPA Act, each agency is required to publish on its website any information about the agency which is contained in any document tabled in Parliament (other than information which is published as a result of an order of Parliament).
The Annual Reports of the Transport agencies are available elsewhere on the transport websites. Other documents within this category, including submissions made to various Committee hearings, are published and available on the NSW Parliament website.
- Transport open access information not publicly available
The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 requires all agencies to make available, free of charge on their websites, their "open access information".
While TfNSW is required to make open access information publicly available, it is not required to release anything:
- for which there is an overriding public interest against disclosure, or
- that would constitute an infringement of copyright.
Further, when disclosing details about its government contracts, the transport agencies are not required to release:
- Commercial-in-confidence provisions of the contract, being:
- the contractor’s financing arrangements
- the contractor’s cost structure or profit margins
- the contractor’s full base case financial model
- any intellectual property which the contractor has an interest
or, anything that, if disclosed, would place the contractor at a substantial commercial disadvantage in relation to other contractors or potential contractors, whether at present or in the future
- Details of unsuccessful tenders
- Anything that could reasonably be expected to affect public safety or security
Disclosure of information about contracts, particularly those involving the sale or purchase of some real estate, may reveal personal information of the contractor (the private sector entity). In such circumstances, TfNSW may have decided that certain information should be withheld due to there being an overriding public interest against disclosure. Specifically, information of a personal nature (which may include the contractor’s name and address) may reveal personal information and/or contravene an information protection principle under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1989. Disclosure of other information, such as, for example, the purchase price, may prejudice the contractor’s or TfNSW’s business interests. Information which has been withheld due to their being an overriding public interest against disclosure has been marked with the text ‘known to TfNSW’ or the relevant agency, in the relevant fields on the etenders website.
- Grants Administration
Information relating to grants administered, or proposed to be administered, by the transport agencies is published in accordance with the Grants Administration Guide and is available here.
- List of Major Assets
TfNSW includes a list of its major assets in its Annual Report. A copy of the Annual Report can be found here.
- Total number and total value of properties disposed of
In the 2022-2023 financial year, TfNSW disposed of 45 properties at a value of $144,500,000.
- Code of Conduct
The TfNSW Code of Conduct can be found here
Authorised Proactive Release
NSW Government agencies are authorised under the GIPA Act to proactively make public any government information that the agency holds.
Informal Release
In some circumstances, agencies may release information to a person who makes an informal request.
The agency, having regard to the nature of the information, may make such information available by whichever means it considers appropriate and it may be subject to conditions.
In other cases you may apply for access by making an access application. See below for more details.
Access Applications
The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) provides that a person who makes a request has a legally enforceable right to access information, unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information.
FAQs about Access Applications
How do I apply for access to information
The preferred method is to make an online application with payment being made through TfNSW’s secure online payment system.
OR
If you are unable to use the online portal, you may send your application by post with a payment by cheque or money order. The address is contained on the below form.
Please note: Applications lodged by post may be delayed.
An access application must:
- Be in writing and addressed to the agency
- Indicate that it is an application under the GIPA Act
- Include payment of the $30 application fee
- Include details of a postal address for correspondence
- Include as much information as possible for us to identify the information that you are requesting
What agency information can you request via Transport for NSW?
Other than its own information, Transport for NSW centrally administers all requests made to the agencies listed below:
- Sydney Trains
- NSW Trains
- Sydney Metro
- Point to Point Commission
As from 1 December 2019, by virtue of the Transport Administration Amendment (RMS Dissolution) Act 2019, Roads and Maritime Services is dissolved and all of its functions, assets, rights (including immunities) and liabilities are transferred to Transport for NSW. Any access application received after this date will be taken to have been received by TfNSW and dealt with as an application to that agency.
When will my application be decided?
Upon receipt of your access application, TfNSW will send you a letter containing details of the expected timeframe in which you may receive a response. Agencies are required to decide an access application within 20 working days of receiving the application (subject to any suspension or extension required).
TfNSW will then send your application to the agency which will deal with your request. Under the GIPA Act, the time period for deciding an application may be extended by up to 15 working days should the agency need to consult with another person and/or retrieve information from a records archive.
How is the decision made?
Whilst there is a presumption in favour of granting you access to the information, the agency must consider the public interest factors for and against disclosure, which are set out in the GIPA Act.
The agency will also consider any objections raised by interested third parties.
Can I seek a review of the decision?
Applicants can apply for a review of the decision in any of the following three ways:
- Internal review
- Review by the Information Commission and/or
- Review by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal
The agency will notify you of the outcome of your application and send you information about decisions which can be reviewed under the GIPA Act.
Can I apply for access to CCTV footage?
Transport agencies operate and maintain a number of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV cameras) which are used for security and monitoring purposes.
Some of these CCTV cameras are only used to monitor and do not record footage. For example, traffic monitoring cameras including live traffic cameras generally do not record footage.
Safety cameras (speeding and red light) do not activate to record CCTV footage or take images except when activated.
Except where a particular incident has been identified, most footage is retained for one to two weeks only.
Members of the public can request access to CCTV footage that transport agencies hold.
As footage is usually only kept for a short time, we deal informally with any request for CCTV footage. Please send a written request for footage to: information@transport.nsw.gov.au
In your request, please provide as much specific information about the time, location and detail of the incident.
Upon receiving your request, we will endeavour to save and retrieve any relevant footage.
Should we locate and retrieve relevant footage, we will contact you to provide you with the option of applying to access it under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). All applications require a standard $30 application fee.
This form can be used to request access to CCTV footage.
PLEASE NOTE: Requests for CCTV footage from buses should be requested directly from the relevant bus carrier.
Operator | Phone | |
Busways | NSW | 1300 692 929 |
CDC | Head Office | 02 9890 0000 |
Keolis Downer | North Sydney Bus Depot | 02 9245 5200 |
Brookvale Bus Depot | 02 9941 5801 | |
Mona Vale Bus Depot | 02 9483 6900 | |
Transdev John Holland Buses | 02 7257 2400 | |
Transit Systems | NSW | 02 8118 7102 |
U-Go Mobility | 1300 522 182 |
Important information about CCTV requests
As with all access applications, we must consider a number of factors set out in the GIPA Act before deciding whether to release any footage.
Unfortunately, this may mean we decide that we cannot grant you access to the requested footage, or we may only allow you to view the footage, or only grant you access to part of it.
Also, if there is a lot of footage involved, we may require payment of a processing fee of up to $30 per hour to either review the footage or for pixilation.
In some circumstances we may be able to provide the footage to another agency (such as NSW Police) to help resolve the matter. In any event, if you are not satisfied with the decision about your application, you are entitled to seek a review of the decision.
To request a copy of footage outside of the GIPA Act, you may do so by a subpoena addressed to the appropriate agency holding the footage. Enquiries about the relevant agency may be sent to: information@transport.nsw.gov.au
Information about obtaining records under subpoena can be found on the Contact Us page or enquiries can be sent to subpoena@transport.nsw.gov.au.
Fees and charges
The fees and charges are prescribed by the GIPA Act and are exempt from GST.
Nature of application | Application fee | Processing charge |
---|---|---|
Access applications | $30 | $30 per hour, after the first hour |
Internal review of reviewable decision | $40 | Nil |
The principles under which processing charges for access applications are applied are contained in this document:
Release of other information
Statutory Act of Grace Payments Registers
Treasury Circular TC22-01 requires agencies to publish their Statutory Act of Grace Payments Register on their website once per year.
- TfNSW, Dept of Transport - Transport and Transport Service of NSW Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 187.36 KB)
- TfNSW, Dept of Transport - Transport Service of NSW Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 (PDF, 204.05 KB)
- TfNSW, Dept of Transport - Transport Service of NSW, Statutory Act of Grace Payments Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 190.27 KB)
- Sydney Trains, Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 (PDF, 160.51 KB)
- Sydney Trains, Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 255.43 KB)
- Sydney Trains, Statutory Act of Grace Payments Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 162.35 KB)
- NSW Trains, Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 (PDF, 108.31 KB)
- NSW Trains, Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 162.47 KB)
- NSW Trains, Statutory Act of Grace Payments Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 110.24 KB)
- Sydney Ferries, Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 (PDF, 158.41 KB)
- Sydney Ferries, Gifts of Government Property Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 142.32 KB)
- Sydney Ferries, Statutory Act of Grace Payments Register - 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (PDF, 120.59 KB)
- Transport for NSW, Department of Transport and Residual Transport Corporation of NSW - FY2021/22 (PDF, 160.61 KB)
- Sydney Trains - FY2021/22 (PDF, 140.73 KB)
- NSW Trains - FY2021/22 (PDF, 110.24 KB)
- State Transit Authority of NSW and Sydney Ferries - FY2021/22 (PDF, 117.93 KB)