The Museum publishes a broad range of information on its website in compliance with the Information Publication Scheme (IPS), which was established under Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) and commenced on 1 May 2011. The Museum’s IPS entry can be accessed at nma.gov.au/about_us/ips.
Freedom of information (FOI) applications and initial contact points
Enquiries or applications under the FOI Act may be made in writing or by telephone to:
FOI Contact Officer
National Museum of Australia GPO Box 1901
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: (02) 6208 5131
Email: foi@nma.gov.au
Information about making an FOI request can also be found on the Museum’s website at nma.gov.au/about_us/ips/foi
The Director, Assistant Directors, Chief Operating Officer and Manager, Legal Services, are the authorised decision-makers under the FOI Act.
Categories of documents
As part of its IPS entry, the Museum publishes an Agency Plan on its website, available at nma.gov. au/ about_us/ips/agency_plan
The purpose of the Agency Plan is to show what information the Museum proposes to publish, how and to whom the information will be made available, and how the Museum will otherwise comply with the IPS requirements.
The Museum holds a wide range of documents and information related to the performance of its functions. While some information the Museum holds may not be suitable for publication (under the IPS or otherwise) because of cultural sensitivities, confidentiality or copyright restrictions, the Museum is committed to reviewing and releasing its information where appropriate.
The FOI Act recognises the Museum’s role by exempting material in the historical collection from the scope of the Act. However, the Museum will consider all requests for access to its information on a case-by-case basis and facilitate such access where appropriate.