Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) establishes an Information Publication Scheme (IPS) for Australian Government agencies subject to the FOI Act. The IPS commenced on 1 May 2011 and requires the Department of Defence to publish a broad range of information on this website. Defence is also required to publish a plan that explains how the IPS is administered.
The IPS underpins a proactive disclosure culture across government, and transforms the freedom of information framework from one that is reactive to individual requests for documents, to one that also relies more heavily on agency driven publication of information. The IPS requirements are intended to facilitate and promote public access to information promptly and at the lowest reasonable cost.
You can find out more about the IPS at the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
This plan describes how Defence implements and administers its IPS entries as required by s8(1) of the FOI Act.