Victorian Government departments will soon fall under new Freedom of Information standards.

The new FOI Professional Standards will be the benchmark for Government Agencies, resetting their responsibilities under FOI laws.

Victoria’s Attorney-General Robert Clark announced the new Freedom of Information Professional Standards this week, saying they showed a commitment to ensuring openness and transparency across the public sector.

“The Freedom of Information Professional Standards have been developed following consultation with the Freedom of Information Commissioner and Victorian public sector Agencies,” Mr Clark said.

“The Freedom of Information Amendment (Freedom of Information Commissioner) Act 2012 came into operation on 1 December 2012 and established Victoria's first independent Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioner, the most significant change to Victoria's FOI regime in more than 30 years,” he said.

The new standards include over-arching principles to steer Agencies in their handling of freedom of information matters.

Under the Standards, Principal Officers must ensure staff are provided with adequate information, guidance, training and support to comply with the requirements and objects of the FOI Act.

They are also to ensure that internal FOI procedures are properly reviewed and that they provide an appropriate level of resources to request are processed quickly.

“Agencies must provide reasonable assistance to applicants to enable the lodgement of FOI requests, including through online transaction capability, wherever practicable, and advise of rights concerning reviews, appeals and complaints about the administration of their FOI requests,” the Standards say.

“An authorised FOI Officer cannot be directed to make a particular decision under the Act.”

To meet File Management and Reporting requirements, Agencies will provide data to the FOI Commissioner for annual reports to State Parliament.

The Standards can be found in PDF form, here.