2020/12/08 by Jake Schapper, Sam McLeod, Dave Hedgcock +1 · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Engineering · #Ombudsman and Human Rights #Legal principles and applications #Urban Planning and Governance #Freedom of information #Transparency (behavior) #Accountability #Public administration #Public relations #Democracy #Government (linguistics) #Political science #Open government #Bridge (graph theory) #Land-use planning #Business #Land use #Law #Politics #Engineering
paper · doi:10.1080/08111146.2020.1853522
openalex publication_date 2020/12/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Freedom of Information (FOI) laws are essential for democratic transparency and accountability of government. FOI, in theory, creates rights to access planning information held by governments, including records about land, resources, infrastructure, policy, and decision-making. FOI often escapes the full understanding of students, researchers, professionals, and advocates who may benefit from employing it. To bridge this gap, we profile FOI in Australia, reflecting on issues of accessibility, responsiveness, and integrity. Practical pitfalls in using FOI are illustrated through three examples. We conclude with proposals for reform, outlining a research agenda for how planning may be made more open and accountable.