The Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 aims to reduce system inefficiencies, provide clarity of the law and address perceived abuse of processes in the existing freedom of information (FOI) framework. The Bill implements several recommendations contained in the 2013 Review of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 (Hawke Review). 

This paper outlines the purpose and structure of the Bill, its background, the policy position of non-government parties and independents, stakeholder comments, and key issues and provisions.

While many stakeholders consider the FOI system to be ‘broken’ and in need of reform, there has been overwhelming criticism of the Bill over concerns that the proposed amendments could significantly undermine transparency. 

Key amendments proposed by the Bill include:

• application fees for certain requests and review applications
• discretionary power to refuse to deal with, or continue to deal with, requests for access considered an abuse of process, including frivolous or vexatious requests
• prohibition on anonymous and pseudonymous requests
• a discretionary 40-hour processing cap as a practical refusal reason
• provisions for managing requests and applications when a Minister ceases to hold the relevant office
• prescribing factors that weigh against giving access under the deliberative processes exemption
• expansion of the Cabinet exemption.