Under the FOI Act, ONRSR has obligations to ensure that certain information concerning its operations is readily available.
The Freedom of Information Act 1991 of South Australia (the “FOI Act”), as modified by the National Regulations, applies to ONRSR in all jurisdictions where the RSNL applies. The objectives of the FOI Act are to promote openness and accountability, and facilitate more effective participation in the processes involved in the making and administration of laws and policies.
Members of the public and Members of Parliament are conferred a legally enforceable right to be given access to documents held by ONRSR, subject only to such exemptions as are consistent with the public interest (as prescribed in the FOI Act). Members of the public may also seek amendment to ONRSR’s documents records concerning his or her personal affairs.
A comprehensive introduction to freedom of information can be found on the State Records of South Australia website.
It is best to discuss your application or request with ONRSR prior to lodging. If proper and lawful, ONRSR will attempt to provide access to information voluntarily in order to minimise applications under the FOI Act and the associated costs. It should be noted that the RSNL already provides for some information to be made available to the public at no cost on the ONRSR website.
Requests for access made under the FOI Act must:
In addition to the application fee, there may be further charges for processing and copying if the document(s) are long or complex. Fees may be waived on presentation of evidence of hardship or a concession card by the applicant.
See the FOI Fees and Charges for 2023-2024.
The form for FOI applications and requests may be found on the State Records of South Australia website.
In accordance with Section 9 of the FOI Act and in addition to the information available on this webpage, ONRSR provides the following information to meet its general publication obligations.
A comprehensive description of ONRSR’s structure and functions, as prescribed under section 13 of the Rail Safety National Law, can be found on this website and through corporate publications, such as the Annual Report, Corporate Plan and Statement of Intent - refer to the Publications page.
The Rail Safety National Law promotes the effective involvement of relevant stakeholders, including the public as appropriate, in the provision of safe railway operations through consultation and cooperation.
The functions of ONRSR largely affect the public indirectly via its regulatory work with rail transport operators, rail safety workers and others involved in railway operations. Many of the types of regulatory decisions made by ONRSR are open to review and appeal processes, providing affected parties formal avenues to question the decision or decision-making process.
ONRSR organises a number of committees to encourage the participation of key stakeholders and has formal mechanisms for handling complaints, including confidential reports through the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s confidential reporting scheme, which may trigger a review of ONRSR policies and procedures.
ONRSR and Rail Safety National Law make publicly available a variety of documentation, including:
Documents are generally available on the ONRSR website and may also be inspected, by appointment between 9.00am to 5.00pm on weekdays (excluding public holidays), at the National Office of ONRSR located at Level 1, 75 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide South Australia.
ONRSR also holds the following broad categories of documents. Pursuant to the FOI Act, some of these documents may be exempt documents:
The complete list of exemptions may be viewed in the Schedule of the FOI Act.