Information statement

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 makes publicly available a variety of documentation, including:

  • the organisation’s Annual Report, Corporate Plan, Statement of Intent and media releases
  • ONRSR policies providing guidance to and setting expectations for ONRSR officers in their exercise of regulatory functions under the Rail Safety National Law, and made publicly available for transparency
  • guidelines, fact sheets and safety alerts to provide assistance to duty holders in understanding their requirements under the Rail Safety National Law and to improve rail safety
  • the National Rail Safety Register and rail transport operator notices of accreditation and notices of registration issued under the Rail Safety National Law.

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:

  • corporate files containing correspondence, memoranda, terms of reference and minutes on various aspects of the organisation’s operations and committees
  • corporate risk management records
  • accounting and financial records
  • personnel records
  • work health and safety records
  • internal policies, procedures and guidelines that set out the way various activities and programs are performed
  • legal opinion and advice.

The complete list of exemptions may be viewed in the Schedule of the FOI Act.

You have a legal right under the Freedom of Information Act 1991 of South Australia (the “FOI Act”) to make a Freedom of Information request to us if you want to:

  • access documents held by ONRSR
  • change personal information that we hold about you

The FOI Act, as modified by the National Regulations, applies to ONRSR in all jurisdictions where the Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) applies.

Request for access or amendment

You can get copies of any documents from ONRSR if the document:

  • is not already publicly available (for example in a library or on a public register)
  • is not considered an ‘exempt’ document.

You can seek an amendment to a document, if the document contains information about your own personal affairs that in your opinion is incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading.

All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA) by an accredited FOI Officer.

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.

Making a Request

To make a Freedom of Information request, you can send an application in writing to ONRSR in one of two ways:

1. Print and complete the FOI Application, Request for Access to Documents form available from the State Records SA website and send it to ONRSR.

OR

2. Writing your own letter or email that:

  • specifies that you are making an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA)
  • includes your name and postal address in Australia
  • describes the documents you would like to access
  • specifies whether the documents contain information about your personal affairs
  • requests how you want to access the document
  • includes the application fee unless you are lodging an application to amend your personal records or provide evidence of hardship or hold a current concession card (proof will be required).

A printed FOI Request for Access form, letter or email can be sent by either:

Email to: foi@onrsr.com.au

Post to:

Freedom of Information
Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator
PO Box 3461, Rundle Mall
Adelaide SA 5000

We will make a decision on your request as soon as practicable or within 30 (calendar) days after a valid application has been received (see above).

Application fee

Your request must be accompanied by an application fee unless you provide evidence of hardship or hold a current concession card. Cheques are to be made payable to ‘The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator’ or alternatively EFT facilities are available. Please email foi@onrsr.com.au to request our banking details. There is no cost payable in relation to making a request for amendment.

In addition to the application fee, there may be further charges for processing and copying if the document(s) are long or complex.

See the FOI Schedule of Fees and Charges for more information.

Last updated: Jul 1, 2025, 1:32:52 PM