The Information Publication Scheme (IPS) has been established under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). The IPS requires Australian Government agencies to publish a broad range of information on their websites and to publish an Agency Plan to explain how the IPS is administered.
The Agency Plan describes what information Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation (ARPC) will publish, how it will publish this information, and how it will comply with the requirements of the IPS, as required by s 8(1) of the FOI Act.
Agency Plan
Administering information published under the IPSÂ
The IPS team is accountable for managing the IPS and ensuring that the IPS documents are accurate, up-to-date and complete. To manage this, the IPS Team:
- has prepared a register of information required or permitted to be published under sections 8(2) and 8(4) of the FOI Act.
- will maintain a register of IPS information required and optional information and liaise with authors to check that the documents are up-to-date, accurate and complete. Each department of ARPC will be responsible as required, for day-to-day tasks associated with complying with the IPS.
- will work with the relevant area to integrate the IPS management into the management frameworks and will update this agency plan accordingly as new processes are developed for managing information and internet material.
The IPS team will:
- invite comments to the FOI contact officer via ARPC’s website on the IPS information holdings, as to whether documents are easily discoverable, understandable, or machine-readable; and
- provide IPS information holdings in alternative forms upon request where possible.
Upon request of information via writing, the Principal Officer of the agency or delegated authority will arrange for documents, which are not available on the ARPC website, to be made available (subject to some exceptions).
ARPC may charge a person for accessing any IPS documents which it is impracticable to publish online:
- at the lowest reasonable price.
- to reimburse specific reproduction costs or other specific incidental costs (s 8D (4)) FOI Act.
- ARPC will publish on its website a list of any IPS documents that are impracticable to publish online. The website will state that a person seeking access to any of these documents may contact the ARPC to arrange.
- the list of documents will include indicative charges that may be imposed for making that information available and an explanation for the charge. These charges will be consistent with charges in the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 1982 (which generally apply to access requests under Part III of the FOI Act).
IPS information architecture
ARPC will publish its IPS information holdings on its website under the following headings and will provide links to documents required to be published under the IPS in the relevant section of the website.
| Agency Plan | Agency Plan Description | Website Links |
| Who we are | This will include an organisational chart, information about statutory appointments, the ARPC leadership team and values. For statutory appointees, ARPC will publish the name of the person appointed, the length or term of appointment, the position to which the person is appointed (and particulars of the position). All ARPC statutory appointees are appointed under the Terrorism and Cyclone Insurance Act 2003. | |
| This will outline operational information about ARPC’s Pools for insurer customers and consumers. | ||
| What we do | This will outline ARPC’s legislative functions, the Act, review of the Act and ARPC’s schemes. | |
| Our reports & responses to Parliament | This will include the full text of ARPC’s annual reports tabled in Parliament and Senate Orders for departmental file lists and entity contracts greater than $100,000. | |
| Routinely requested information and disclosure log | This will include information in documents to which ARPC has given access in response to FOI requests – i.e., a disclosure log of information accessed under the FOI Act as applicable. | ARPC is required by section 11C of the FOI Act to publish a disclosure log on its website. The disclosure log lists information which has been released in response to an FOI access request. See the Freedom of Information page for more information |
| Consultation arrangements | This will be a statement inviting members of the public to comment on ARPC’s review, consultations and discussion papers. | ARPC invites public comment on ARPC’s reviews, consultations, and discussion papers. There are currently no consultations taking place. |
| Other information published under the IPS | ARPC will publish on the IPS webpage or provide links to other information that it holds (in addition to the information published, taking into account the objects of the FOI Act (s 8(4)). Information will be published under the following headings: | Â |
|  | Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013  This will include a brief summary of the Public Interest Disclosures regime which encourages the disclosure of information about suspected wrongdoing. Being a workplace policy, it links with the next section ‘Our workplace policies and plans’ | The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) promotes integrity and accountability in the Australian public sector by encouraging the disclosure of information about suspected wrongdoing. See the Public Interest Disclosure page for more information. |
|  | Our workplace policies and plans This include ARPC’s Code of Conduct and a summary of conditions of service for ARPC staff. | |
|  | Our finances This will include ARPC’s pay and grading structures. | ARPC Pay and Grading Structures |
|  | Our communications This will include ARPC’s media releases, newsletters, research, media fact sheets and presentations. | |
| Â | Our submissions This will include submissions made by ARPC to Parliamentary committees and other agencies. | Submissions to Parliamentary committees and other agencies include:
|
|  | Accessibility under the IPS ARPC will publish any new IPS documents as soon as they are available for publication and check that all information newly published on the ARPC’s website conforms to WCAG2.0 as far as possible. | Comments on ARPC’s IPS information holdings, and whether they are easily discoverable, understandable, and machine-readable can be provided to ARPC. ARPC will arrange to make documents available in alternative forms, upon request, where possible. See Access to Information page. |
| Contact information | This will include an email address and telephone number for the FOI contact officer, who can be contacted to assist with access to information or documents under the FOI Act. | To contact ARPC regarding Freedom of Information and Information Publication Scheme, or Privacy related matters. |
So that the IPS information holdings and individual documents are easily discoverable, understandable, and machine-readable, ARPC will:
- design and publish an IPS entry point on its website
- wherever possible, provide online content in a format that can be searched, copied and transformed
- publish a sitemap for its website, to help individuals identify the location of information published under s 8(2) and 8(4) of the FOI Act
- provide a search function for its website; and
- invite feedback about whether the IPS information holdings (and individual IPS documents) are easily discoverable, understandable, and machine-readable.
IPS compliance review
ARPC will review the operation of its IPS at least every five years, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Information Commissioner about IPS compliance review.
ARPC will review and revise the IPS content available on the website as needed. The annual review of content will occur to coincide with ARPC preparation of the Corporate Plan,
This plan was last reviewed 31 March 2023.
Accessibility under the IPS:
Comments on ARPC’s IPS information holdings, and whether they are easily discoverable, understandable, and machine-readable can be provided to ARPC. ARPC will arrange to make documents available in alternative forms, upon request, where possible.
Contact us:
To contact ARPC regarding Freedom of Information and Information Publication Scheme, or Privacy related matters please use the details below.
Email:Â [email protected]
Telephone:Â 02 8223 6777
Address:Â Gadigal Country, PO Box Q1432, Queen Victoria Building, NSW, 1230.