Australia's freedom of information regime labelled 'dysfunctional' in scathing audit

An Australian Conservation Foundation report urges an investigation into how ministers treat requests for government documents

An audit of Australia's dysfunctional" freedom of information system has called for an independent investigation into the way the prime minister and ministers treat requests for government documents.

The Australian Conservation Foundation audited FOI outcomes for environment-related information over five years, and found the system is increasingly opaque, slow and costly.