Senate Order for the production of indexed lists of departmental and agency files
As part of the government's ongoing commitment to give Australians access to government information quickly and easily, departments and agencies are required to list on their websites the titles of certain files. The Parliament of Australia website outlines this requirement on its Orders for documents page.
The lists are tabled twice a year:
- An indexed list of files created from January to June is published by the tenth day of spring parliamentary sittings.
- An indexed list of files created from July to December is published by the tenth day of autumn parliamentary sittings.
To index the list as the Senate Order requires, we have arranged the files under the names of our departmental divisions and then by file number. Files may include acronyms and abbreviations that we use when referring to certain topics or to division, branch, section and unit names.
If you have difficulty accessing the information or need help with alternative formats, please contact us.
In accordance with the order, our list of files does not include:
- files transferred to the National Archives of Australia
- files about the internal administration of the department (staff or personnel, accounts, training or general administrative matters)
- case-related files (for example, personal representation or dealing with the personal affairs of a client)
- files with titles that would disclose the deliberations of Cabinet.
Also in accordance with the order, we have deleted some information in file titles. This includes:
- commercially sensitive information
- identifiable personal information
- any security classified information that is disclosed in or could reasonably be established from a file title.
Portfolio agency file lists
Agencies that sit within the Attorney-General’s portfolio keep their own indexed file lists on their websites. You can access them at the following links.
Courts and tribunals
- Administrative Review Tribunal
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
- Federal Court of Australia
- High Court of Australia
Integrity and oversight
- National Anti-Corruption Commission
- Inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission
- Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
- Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Office of the Special Investigator
Legal services
Regulation and reform
- Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner
- Australian Human Rights Commission
- Australian Law Reform Commission
- Independent National Security Legislation Monitor
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Royal Commissions are exempt from complying with the order.
How to access records under the Freedom of Information Act
Go to Freedom of information to find out how to request access to departmental records under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).