FOI Ideas
Suggest Freedom of Information requests, vote for the ones that matter most, and we'll submit the top idea to the relevant government agency every month.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, any person can request access to documents held by Australian government agencies and ministers. FOI requests are a powerful tool for holding government accountable and uncovering information that affects the public.
Submit a request
Anyone can request any government document — budgets, contracts, internal emails, policy advice.
30-day response
Agencies must respond within 30 days. They can release, redact, or refuse documents with reasons.
Appeal decisions
If refused, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner (OAIC) for an independent review.
GovGauge submits FOI requests directly to the relevant government agency on behalf of the community. All requests and responses are published publicly on this platform.
How the leaderboard works
Suggest
Submit an FOI idea — what information do you want the government to release?
Vote
The community upvotes the ideas they care most about.
Submit
On the 1st of each month, we formally submit the top-voted open idea.
Track
Follow the request through to the agency's decision, published here.
Ideas Leaderboard
All ministerial briefing notes on housing affordability from 2022–2024
Open for votesWe want to understand what advice Treasury and Housing ministers received about the housing crisis and what options were considered.
Contracts awarded to consulting firms (Big 4) by the ATO in the last 3 years
Open for votesTransparency around government spending on external consultants, particularly in relation to tax administration and digital transformation projects.
Internal risk assessments for the NDIS fraud prevention program
Open for votesFollowing reports of widespread fraud in the NDIS, we want to see what internal risk assessments were conducted and what actions were recommended.
All communications between the Minister for Home Affairs and social media companies regarding content moderation
Open for votesTo understand the extent of government influence over online speech and what agreements or understandings exist with major platforms.
Defence procurement decision records for the AUKUS submarine program
Open for votesAustralians deserve to know the full cost-benefit analysis and alternative options considered before committing to the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal.
All ministerial briefing notes on fuel security from 2022 to today.
Open for votesCommunity-submitted FOI request idea.