Executive Summary FOI and Harrison

FOI Freedom of Information is a legal tool residents use to access public records when basic information is not provided clearly, consistently, or proactively.

In Harrison, FOI requests are often described as costly and time consuming. While that can be true, the bigger issue is why residents feel forced to use FOI so often in the first place.

FOI volume usually increases when questions go unanswered, records are delayed or hard to access, and key documents are not posted publicly. In many cases, FOI becomes the only remaining option.

The solution is straightforward. Proactive disclosure, clear public answers, and basic FOI tracking and reporting. When commonly requested records are posted upfront, repeat FOIs drop and transparency improves.

FOI is not the problem. It is a symptom.