What is information for the purposes of RTI?

Information includes many things and is not only documents. A document will contain information, but information can also exist in other forms.  This is not always well understood and Ombudsman Tasmania has published a guideline, Distinguishing Between Information and a Document (PDF, 125.6 KB).

The Act defines information in s5 as:

• anything by which words, figures, letters or symbols are recorded and includes a map, plan, graph, drawing, and photograph; and
• anything in which information is embodied so as to be capable of being reproduced.

This definition covers practically anything a public authority could create and can include phone messages, databases, and things such as CCTV.