Victorian universities dodge transparency through FOI abuse

4 May 2026

Victorian universities are routinely abusing Freedom of Information laws to hide executive salaries and contracts with fossil fuel and weapons companies.

A National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) dossier reveals universities are taking up to 216 days to respond to FOI requests that legally require 30-day responses, while repeatedly refusing to release information that should be public.

The union, working with Victorian Greens MP Aiv Puglielli, applied to all eight Victorian universities for information on executive pay arrangements and contracts with fossil fuel companies, weapons manufacturers and foreign militaries.

The results expose a culture of secrecy:

Universities took an average of 216 days to respond to salary requests and 127 days for contract requests - despite the legal 30-day requirement
Three universities refused all salary information; five refused all contract information
Released documents were heavily redacted

Read more in this ABC News article: ‘Victorian universities are abusing Freedom Of Information laws, union says, as transparency concerns grow’ (ABC, 2 April 2026)

Appeals to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner have resulted in a number of decisions ordering Victorian universities to make disclosure. Rather than complying with these decisions, some universities have lodged appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

A case in point: Deakin University seeks to avoid disclosure through appeals

Deakin University has lodged appeals with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal against two decisions of the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) ordering disclosure. It has also engaged an external law firm, FOI Solutions, in both appeals.

In two separate decisions, OVIC ordered Deakin University to release requested information concerning senior executive remuneration, and also ordered the university to release requested information concerning its contractual arrangements with foreign militaries, weapon manufacturers and fossil fuel companies, finding that that disclosure was in the public interest in both cases.

As the University Chancellors Council has emphasised, public universities are subject to ‘high standards of transparency and accountability’. Deakin University’s appeals run contrary to these standards. The use of an external law firm raises questions as to appropriate use of university funds especially given the University’s in-house lawyers and public concern over the use of consultants by universities.

NTEU calls on Deakin University to:

Discontinue its appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal; and
Publicly explain why it is engaging FOI Solutions (including why university lawyers are not able to handle these matters) and how much it is paying FOI Solutions.

Sign our petition for Deakin to end the delaying tactics and provide the information requested (and approved by OVIC):

If you'd like to get involved with us and help push for more openness and transparency at Deakin, or if you have any questions, contact NTEU Deakin branch: [email protected]