Freedom of Information

Access to your personal information and Freedom of Information

Members have the right to access and correct personal information we hold about them. This right is subject to some exceptions, and we may be permitted to charge for providing access to this information.

Under legislation ESSSuper is required to provide access to the contents of any medical report we obtain after 1 July 2010 within 28 days of receiving it. There are some exceptions to this obligation (including where the report was given to us in confidence or we believe that providing the report would pose serious threat to life or health).

Requests for access to personal information are generally processed under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Under that Act we may refuse access on certain grounds, including where providing access may affect the privacy or the commercial or financial interests of others.

The current Freedom of Information application fee is $31.80. The level of the fee is prescribed by the Victorian Government and is increased on 1 July each year.

Applications for access and correction of personal information must be in writing and should be addressed to:

The Freedom of Information Officer
ESSSuper
GPO Box 1974
Melbourne VIC 3001

Your request for information should clearly describe the documents you wish to access and provide sufficient detail to enable the document you are seeking to be identified.

If you believe that there are errors in the information we hold, please let us know and we will investigate and, if necessary, correct any inaccuracies.

ESSSuper's Freedom of Information Statement

Pursuant to Part II of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), this information statement contains details regarding ESSSuper on the following matters:

1. Organisation and functions;
2. Categories of documents;
3. Freedom of Information (FOI) arrangements;
4. Publications;
5. Rules, policies and procedures; and
6. Report literature.

The statement has been prepared in accordance with Part II of the FOI Act.

Statement 1 – Organisation and functions

ESSSuper is the registered business name of the Emergency Services Superannuation Board (ESSB) which is responsible for the management and administration of the Emergency Services Superannuation Scheme (ESSS) (the Fund) and providing defined benefits and accumulation products for Victorian State Government and emergency services employees. In relation to State Government employees, only benefits for those employed before 1 January 1994 are administered by ESSSuper.

ESSSuper was formed from a merger of the Government Superannuation Office (GSO) and ESSS on 1 December 2005. The GSO administered closed defined benefits schemes of Victorian public sector employees whose assets were held in the State Superannuation Fund. ESSS administered the benefits of the emergency services members. A single fund was formed by the merger of the State Superannuation Fund and the ESSS to be commonly known as "ESSSuper".

Information about ESSSuper's structure, function, governing legislation and organisational structure can be found on ESSSuper's website and in the Annual Report.

Information about how to make a request for access to information under the FOI Act can be found on this Freedom of Information statement page.

ESSSuper is regulated by the Department of Treasury and Finance.

ESSSuper's Board consists of 12 members. Half of whom are appointed by Government with the other half elected from the relevant Scheme Membership.

Statement 2 – Categories of documents

ESSSuper creates and handles documents which relate to the administration of a number of superannuation schemes which include:

Administrative and operational documents

Documents held by ESSSuper include:

• Correspondence
• Meeting records
• Financial records
• Policies and procedures
• Publications
• Member information which can include previous annual benefit statements, medical reports, and general correspondence.

Statement 3 – FOI Arrangements

FOI requests must be made in writing, accompanied by the relevant application fee of $31.80 (unless the fee is waived) and addressed to:

The Freedom of Information Officer
ESSSuper
PO Box 1974
Melbourne VIC 3000

Once a valid request is received (along with payment), ESSSuper will process the request in accordance with the FOI Act.

Statement 4 – Publications

ESSSuper publishes a range of documents that are to be made available to the public free of charge via our website.

The following categories of information are available from the Forms and Publications Section of the website:

• Forms
• Newsletters
• Annual Reports
• Product Disclosure Statements
• Handbooks
• Useful links.

Statement 5 – Rules, Policies and Procedures

ESSSuper is responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of its governing legislation that being the Emergency Services Superannuation Act 1986.

ESSSuper holds policy and guidance documents relating to its administration and governance.

ESSSuper has also has a range of policies and procedures to govern its daily operations and support its administrative functions.

These include:

• Complaints Management Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Protected Disclosure Policy
• Conflicts Management Policy
• Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy
• Fit and Proper Policy.

Statement 6 – Report literature

ESSSuper produces an annual report. These reports can be viewed and downloaded from the ESSSuper website.