Submissions policy




We invite submissions on our reviews from members of the community and stakeholders. This feedback informs our findings and recommendations.

This submissions policy sets out:

  • How to make a submission?
  • What will we do with your submission?

How to make a submission?

What to include in a submission?

A submission should:

  • clearly indicate which review it relates to
  • address the specific issues raised in the review (although it is not necessary for a submission to address all issues in the review)
  • include your contact details (name, organisation you are representing (if any), email and postal address).

If you would like to make an anonymous submission or request that your name is not published, see anonymous submissions below.

How to send your submission?

We prefer to receive submissions electronically via the online submission form, wherever provided. Alternatively, submissions can be provided as follows:

  • Email: nrc@nrc.nsw.gov.au
  • Mail: Natural Resources Commission, GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001

When to send your submission?

You should send your submission no later than the published due date. We may consider requests for an extension or submissions received after the published due date, at its discretion.

Authority of your organisation

If you are making a submission on behalf of an organisation, please ensure that you have the organisation’s authority to make the submission.

How to make a confidential or anonymous submission?

If you would like to make a confidential or anonymous submission, please see the confidential submission and anonymous submission sections below.

Copyright

It is your responsibility to obtain appropriate licence(s) for any materials included in your submission that may be subject to copyright, and to authorise us to use that material and publish it online.

What will we do with your submission?

We generally make the submission and the name of the person/organisation making the submission publicly available on our website, unless requested otherwise.

We reserve the right not to publish submissions in whole or part, including where we consider that a submission is excessively lengthy, offensive, potentially defamatory, or clearly out of scope for the review.

Personal information

We remove email addresses, home or postal addresses and telephone numbers before publishing submissions. We will generally publish your name, your position (if relevant) and the name of your organisation (if relevant).

We treat all personal information in submissions in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Requests for access to confidential submissions will be determined in accordance with the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). The GIPA Act replaces the Freedom of Information Act 1989 and encourages government transparency through the proactive release of information to the public.

For more information on how we protect your privacy, please see our privacy policy.

Confidential submissions

You may indicate in writing that you prefer to treat your whole submission, or any part of it, as confidential. In doing so, you may provide reasons for claiming confidentiality.

We receive and deal with confidential information in accordance with the law. In general, we do not publish confidential submissions or any parts of submissions which are confidential.

Information (including confidential information) that you provide may be viewed by us. We are bound not to disclose confidential information that we receive.

In certain circumstances, we may be required by law to disclose confidential submissions. We determine requests for access to confidential submissions in accordance with the GIPA Act and any other applicable legislation.

Anonymous submissions

You may ask us not to publish your name. Alternatively, you may choose not to disclose your name to us. It is useful to include your contact details on the submission (even if you ask us not to publish your name) to enable us consult with you on any proposed disclosure.

If you do not tell your name (and do not claim confidentiality), we will publish your submission on our website. We, at our discretion, place less weight on your submission if we are unable to test its contents with you.

Late submissions

Lodging submissions by the deadline allows us enough time to consider the views put forward. In determining whether to accept a late submission, we will consider factors including the reasons for lodging late, whether an extension has been sought before the deadline, whether we have enough time to consider the submission, and whether other submissions have already been published. Even if a late submission is accepted, we may afford that submission less weight if we have had less opportunity to test and consider it.