Building on the OECD report Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in Australia (OECD, 2025[1]) and the report by the Strengthening Democracy Taskforce Strengthening Australian democracy (Strengthening Democracy Taskforce, 2024[2]), the Australian Government requested to have an Open Government Review undertaken by the OECD, with a view to receiving support and recommendations on further enhancing laws, policies, institutions and implementation practices to strengthen civic space for more meaningful citizen participation in Australia.
The analysis is anchored in the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government (OECD, 2017[3]). It draws on the OECD’s 10 high-level recommendations to protect and promote civic space (OECD, 2022[4]; OECD, 2024[5]), as well as the OECD Civic Space Scan Analytical Framework in the Area of Open Government (GOV/PGC/OG(2020)6), which was tailored to Australia’s particular needs and priorities and extensive multi-stakeholder consultation. Furthermore, it draws on a set of existing OECD guidelines, principles and analysis on institutionalising citizen and stakeholder participation (OECD, 2022[6]; OECD, 2026[7]; OECD, 2021[8]; OECD, 2020[9]).
The Review’s analysis and recommendations take the diversity of Australia’s legislative, policy and institutional arrangements due to its federated nature into account. While the report is primarily targeted at the federal government, it draws on several good practices identified at the subnational level.
This review recognises that First Nations communities and individuals in Australia face distinct and complex challenges in accessing and participating in civic and democratic life. The historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism forced dispossession and structural violence intersect with contemporary challenges, such as digital exclusion, institutional racism and experiences of discrimination and hate. Together, these factors continue to affect trust and shape experiences of engagement with public institutions, as well as opportunities to participate meaningfully in public life and decision-making. While relevant considerations relating to First Nations people are reflected throughout the review, the scope of the report does not permit the dedicated, in-depth analysis that these issues warrant. As such, the review does not provide a comprehensive assessment of the specific challenges faced by First Nations communities, the full range of government responses, or potential policy recommendations. A thorough examination of these issues would require a more targeted approach that centres around First Nations perspectives, experiences and expertise.
Two months after the OECD’s fact-finding mission, in December 2025, an antisemitic terrorist attack took place in Bondi, Sydney. Following the attack, the OECD, project counterparts in the Australian Government and the peer reviewers from Finland, France and New Zealand convened an online meeting to exchange on potential short-, medium- and long-term government responses. While noting that the attack took place after the majority of OECD interviews informing the project had been conducted, it prompted the OECD to adapt the Review’s approach and place an increased focus on civic space and participation measures that can support social cohesion.
The Review draws on a wide range of sources and materials: