After having lagged in developing information policy frameworks during the decade up to the mid-2000s, recent developments have seen Australian governments (at federal, state and local levels) re-position themselves close to the leading edge of policy and practice on public sector information (PSI) access and reuse. Acceptance of the recommendations proposed by committees of inquiry into the issue, the reform of Freedom of Information (FOI) laws to support proactive release of PSI, the establishment of Information Commissioner Offices by federal and State governments, the widespread adoption of Creative Commons licensing of government copyright materials and use of web 2.0 technologies to distribute PSI, demonstrate that Australian governments increasingly grasp the social and economic importance of PSI. The Australian Government’s Declaration of Open Government (July 2010) reaffirms the federal government’s commitment to this course, pursuing “open government based on a culture of engagement, built on better access to and use of government held information, and sustained by the innovative use of technology.” While real progress has been made towards the implementation of broad-reaching information strategies, attention is now required to the further development of the policy framework, the principles governing information access and re-use and practical guidance tools. A notable feature of the Australian experience is the use of open content licences (primarily Creative Commons licences) on copyright-protected PSI, not only as an operational mechanism for managing government copyright but also as a driver of information policy. By releasing their materials under non-exclusive, open content licences, government agencies have adopted a policy position that, by default, PSI that is made available for access will also be able to be used and reused.