FOI changes likely dead in the water

A move to change freedom of information reviews appears doomed, leaving a Commonwealth agency in limbo.

The Abbott government wants to abolish the Office of the Information Commissioner to save $2.5 million a year.

It ran out of time last year to get legislation through parliament, and the laws appear doomed, with four key Senate crossbenchers expressing concerns.

The agency's funding was due to run out at the end of 2014.

Acting information commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has asked the Attorney-General's Department for money to cover the rest of the financial year.

The agency oversees privacy complaints as well as FOI decision reviews.

The government wants the Australian Human Rights Commission to take over privacy complaints and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to handle freedom of information reviews.

It will cost more than $800 for people to take FOI matters to the tribunal.

Liberal Democratic senator David Leyonhjelm is worried the changes will weaken FOI and lead to less government transparency.

"It's encroaching on rights, nibble, nibble, nibble, nibble," he told AAP.

Family First senator Bob Day also has little enthusiasm for the changes, and independents John Madigan and Nick Xenophon are likely opponents.

Between July 2014 and February 2015, the agency received 256 FOI matters and 1969 privacy complaints. In the same period, it finalised 382 FOI matters and resolved 1172 privacy complaints.

The agency has 61 full-time equivalent employees.