Freedom of information

Page last updated: Wednesday, 22 February 2023 - 1:44pm

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

The Freedom of Information Act 1992 is designed to make state and local government agencies more open and accountable to the public. This is achieved by allowing any member of the public to apply to access to documents held by a government agency, including the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

What you can request

You can request access to any documents held by the department that are not otherwise publically available.

The term 'document' is not limited to paper documents and can include emails, maps, drawings, films and photographs.

Your request should be specific in nature, and include date ranges or refer to a specific incident or person's name to assist us in identifying relevant documents.

If the information is already available for purchase or free distribution, such as in reference or library collections, publications or websites or are documents that can be inspected in the State Records Office's (WA) archive collection, the Freedom of Information Coordinator will direct you to those resources.

Information statement

If you need guidance on what documents to request, our department publishes an annual information statement (which can be downloaded from the Documents section on this page) about our services and the kinds of documents we hold and where to freely obtain other information we publish.

How to make a request

You can request access to documents by visiting the Submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) access application page on the WA.gov.au website and completing the online form.

When completing the application form you will need to provide as much information as possible describing the documents you wish to access.

Requests concerning your personal information must be accompanied by photographic identification, such as a copy of your driver's licence or passport.

For any queries regarding your FOI request please contact:

FOI Coordinator
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Locked Bag 4
Bentley Delivery Centre 6151
Phone: 6552 2008

or email:

FOI Coordinator
FOI@dpird.wa.gov.au

Fees and charges

Application fees

Type of application Fee
Personal infomation Free of charge
Non-personal information $30

Personal information

There is no charge for requesting access to documents containing your personal information.

Non-personal information

Documents created by the department in the course of our functions and services are classified as non-personal information, that is, information that is not personal to you. If your application is for non-personal information there is a fixed $30 fee, which is required at the time of lodging your request. An application without the fee will be considered invalid and will not be processed until the payment is received.

Additional charges

In some circumstances, a fee may be charged to cover the costs of processing your application. Charges may be sought for consulting with third parties, compiling and preparing documents, making a decision about access, etc. These charges are as follows:

Type of charge Cost
  • Charge for time taken by staff dealing with the application

$30 per hour

  • Charge for access time supervised by staff

$30 per hour

  • Charge for photocopying per hour or pro rata for part of an hour of staff time

$30 per hour

  • Charge for photocopying per copy

$0.20 per copy

  • Charge for time taken by staff in transcribing information

$30 per hour

What can you expect from our department

How long will it take?

Our department will confirm that we have received your application within five (5) days.

Once the department receives a valid application, we will respond to the application as quickly as practicable but take no longer than 45 days.

However, if your application covers a large number of documents or requires consultation with a large number of third parties, an extension of the time limit may be necessary. In such circumstances the FOI Coordinator will contact you to discuss an extension.

Notice of decision

Once our department has processed your application, we will issue you with a 'Notice of decision'. The Notice will detail the department's decision in relation to your application and, if access has been refused in part or full, our reasons why this has occurred. Access may be refused for a number of reasons, including documents that contain business information, confidential information or any other matters set out in Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information Act 1992.

Your rights of review

If you are dissatisfied with a decision our department has made, you can lodge an application for an internal review of that decision. An application for an internal review should be lodged in writing to the department within 30 days after you receive the Notice of decision. Our department has 15 days, from date of receipt, to complete the internal review.

If you are dissatisfied with the internal review decision you can lodge an application for an external review with the Office of the Information Commissioner. This application must be lodged within 60 days of receiving the internal review Notice of decision.

Additional information

If you require more information you can contact the FOI Coordinator on +61(08) 6552 2008 or by email at FOI@dpird.wa.gov.au.

For further information about the Freedom of Information Act 1992 visit the Office of the Information Commissioner (WA) website.