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Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.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