Access to information
The Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the ‘Act’) gives every person the right to seek access to information held by the City of Mandurah. We aim to make information readily available at the least possible cost.
For more information of FOI visit the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Requesting information
The City is mindful of its obligations and the FOI Act provides general right of access to documents. If possible, the City will initially try to provide you with the documents outside of the formal process. Before requesting information, call and speak to one of our Freedom of Information Coordinators to see if the information is accessible outside the Act. If the information isn’t available outside the Act, the coordinator will explain the formal process and help you in lodging your application.
Please read the City's Information Statement, which includes the procedures and process for applying for Freedom of Information (FOI) access.
Exempt information
While the FOI Act provides a general right of access to documents it also recognises some documents require a level of protection. Schedule 1 of the FOI Act cites relevant Exemption Clauses. The most frequent reasons for refusal to provide access to information are:
- Personal Information
Information that would reveal personal information about an individual (e.g. their name, contact details, signature etc.) may be exempt under Schedule 1 Clause 3 of the FOI Act and s5.95 (8) of the LG Act. - Business and Commercial Information
Information that would reveal trade secrets, information of a commercial value (e.g. documents containing technical designs that, if released, would harm the company), or the financial affairs of a person (e.g. debts owed to the City) may be exempt under Schedule 1 Clause 4 of the FOI Act. - Deliberative Processes of Government
Information that would reveal a decision made during a deliberative process closed to the public (e.g. confidential Council meeting) may be exempt under Schedule 1 Clause 6 of the FOI Act and s5.23 of the LG Act. - Legal Professional Privilege
Information that would reveal legal advice may be exempt under Schedule 1 Clause 7 of the FOI Act.
Office of the Information Commissioner: What documents can I ask for?
Submitting your request and costs involved
An application for information must be submitted in writing and include an Australian address where notices can be sent. The application must also be accompanied by payment of the $30 application fee.
Once the application is assessed, there may be additional charges:
- Charges for dealing with the application are set at a standard rate of $30.00 per hour, or pro-rata for part of an hour
- Additional charges for photocopying are $30.00 per hour of staff time and 20 cents per copy
- Actual costs will be charged for postage
If at any point the charges are likely to exceed $25.00, your permission to continue with the application will be sought before the commencement of processing the application.
There is no application fee or charges associated with requests to your personal information and or amendment of your records.
Scope of application
You will need to provide enough information about the documents to assist us to process your request. The more specific an application is, the quicker the process. We reserve the right to reject unreasonable applications.
How long will it take?
The City will consider the application officially lodged when the application fee has been paid and with an agreed manageable scope. On receipt of a valid application, the City must complete your application within 45 calendar days, however, the timeframe may be extended by agreement. We aim to provide the information within the shortest possible time.
Contact details
Should you have any questions about the FOI process or the Information Statement, please contact the Freedom of Information Coordinator on (08) 9550 3777 or by email at FOI@mandurah.wa.gov.au
