The City of Armadale acknowledge the Traditional Owners and the Custodians of the land upon which we stand, work and play.
We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the First Peoples of this land and their connection to the lands and the waters, as they are part of them spiritually and culturally.
We acknowledge their ancestors, the Elders past and present, who have led the way for us to follow.
Find out how to access City of Armadale documents under Freedom of Information
About Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 1992 (FOI Act) provides the public a general right of access to records held by the City of Armadale, subject to some limitations.
The FOI Act also allows the public to ensure their personal information held by the City is accurate, complete, up to date and not misleading.
What information can you apply for?
You can request access to any document held by the City of Armadale that is not already publicly available for inspection or purchase, regardless of its age or your reason for obtaining the information.
An application does not need to be limited to paper records, it can include audio and video recordings, maps, plans, photographs and electronic records such as emails.
Making an FOI Request
Is my application for personal or non-personal information?
A personal application is a request for documents containing information or opinion which refers to yourself only. This can include job applications, correspondence between yourself and the City or correspondence about you. Should a document within the scope of a personal application contain both personal and non-personal information, the non-personal information is likely to be removed from the document prior to release.
A non-personal application is a request for any document or record containing information about a third party, commercial information, or any other information which is not purely about yourself as the applicant. Examples include complaints against a property, building plans and applications, and documents relating to dog attacks.
Please note requests for documents relating to your property, business or pet are classified as non-personal applications as the Freedom of Information Act 1992 defines personal information as:
Information or an opinion, whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual, whether living or dead -
(a) whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion; or
(b) who can be identified by reference to an identification number or other identifying particular such as a fingerprint, retina print or body sample.
Application requirements
All Freedom of Information applications must be:
in writing;
give enough information to enable the requested information to be identified;
give an Australian address;
be lodged with the $30.00 application fee (for non-personal applications only).
In person: City of Armadale, 7 Orchard Avenue, Armadale
Post: FOI Officer, City of Armadale, Locked Bag 2, Armadale WA 6992
Fees and charges
Application fees
Request for personal information: No charge
Request for non-personal information: $30 (a City officer will contact you to arrange payment)
Application charges
Description
Fees and charges
Charge for staff dealing with application and photocopying
$30/hr
Supervised access to records for inspection only
$30/hr
Transcribing information from tape, film or computer
$30/hr
Photocopying
$0.20/page
Duplicating a tape, CD, DVD or computer information
Actual cost
Delivery, packaging and postage
Actual cost
Important notes:
There is a 25% rebate on charges for pensioners and financially disadvantaged applicants (proof may be required).
In some instances, an advanced deposit may be required.
Where FOI charges are likely to exceed $25 (excluding the application fee), you will be provided with a cost estimate. At this point you can accept the charge or amend your application to reduce the cost.
Processing your application
You will be issued a decision from the City as soon as practicable - within forty-five (45) days from receipt of your application (or as otherwise negotiated). Once your application has been assessed, you will be provided with a Notice of Decision.
The Notice of Decision provides:
The date the decision was made
The name and the designation of the officer who made the decision
Process undertaken with your application
Documents identified as falling within the scope of your application
What (if any) information is to be withheld due to exemptions
Options you have available should you be dissatisfied with the decision.
Copies of the released documents may be included with the decision or provided shortly thereafter.
Withholding access
Schedule 1 of the FOI Act recognises that some documents require a level of protection, specifically those documents that meet the exemption criteria in Schedule 1 of the FOI Act. These exemptions include (but are not limited to):
Personal Information
Information that would reveal personal information about an individual (e.g. their name, contact details, address, signature etc.) may be exempt under Schedule 1 Clause 3 of the FOI Act 1992
Commercial Information
Information that would reveal trade secrets, information of a commercial value (e.g. documents containing technical designs that, if released, would reasonably be expected to destroy or diminish that commercial value 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 1992
Deliberative Process
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 1992
Legal Professional Privilege
Information that would reveal legal advice may be exempt under Schedule 1 Clause 7 of the FOI Act 1992
Exemptions should not be claimed unless there is a substantial reason under the FOI Act that prevents disclosure. The City is required to give full reasons for denying access to documents detailed in the Notice of Decision.
Information statement
Under section 96(1) of the FOI Act, the City is required to prepare and publish the Information Statement annually. This statement details the structure and functions of the City, as well as the type of documents held by the City and how to access them.
