Western Water is a prescribed authority under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. That means we are required to respond to requests for access to documents made under that Act.
How to access Western Water documents under Freedom of Information
You can request access to documents held by Western Water by writing to the Freedom of Information Officer and including payment of the $23.40 application fee. Although not essential, an application form is available if you wish to use it and is available by clicking here. Please clearly state what documents you require. All FOI requests should be sent to:
FOI Officer
Western Water
PO Box 2371
Sunbury DC VIC 3429
How to make a request
- You need to give enough details for us to find the right documents. If possible avoid phrases like "all documents about" or "all documents relating to" a broad topic.
- If you ask for documents about your personal affairs, we may ask you to provide proof of your identity.
- If you ask for documents on behalf of another person about their personal affairs we may ask you for a consent form signed by that person.
How we respond
- We may refer you to the wide range of information available to the public on the Internet and at our public web site: www.westernwater.com.au
- If your request is not clear or is too general we may ask you to re-submit it so that it is clear or describes specific documents or a specific timeframe.
- We will give you a decision about your request within 45 days after we receive a valid request as required by the Act.
- If we decide not to release some or all of the documents or information that you want, we will give you our reasons and tell you how to appeal that decision.
- We may suggest that you send your application to another agency, or transfer your request as appropriate.
Fee and charges
There is a $23.40 application fee that must be sent with the request. This is a fixed cost which is non-refundable. If payment of the fee would cause you hardship you can ask for it to be waived and need to provide evidence of hardship.
Further charges may be payable for time spent searching for documents and photocopying. You will be advised if these charges are going to be more than $50 and asked for a deposit if you want us to continue to process your request.
Further information
For further information about the Freedom of Information in Victoria visit the Department of Justice Freedom of Information website.