LEGAL AND PRIVACY

Privacy

Access our Privacy Statement, Public Interest Disclosure contacts and Freedom of Information (FOI) details, including how to make an FOI application.

Privacy Statement

Site visit information

Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC) may make a record of your visit and may log the following information for statistical purposes:

  • the user's server address
  • the user's top level domain name (eg., .com, .gov, .au, .uk, etc.)
  • the date and time of the visit to the site
  • the pages accessed and documents downloaded
  • the previous site visited
  • the type of browser

This data will allow us to assess the number of visitors to the different sections of our site, discover what information is most and least used, determine technical design specifications, and help us make our site more useful to visitors. No attempt will be made to identify users or their browsing activities except, in the unlikely event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the service provider's logs.

Use of cookies

When you visit www.watc.wa.gov.au, some statistical information is collected about how you interact with the website (e.g. when you visited, what you did on the site). We use 'cookies' to collect this type of information. A cookie is a small block of data that is shared between a web server and your computer's browser.

If you do not want cookies to be placed on your computer, you can disable them using your web browser. If you opt out of using cookies, some of the features on this website may not function fully and your ability to browse, read and download information may be impaired. Please contact us to access our services by other methods.

Automatic collection by third parties

We use the online tool Google Analytics to gather information about visitors to our website. Google Analytics is a web analytics service that collects data about how you use our site and our services. We only collect anonymous information. No identifiable personal data is collected. To find out more about how these third parties handle your personal information, please review their privacy policies.

Email management – collection of personal information

WATC will only record your personal and contact information if you send us a message, provide feedback, lodge a complaint or request to be included on a mailing list. Your personal information will only be used for the purpose for which you have provided it. WATC will not use your personal information for any other purpose and will not disclose it without your consent.


Public Interest Disclosure

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003 (PID Act) allows people to make disclosures about wrongdoing in public authorities and protects them when they do. Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC) does not tolerate corrupt or improper conduct and supports the aims and objectives of the PID Act.

In accordance with the PID Act, WATC has internal procedures that are consistent with the Public Sector Commission’s Public Interest Disclosure Guidelines and has appointed the following PID Officers:

Name

Title

Phone

Email

Dilrukshi Karunaratne

Senior Legal Officer

+61 8 9235 9132

dkarunaratne@watc.wa.gov.au

WATC encourages anyone considering making a public interest disclosure to contact one of our PID officers or refer to the public interest disclosure information available via the Western Australian Government website.


Freedom of Information

Information Statement

Overview

The Western Australian Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the FOI Act) creates a general right of access to documents held by State and local government agencies subject to and in accordance with the FOI Act. In addition the FOI Act provides the means for persons to ensure that personal information held by State and local governments is “accurate, complete, up to date and not misleading”.

WATC’s Information Statement is prepared in accordance with Part 5 s.94 of the FOI Act.


About Western Australian Treasury Corporation

Vision

To be recognised as the best at providing financial solutions for the benefit of the Western Australian public sector.

Realising our vision means that Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC) continues to deliver the following efficient and cost effective services for all government agencies:

  • Funding and debt management
  • Asset and investment management
  • Financial advisory services
  • Financial risk management
  • Treasury management services and systems.

See About Us for further information.

Enabling legislation

WATC was established as the State’s central borrowing authority under the Western Australian Treasury Corporation Act 1986 (the Act), and commenced operations on 1 July 1986. All its financial obligations are guaranteed by the Treasurer on behalf of the State of Western Australia.

Functions of WATC

WATC’s business functions as set out in section 9 of the Act include:

  • Borrowing - WATC borrows funds in Australia and overseas through a range of financial products and instruments.
  • Lending - WATC provides a range of loan products to the State, semi-government authorities, universities and local governments in Western Australia.
  • Funds management - WATC provides funds management services to the State, semi-government authorities and local governments in Western Australia.
  • Foreign exchange management - WATC provides public sector departments and agencies with advice on foreign exchange management and assists them with hedging their foreign exchange exposures.
  • Financial advice - WATC provides a range of financial advisory services to the State, semi-government authorities, universities and local governments in Western Australia.

WATC services available to the general public

 As part of its borrowing activities WATC offers “State Bonds” in the form of inscribed stock to the public for investment. Investors include Australian residents as well as prospective migrants to Australia who invest in government securities under arrangements approved by the Department of Home Affairs.

WATC maintains a registry which records details of all investments and transactions in State Bonds. The registry function is outsourced to Link Market Services Limited, which provides all registry services to stockholders on WATC’s behalf.

See Stockholder Services for further information.

Documents held by WATC

Should you wish access to documents held by WATC, please contact the FOI Co-ordinator. Where appropriate, documents can be provided at no cost outside of FOI. However, particular documents may contain exempt material and will only be available with those exempt portions removed.

Documents publicly available

Publications of WATC can be accessed through WATC’s website. These documents include but are not limited to:

  • Annual reports
  • Market updates
  • Economic indicators.

Documents not publicly available

Documents not publicly available include the following categories:

  • Administrative
  • Financial
  • Risk management
  • Funds management
  • Industry and market relations
  • Human resources
  • Treasury operations.

Members of the public may apply to access these documents under the general right of access to government documents created by the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the FOI Act).


How to make an FOI application

Before submitting an application, WATC encourages applicants to discuss their request with the FOI Coordinator. This discussion will also clarify the FOI process and determine what information and documents are freely available. All applications requesting access to information should:

  • be submitted in writing
  • provide enough information so that the documents requested can be identified
  • provide an Australian address to which notices can be sent
  • be lodged with the WATC together with the application fee.

  • Freedom Of Information Application Form

    Complete this form to lodge your application.

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Handy links

If the applicant is acting on behalf of another party, the applicant must provide legal proof of authority to act for them and if you are applying for access to personal information about yourself, you must provide valid identification. Applications will be acknowledged in writing.

Applications should be addressed to the FOI Coordinator:

In person

By mail

FOI Coordinator
Western Australian Treasury Corporation
Level 12, St Georges Square
225 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000

FOI Coordinator
Western Australian Treasury Corporation
PO Box 7282
PERTH CLOISTERS SQUARE WA 6850

By phone

By email

+61 8 9235 9100

foi@watc.wa.gov.au

Fees and charges

There is a scale of fees and charges applicable under the FOI Act and Regulations. Apart from the application fee for access to non personal information all charges are discretionary and can be waived. Charges are as follows:

Description

Fee/Charge

Personal information about the applicant

No fee

Application fee for non-personal information

$30.00

Dealing with an application (per hour or pro rata)

$30.00

Supervised access time (per hour or pro rata)

$30.00

Time spent photocopying (per hour or pro rata)

$30.00

Per photocopy

$0.20

Transcribing documents from tape to another medium (per hour or pro rata)

$30.00

Duplicating a tape, film or computer information

Actual cost

Delivery, packaging and postage

Actual cost

Deposits

Description

Percentage of Fee/Charge

Advance deposit may be required of the estimated charges

25%

Further advance deposit may be required for dealing with the application

75%

For financially disadvantaged applicants or those issued with prescribed pensioner concession cards, the charge payable is reduced by 25%.

Application processing

The FOI Coordinator is responsible for coordinating FOI applications. All applications will be acknowledged in writing and the applicant notified of the decision, by the Decision Maker, within 45 days.

Where more time is required to process an application due to its complexity, or there is a need for third party consultation, WATC’s Decision Maker will contact the applicant to negotiate an extension of time.

Notice of decision

In accordance with the FOI Act, the Chief Executive Officer has appointed decision makers within WATC. The decision regarding access to documents lies with the Decision Maker from the area in which the documents are held or used.

A Notice of Decision in accordance with sections 13(1) and 30 of the FOI Act will be provided to the applicant and will include the following:

  • The date on which the decision was made.
  • The name and the position of the officer who made the decision.
  • The reasons for determining the matter exempt where the document or documents are an exempt document, or are provided in an edited form.
  • The reasons for deferral (if the decision is that access to a document is to be deferred) and the period for which access is to be deferred.
  • Reasons for refusing access to a document.
  • The amount of any charge.
  • The procedures to be followed to exercise rights of review.


Rights of review

Internal review

Where a decision is made to grant partial access or to refuse access to documents, the applicant is entitled to ask for an internal review by WATC. Requests for an internal review should be made in writing to the FOI Coordinator within 30 calendar days of receiving the Notice of Decision. There is no charge for an internal review and the applicant will be notified of the outcome of the review within 15 days.

External review

If an applicant disagrees with the internal review decision, they can apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an external review. Applications for external review should be made within 60 days of receiving the Notice of Internal Review Decision. The Information Commissioner will investigate the decision made by WATC.

Amendment of personal information

An applicant has the right to apply for the amendment of his or her personal information if it is inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date or misleading. This application must state whether the person wishes the amendment to be made by altering information, striking out or deleting information, inserting information or inserting a note in relation to the information.

There are no fees or charges for amending personal information.

Further information in relation to Freedom of Information can be accessed from the Office of the Information Commissioner website.

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