Privacy Statement
Purpose
WATC is committed to respecting your privacy and we understand how important it is to protect an individual’s personal information. Our Privacy Statement sets out how we collect and handle your personal information under privacy standards which safeguard personal information. For Western Australian government entities, these privacy standards are set out in the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (the “PRIS Act”). This Privacy Statement applies to all personal information handled by us.
What personal information we collect
WATC collects personal information only where it is necessary for the performance of our functions and activities or where required under the law, such as:
- Government clients, wholesale investors and market counterparties: representative name and contact details.
- Individual investors: name and contact details, date of birth, citizenship and visa status, and tax file number and identification documents (e.g. passport, driver’s licence, birth certificate, citizenship certificates)
- Job applicants: name and contact details, date of birth, resume/work history, membership of a professional association, citizenship and residency, references, predictive behavioural assessments conducted by third parties and cognitive test scores.
- Website and device information: technical information collected when you visit our website, including your approximate location, browser type, operating system, device type, page use data and time and duration data.
- Third party vendors: name and contact details including email addresses.
Some of the information we collect may be classified as sensitive personal information under the PRIS Act.
How we collect information
We may collect personal information through email, phone communications and personal meetings, correspondence and submissions, forms and notices, and via our websites (including our online portals such as the WATC Client Portal and Dynamics). If you provide us personal information on someone’s behalf, you must be duly authorised to do so and make them aware of this Privacy Statement.
Our Website
We may make a record of your visit to our website and may log some information for statistical purposes. No attempt will be made to identify users except, in the unlikely event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the service provider's logs.
Cookies
When you visit our website, we also collect a range of information from you, using cookies. 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 may disable them using your web browser. If you opt out, some of the features of the website may not function properly, and your ability to browse, read, and download information may be impaired.
Google Analytics
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 or privacy statements.
Why we collect information
We collect and use personal information for the purposes outlined below:
Provide services
- Manage our relationship and communicate with you, including by telephone or email.
- Provide our products and services, for example to administer and manage existing products or services or communicate with you about our products and services, including contact you for feedback.
- Send you information such as market updates, economic insights, newsletters that may be of interest to you, or invitations to relevant events.
- Understand how our websites are used and to improve their performance.
Manage our operations
- Carry out and give effect to Client instructions in the course of performance of services by WATC.
- Perform administrative and operational tasks (including account management, or to respond to any queries or complaints).
Carry out customary human resources functions such as recruitment. - Unique identifiers, including those from other entities (like Tax File Numbers or passport numbers), as required for our operations or where required by law.
- Prevent, detect and investigate suspicious or fraudulent activities or other serious misconduct.
Establish an individual’s authority to act on behalf of our client or service providers. - Comply with legislative obligations such as processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 or confirming your identify under the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act 2006.
Sharing your information
- We may share your information with trusted third parties including contractors, service providers, or regulatory bodies, only when necessary to administer our business functions or to provide services or as required by law.
How we protect personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information against misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by monitoring our system access regularly, updating and auditing our storage and data security systems and ensuing our building security. This is achieved through adherence to WA Government Cyber Security Policy, WA Data Offshoring Governance Guidelines, data breach notification requirement under the PRIS Act and such other applicable standards and guidelines.
When the retention of personal information is no longer required, we destroy or archive personal information in a secure manner in accordance with the law and WATC’s record keeping plan and policy.
Contact
If you have any questions or concerns regarding personal information held by us, including potential breaches of our privacy obligations, please contact our Privacy Officer at Privacy@watc.wa.gov.au or via Contact Us. You may also make a complaint to the Office of the Information Commissioner if you feel that we have improperly handled personal information.
You may also contact our Privacy Officer at Privacy@watc.wa.gov.au or via Contact Us to request access to your personal information and seek correction if needed, or through the established Freedom Of Information process. Individual Investors may also contact MUFG, who is our share registry service provider, to correct their personal information by completing the form on our Individual Investors page.
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 make such a disclosure. 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 to receive disclosures:
Name | Title | |
Kevin Middleton | Chief Risk Officer | |
Dilrukshi Karunaratne | Principal Legal Advisor |
WATC encourages anyone considering making a public interest disclosure to contact one of our PID officers by email, via phone on +61 8 9235 9100, or refer to the public interest disclosure information available on 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
Purpose
To provide financial solutions for the benefit of the Western Australian government sector. Realising our vision means that Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC) continues to deliver the following efficient and cost effective services for all government entities:
- 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, 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 as designated investments 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 MUFG Corporate Markets, 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 parts removed.
Documents publicly available
Publications of WATC can be accessed through WATC’s website. These documents include but are not limited to:
- Annual reports
- ESG and Investor Relations disclosures
- 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 under 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.
Privacy Information
Access our full Privacy Statement at the top of this page.
- Freedom Of Information Application Form
Complete this form to lodge your application.
Handy links
Use the quick links below to find out more about Freedom of Information
If the applicant is acting on behalf of another party, the applicant must provide 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 | FOI Coordinator |
By phone | By email |
+61 8 9235 9100 |
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 other 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 made by the Decision Maker, within 45 days from the receipt of the application. 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 that the matter is exempt where the document or documents are exempt, 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 WATC 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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