A WA parliamentary question seeks information on legal advice sought by the Department of Environment following the 2011 Margaret River fires, including dates, providers, and costs. The answer invokes legal professional privilege, declining to provide the requested details.

AnsweredQoN 41Legislative Assembly
Asked
17 April 2013
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the fires at Margaret River in November 2011, and I ask:
(a) since then, on how many occasions has the Department of Environment sought legal advice from the State Solicitor on issues arising from those fires;
(b) can the Minister please list the dates on which advice was sought and obtained;
(c) since then, on how many occasions has the Department of Environment sought other legal advice on issues arising from those fires, and in particular:
(i) who provided the legal advice; and
(ii) can the Minister please list the dates on which the advice was sought and obtained; and
(d) what is the approximate total cost of legal advice given?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
14 May 2013
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
27 days
(a)-(d) The Department of Environment and Conservation seeks legal advice from the State Solicitor's Office and the department's own Legal Services Branch as required. Legal professional privilege attaches to communications for legal advice made by, and legal advice provided to, the department.

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