A parliamentary question seeking data on access requests to State Archives held by various WA government departments, agencies, and trading enterprises over the past five years. The responses reveal inconsistencies in record-keeping practices and highlight potential issues with access to historical information.

AnsweredQoN 3349Legislative Assembly
Asked
28 June 2018
Portfolio
Treasurer; Minister for Finance; Energy; Aboriginal Affairs

QuestionView source ↗

For each department, agency, government trading enterprise or organisation within your portfolios, can you please advise, for each of the past five years: (a) how many requests have been made to access State Archives records held by the organisation; (b) how many requests to access State Archives records were met; and (c) how many requests to access State Archives records were declined and the basis on which each request was denied?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
14 August 2018
Response time
1 days
Department of Treasury
(a) The Department of Finance (Treasury’s records service provider) have advised this information is not held or able to be determined.
(b) All requests to access State Archives records have been met.
(c) No requests to access State Archives records have been declined.
Department of Finance
(a)   This information is not held or able to be determined.
(b)   All requests to access State Archives records have been met, except where access may have been denied under the provisions of the FOI Act.
(c)   No requests to access State Archives records have been declined, except for refusals made under the provisions of the FOI Act.
Western Australia Treasury Corporation
(a) Nil
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
Economic Regulation Authority
(a) Nil
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage
The figures below represent all requests received to view State Archives held by the organisation (internal and external requests). Due to a lack of reporting functionality in some historical systems, the figures below may not be exact but reflect the number of requests to the best of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage’s knowledge.
Former Department of Aboriginal Affairs:
(a) 2013-14 – 258; 2014-15 – 536; 2015-16 – 376; 2016-17 – 266; 2017-18 – Not applicable
(b) 2013-14 – 258; 2014-15 – 536; 2015-16 – 376; 2016-17 – 266; 2017-18 – Not applicable
(c) 2013-14 to 2016-17 – Nil; 2017-18 – Not applicable
Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage:
(a)-(c) Please refer to the answer to Legislative Assembly Question on Notice 3346.
Aboriginal Policy and Coordination Unit
Please refer to the answer to Legislative Assembly Question on Notice 3359.
Western Power
(a-c) Information in the format requested is not available. Western Power does not keep these records as there is no commercial or compliance reason to do so.
Synergy
(a-c) Synergy does not currently have any records that have been identified and confirmed as State Archives. A plan is in place to address this during the current financial year.
Horizon Power
(a) Nil
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
Government Employees Superannuation Board
(a)  Nil
(b)  Not applicable
(c)  Not applicable
Fire and Emergency Services Superannuation Fund
(a) Nil
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
Insurance Commission of Western Australia
(a) Nil
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable
Office of the Auditor General
(a) Nil
(b) Not applicable
(c) Not applicable

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