FOI in WA Conference 2023

Conference registrations close 25 October 2023.

Following successful events in 2017 and 2019, the OIC will once again be running its FOI in WA Conference in 2023.

The theme for this year's conference is FOI and Open Government in the Digital Age.

This conference will explore the role of FOI in Open Government and how it is impacted by the digital age. It will consider practical issues for FOI practitioners as well as big issues related to how agencies can be open and accountable in the digital information environment and how to improve information access in WA through FOI and Open Government approaches.

This year's conference is particularly special as it forms part of our celebrations of 30 years of the FOI Act in WA, with the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA) coming into effect in 1993.

Conference Slides

When made available by conference presenters, slides will be published here in PDF format.

• 30 years of FOI data – What does the data tell us? How can we use this data?
• Access to Information as a Human Right
• Digital Search Techniques and Skills
• Managing Unreasonable Applicant Behaviour in the FOI Context – Tips for responding confidently, firmly and fairly to challenging conduct
• Records in the Digital Age
• Setting up an access application and your agency’s processes for success
• Up Close and Personal: Considering personal information in three scenarios

Conference Program

The conference program can be found here (PDF, 712KB)

This conference will have a hybrid format. In-person delegates will have the choice of attending sessions in rooms 1, 2 or 3. Online delegates will have the choice of watching proceedings in room 1, which will be live-streamed all day, participating in Zoom workshops, or a combination of the two. However, please note that conference sessions will not be recorded.

CPD

CPD for legal practitioners can be claimed for some conference sessions. For details of the CPD available, please click here (PDF, 327KB).

Keynote Speaker: The Hon. Dr Carmen Lawrence AO

The keynote speaker for this conference will be The Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence AO. 

Dr Lawrence was the leader of the WA Government that introduced FOI laws to WA and has spoken about her passion for government accountability and transparency.

Session Speakers

In addition to the WA Information Commissioner, panellists and presenters will include Information Commissioners from a variety of Australian and NZ information access jurisdictions, FOI and recordkeeping experts from the OIC and across the sector, and eminent lawyers and academics.

Angelene Falk 
Australian Information Commissioner
and Privacy Commissioner, OAIC

Elizabeth Tydd 
Information Commissioner and CEO,
Information and Privacy Commission
New South Wales

Stephanie Winson
Right to Information Commissioner,
Office of the Information Commissioner
Queensland

Peter Boshier
Chief Ombudsman,
Ombudsman New Zealand

Joanne Kummrow
Public Access Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner

Caroline Spencer
WA Auditor General

Catherine Fletcher
Information Commissioner,
OIC WA

Session moderator
Damian Shepherd
Director, State Records Office

Session moderator
Prof. Robert Cunningham
Dean and Head of School, Curtin University Law School; Murray Chambers

Michael Carroll
Chief Data Officer, Department of Communities WA

Assoc. Prof. Johan Lidberg
Chief Investigator (The Culture of Implementing Freedom of Information in Australia), Monash University

Assoc. Prof. Julia Powles
Director, UWA Tech & Policy Lab; Associate Professor of Law and Technology,
UWA Law School

Helen Ensikat
Director, Cross-Functional Initiatives, Department of Biodiversity, Conversation and Attractions

 

 

 

Additional speakers will be announced as they are confirmed.

Eligibility and Pricing

Registration will be open to all WA State and local government officers. For the first time, it will also be open to a limited number of non-government delegates with a work-related interest in FOI. If you have any queries about your eligibility to attend, or about the registration process in general, please email us.

Conference registration is priced as follows.

Registration

Please note that registration will close on 25 October. All bookings are subject to the conference terms and conditions (PDF, 120KB)

Credit card payment

Click the button below to register with Trybooking. A credit card is required for Trybooking registration. Trybooking will issue a tax invoice by email with your booking confirmation.

Registration without a credit card

If you require an invoice to arrange for payment of your registration, please complete the form below. An invoice will be issued and, on payment, we will complete your registration for you.

• Word format
• PDF format

Conference flyer

Click the thumbnail below to view our conference flyer (PDF, 2.55MB)

Getting to the conference

For detailed information about getting to the conference, see the Convention Centre's website here: https://www.pcec.com.au/attend/getting-to-pcec/

Public transport

Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre is conveniently located right on top of the Elizabeth Quay Bus Station, and next to the Elizabeth Quay Train Station.

More information can be found on the Transperth website here: https://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/

By car

The closest carpark to the Convention Centre is City of Perth Parking (CPP) Convention Centre. For more information, visit the CPP website here: https://www.cityofperthparking.com.au/convention-centre

Please note that, as this carpark is run by CPP and not by the Convention Centre, we are unable to organise subsidised parking. 

By taxi/rideshare service

The dropoff and pickup location for the Convention Centre is the Plaza entry on level 1, adjacent to the Adina Apartment Hotel Perth.

Any other questions about the conference?

Send us an email.