Environmental and health information is information that raises a potential issue of substantial risk to:
- the environment, or
- the health or safety of the public (or a significant section of the public).
This could include a council failing to remove a poisonous tree from a public park.
Who can make a disclosure?
Anyone can make a disclosure of environmental and health information.
However, to gain the protections provided under the PID Act, a person who makes a disclosure of environmental and health information:
- must believe on reasonable grounds that the information is true, or
- not being in a position to form such a belief, believes on reasonable grounds that the information may be true and is of sufficient significance to justify its disclosure so that its truth may be investigated.
Who can receive a disclosure?
Public interest disclosures must be made to a relevant authority. The relevant authority will depend on the subject matter of your disclosure.
If your information relates to a risk to the environment you should consider making a disclosure to the Environment Protection Authority.
If your information relates to a location within a particular local council area, you should consider making a disclosure to a member, officer or employee of that council.
You can also inform the OPI.
Report environmental and health information
What will happen to my disclosure?
The PID Act requires that a relevant authority assess your disclosure and notify you of the assessment and any action taken.
If you make your disclosure to the OPI, we will consider the information you have provided and decide whether to refer your disclosure to another agency or take no further action.
If you made your disclosure to another relevant authority, they will tell you about their process.
