Accessing DEECA information

DEECA brings together Victoria’s energy, environment, water, agriculture, forestry, resources, climate action, and emergency management functions into a single department to maximise connections between the environment, community, industry and economy.

Information relating to DEECA and its functions can be found at the department's website, online publications and the DEECA service centre (phone 136 186).

Category/Topic: Resource Location

Acts administered by/relevant to DEECA: DEECA Acts and Regulations

DEECA major statutory entities: Boards and Governance

Key structures and functions of DEECA: Organisational Chart

DEECA Overview: Department Overview

DEECA Annual Reports: Annual Reports

DEECA develops and manages a wide range of policies and statutes, as well as supporting over 1000 Statutory Bodies, which manage Victoria's environmental resources on behalf of the Victorian government. These agencies range from large public entities and similar agencies (e.g. boards, committees, panels, councils, management groups) to over 1,000 smaller committees of management of Crown Land Reserves. A range of advisory and consultative bodies have also been established. DEECA supports these agencies on behalf of the responsible Ministers.

Members of the public can write directly to DEECA seeking information on any aspect of its operations. Correspondence can be addressed to either the Secretary of DEECA or the director of the relevant business unit (contact names can be found on the organisational chart) at:

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
PO Box 500
East Melbourne VIC 3002

Customer Service Centre: 136 186

The types of documents that DEECA handles include:

• policies, procedures and standards
• briefings and reports
• case files
• registers
• correspondence
• applications, licences and permits
• meeting records
• financial records
• audio visual material

Documents fall within the following categories:

• Accommodation
• Administration
• Audits
• Coastal Management
• Community Relations
• Catchment Management
• Compliance Management
• Disaster Relief
• Economics
• Environment Policy
• Fire Management
• Finance
• Flora & Fauna
• Forestry
• Freedom Of Information
• Government and Industry Policy
• Human Resources
• Incident and Emergency Management
• Industry Protection
• Intergovernmental & International Relations
• Investment Strategy and Planning
• Information
• Insurance
• Information Technology
• Land Management
• Legal
• Media Relations
• Organisational Development
• Parliamentary
• Parks
• Pest Plants & Animals
• Publications
• Regional water sector
• Research
• Strategic Policy
• Stakeholder Management
• Statutory Authorities
• Supply
• Transport
• Travel

DEECA's website outlines the areas of work that it undertakes and the subject matter areas to which documents may relate.

Under the FOI Act, individuals have a right of access to documents held by DEECA.

To access documents under the FOI Act, a request needs to be made in writing to DEECA and accompanied by an application fee. The request should be addressed to:

FOI Unit

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
PO Box 500
East Melbourne VIC 3002
03 7022 6530
FOI.Unit@delwp.vic.gov.au

A request can be lodged online at https://online.foi.vic.gov.au.

Telephone enquiries can be made on 03 9637 8186

Information relating to how to make a request, the current application fee and how DEECA receives and processes Freedom of Information (FOI) requests can be found at various locations, such as DEECA's FOI webpage and including those listed below.

Category/Topic: Resource Location

Information on how the department is complying with FOI obligations: Annual Report

General information and FOI assistance: Freedom of Information section of this website

DEECA produces a wide range of publications, many of which can be accessed from the relevant sections of this website.

In some cases, it is not possible to supply the publication as a download. If this is the case, details are provided about alternate means of obtaining a copy of the publication.

Information specified by Financial Reporting Direction 22B is retained by DEECA's Accountable Officer and is made available on request to relevant Ministers, Members of Parliament and the public (subject to FOI requirements, if applicable).

Enquiries should be directed to:

Executive Director, Finance, Infrastructure and Procurement Services
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
PO Box 500
East Melbourne Victoria 3002

Category/Topic: Resource Location

Publications produced by the department: Relevant sections of this website

List of additional information available on request: Annual Report

This section highlights a few of the many instances in which DEECA publishes internal rules, policies and procedures online.

Types of information that can be found on this site include:

• manuals of procedure
• interpretations of governing statutes
• statements of policies and documents concerning methods of enforcing acts or schemes.

If there are documents of this nature that are not currently available online, requests can be submitted directly to the Customer Service Centre on 136 186

Examples are listed below.

Category/Topic: Resource Location

Acts administered by/relevant to DEECA: Acts and Regulations

DEECA Privacy Policy: Privacy

Public Interest Disclosures: Public Interest Disclosures

State Emergency Relief and Recovery Plan: Emergency Role

Many of DEECA's reports are published on its website and may be located using the search box or by visiting the relevant subject matter page. This section illustrates examples of where DEECA publishes final reports and records of decisions relating to policy.

Examples are listed below.

Category/Topic: Resource Location

Research and development activities undertaken by DEECA: Arthur Rylah Institute

Reports and Policy-related publications: Search within the relevant sections of this website

Research Themes: Arthur Rylah Institute