FIG FOI RUNS INTO PESTY RESISTANCE

THE department of primary industries and regional development cannot explain why it cleared the Moreton bay fig tree at 195 High Street of shot-hole borer a day after its pest and disease experts said it was infected.
On April 29, the department’s pest and disease information service lab technician Liz Edwards said: “The Moreton Bay fig tree located at 195 High St, Fremantle has been identified as infested with Polyphagous shot hole borer. It will most likely be removed at the same time as the positive trees in Queen’s Square.”
On April 30, the department’s media unit liaison officer Jodie Thomson told StreetWise: “The information provided to you from the pest and disease information service on Monday 29 April regarding the Moreton Bay fig tree located at 195 High St, Fremantle, was incorrect. DPIRD apologises for any confusion.”
To clear up the ‘confusion’, StreetWise applied under Freedom of Information to access documents which might shed light on why the department and its pest and diseases information service were at odds over a serious plant disease affecting trees across the metropolitan area including Fremantle.
On May 6, StreetWise lodged its application to access documents regarding infected trees in Quarry and High streets from 1 January 2023 to 1 May 2024. This was to include copies of correspondence, including but not limited to communications, meeting notes, briefs and reports between DPIRD, the City of Fremantle including elected members and any government department/agency to which communications were copied.
On May 15, DPIRD’s information release and privacy coordinator Nicole Xanthis asked StreetWise to narrow the scope of the FOI request from 1 June 2023 to 1 May 2024 as it had identified over 300 pages which would, “divert a substantial and unreasonable portion of the agency’s resources away from other operations”.
“I have formed the view that your application is too large,” Ms Xanthis said.
To make the application ‘more manageable’, StreetWise agreed to limit the timeframe by six months, but not the requested media related documents and correspondence between DPIRD, the City and other government departments and agencies for the period from 1 June 2023 to 1 May 2024.
On June 18, Ms Xanthis released 50 documents totalling 120 pages or less than half under the initial timeframe the department regarded as unmanageable. Not a single document was produced to shed light on whether the Moreton bay is infected and why DPIRD’s diagnosis was ‘incorrect’.
On June 25, StreetWise applied to have Ms Xanthis’ decision reviewed internally on the basis of non-disclosure. For example, in one of the only disclosures describing the inspection of the tree on February 7 this year, Document No. 2, StreetWise cannot access the information in ‘summary, visit, casetrap, instruments, case documents and notes’.
Additionally, the disclosed documents refer a total of 12 times to the department having, “inspected the tree in February 2024 and found no signs of PSHB infestation”, yet the department could not produce a single document, inspection report or email including but not limited to communications between the department, City of Fremantle and any government department/agency to which these communications were copied.
StreetWise states in its application the 50 documents released by the department included only a handful of emails for September and October 2023 and March and April 2024. Many of these are duplicates. Not a single document was produced for the other eight months including February when the tree was tested.
“Importantly, the department has not produced a single email that sheds light on why its 29 April 2024 email confirming infection was ‘incorrect’. As the tree at 195 High Street was last inspected in February this year, it stands that any report of infection would have been made in the two months before the 29 April email. In the absence of any document contradicting the department’s pest and disease information service diagnosis, I can only assume the report or findings of any tests must exist if DPIRD inspected it.
“Also, correspondence disclosed by the department indicates on the request of the City of Fremantle that it would retest the tree, yet no documents detailing such were produced.”
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