The Ombudsman is an independent officer of Parliament with responsibility to investigate the actions of public authorities including State Government agencies, statutory authorities and boards, local governments and universities.
The creation of the office of the Ombudsman recognised:
Read more about the History of the Ombudsman
The Ombudsman’s office has four principal functions. The office:
The Ombudsman always observes an independent and impartial approach to the conduct of investigations as well as observing procedural fairness at all times. Information obtained by the Ombudsman in an investigation is confidential. At the conclusion of an investigation, the Ombudsman may make formal recommendations, including to:
The Ombudsman places a strong emphasis on making practical recommendations about significant matters. The Ombudsman does not make recommendations unless it is considered that they will be beneficial to the public. The Ombudsman also considers the costs recommendations will have for agencies. The Ombudsman seeks to make recommendations that have a beneficial outcome for the Western Australian public.
The principal legislation for the Ombudsman’s office is the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1971 which provides the basis for the existence of the Office. Copies of the legislation can be viewed on the Department of Justice's Western Australian Legislation website.
To request information in an alternative format, phone us on 08 9220 7555 or email us at
mail@ombudsman.wa.gov.au.