Federal-State Relations - Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Leading Western Australia's engagement with the Australian Government and with other states and territories.
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As part of the Department's policy and reform division, the Federal-State Relations Unit works to:

  • strengthen the WA Government's inter-jurisdictional relationships;
  • drive collaboration across WA Government on WA's Federal-State policy priorities;
  • achieve better outcomes for WA in Federal-State policy priorities; and
  • coordinate arrangements with the Australian Government for WA to provide services to the Indian Ocean Territories.

The unit also coordinates WA's involvement in the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the Council for the Australian Federation.
 

About COAG

Australia's peak intergovernmental forum.

The role of COAG is to initiate, develop and monitor the implementation of policy reforms that are of national significance and which require cooperative action by Australian governments.

This includes areas such as health, education and training, Indigenous reform, early childhood development, housing, seamless national economy, climate change and energy, and natural disaster arrangements.

Issues may arise from, among other things:

  • Ministerial Council deliberations;
  • international treaties affecting the states and territories; and
  • major initiatives of one government (particularly the Australian Government), which impact on other governments or require the cooperation of other governments.

For further information visit the COAG website.

Treaties

Coordination of the WA Government's response to requests from the national Standing Committee on Treaties.

The Federal-State relations unit coordinates the WA Government's response to requests from the national Standing Committee on Treaties in consultation with relevant agencies in order to:

  • facilitate WA’s participation in significant international treaty negotiations;
  • manage WA Government input to national interest analyses of all treaties to be considered by the Australian Government;
  • coordinate WA Government submissions to the Australian Government in support of Australia's obligations under international instruments; and
  • provide strategic input and support at key points of agency-specific treaty and national reform negotiations.
     

National inquiries

The Australian Government conducts inquiries on matters affecting policy and administration at the State level.

WA Government agencies make submissions or provide information to these inquiries in areas of high priority or strategic value to the State. 

The process for making submissions to a National Inquiry is guided by the Premier's Circular 2017/06.

An agency proposing to prepare a written submission to a national inquiry should formally notify the Federal-State Relations Unit by email to national.inquiries@dpc.wa.gov.au. Queries regarding submissions to national inquiries may also be emailed to this address.
 

Council for the Australian Federation

An intergovernmental forum for state and territory leaders.

The Council was established in October 2006 and is intended to complement the work of COAG and facilitate COAG-based agreements with the Australian Government by working towards common positions among the states and territories. 

The Australian Government is not a member.  

For further information visit the Council website.