FOI Reference: LEX 9615
File Reference: 23/28798
15 December 2023
The FOI People
Right to Know
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear the FOI People
RE: Freedom of Information Request – notice of intention to refuse request
I refer to your request received by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the
department) on 22 November 2023, for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(the FOI Act) to:
I am seeking any documents including but not limited to records, minutes, agendas,
lists of attendees, correspondences, meeting invites, time, date and location of any
meetings. Specifically, meetings held between organisations, individuals, foreign
government representatives or any other representatives of groups acting in the
interests of the occupied Palestinian territories and the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade and/or the ministers office. The timeframe for such meetings is between 7
October 2023 to the date of receipt of this FOI request.
I am writing to inform you that the department considers that this request, as currently
drafted, does not provide sufficient information so as to enable departmental officers to
identify the documents you seek (see section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act).
However, you are welcome to revise the scope of your request in line with section
24AB(2)(e) of the FOI Act, so that it might be processed.
Sections of the FOI Act referred to in this notice are accessible at www.legislation.gov.au.
Notice of intended practical refusal
In accordance with section 24AB(2) of the FOI Act, I am providing you notice of my
intention to refuse to grant access to a document in accordance with your request. I have
decided that the scope of your request does not provide such information concerning the
document as is reasonably necessary to enable a responsible officer of the department to
identify it, and therefore a practical refusal reason exists within the meaning of
section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act.
R G Casey Building John McEwen Cres Barton 0221
DFAT.GOV.AU
T
+61 2 6261 1111
@DFAT
Opportunity for you to narrow the scope of your request
Pursuant to section 24AB(2)(e) of the FOI Act, you have 14 days from the day you are given
this notice to:
a) withdraw your request,
b) revise the scope of your request, or
c) advise that do not wish to revise your request.
I invite you to contact me via xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx should you wish to narrow your request to
enable the department to proceed with your request.
As is currently drafted, your request is very broad in nature and appears to capture every
overseas Post as well as a significant number of Canberra line areas. To enable
departmental officers to identify the documents to which you seek access, you may wish to
specify whether you are seeking documents from Canberra, or from our overseas Posts and,
if so, identify the relevant locations.
The refence to ‘groups acting int the interests of the occupied Palestinian territories’ is also
too broad to enable the department to conduct searches for relevant documents. You may
wish to consider specifying groups, organisations or individuals you are seeking to capture.
Please note that under section 24AB(7) of the FOI Act if you do take one of the above
actions within 14 days, your request wil be taken to have been withdrawn.
Please also be aware that during this period of consultation, the statutory timeframe under
section 15(5) of the FOI Act for the processing of your request is on hold (see section
24AB(8) of the FOI Act for details).
Yours sincerely
Brooke King
Brooke King
A/g Director
Freedom of Information Section