TRIM Ref: D12/48899
29 November 2012
Mr Alan Noble
By Email
Dear Mr Noble,
Request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
I refer to your
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) request dated 7 November 2012 to
the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) requesting the following:
‘Copy of the latest briefing by the Murray Darling Basin Authority on the pros and
cons of removing (or permanently opening) the River Murray barrages and/or the
latest briefing by the Authority on the impact of allowing seawater incursions into the
Lower Lakes of the River Murray.’
As your request covers documents which concern Commonwealth-State relations, the
Authority is required to consult under section 26A of the FOI Act with those agencies
concerned before making a decision on the release of the documents.
Subsection 15(6) of the FOI Act
(copy enclosed) provides for an extension of 30 days to
the statutory 30-day time limit for processing requests. While the default 30-day
timeframe for processing your request expires on 7 December 2012, in accordance with
this subsection of the Act the time limit for processing your request is now 7 January
2013.
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer
Parliamentary and FOI Coordination Unit
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
GPO Box 1801 Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: 02 6279 0100
Facsimile: 02 6248 8053
Email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Web:
www.mdba.gov.au
ABN 13679821382
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
Part III – Access to documents
Section 15 Requests for access
(6) Where, in relation to a request, the agency or Minister determines in writing that the
requirements of section 26A, 26AA, 27 or 27A make it appropriate to extend the
period referred to in paragraph (5)(b):
(a) the period is extended by a further period of 30 days; and
(b) the agency or Minister must, as soon as practicable, inform the applicant that the
period has been so extended.