PO Box 7820, Canberra BC ACT 2610
4 April 2024
Our reference: LEX 78943
Frank N Fearless
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Frank N Fearless (Right to Know)
Acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information Request
I refer to your request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(the FOI Act). You requested access to:
… "the final report which is currently in the process of being drafted" which is referred
to in my previous FOI, Lex 78384. That is; the final report on the samples prepared by
Services Australia to inform decisions on whether and how to waive or remediate its
mountain of unlawful calculations.
With unlawful decision-making sitting somewhere between 54%-80% of all employment
income related debts from 2003-2021, the public interest in disclosure is particularly
compelling.
Timeframe to process your request
Your request was received by Services Australia (the Agency) on 26 March 2024 and the 30
day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date. As
the due date for the request falls on a public holiday, you should therefore expect a decision
from us the next business day, being Friday 26 April 2024. The period of 30 days may be
extended if we need to consult third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this
happens.
Charges
The Agency will advise you if a charge is payable to process your request and the amount of
any such charge as soon as practicable. No charge is payable for providing a person with their
own personal information.
Your Address
The FOI Act requires you to provide us with an address to which we can send notices. You
have advised your electronic address is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
We will send all notices and correspondence to this address. Please advise us as soon as
possible if you wish correspondence to be sent to another address or if your address changes.
If you do not advise us of changes to your address, correspondence and notices will continue
to be sent to the address specified above.
PAGE 1 OF 2
Administrative Release of Documents
The Agency has administrative access arrangements (the arrangements) for the release of
certain documents without the need for a formal FOI request. Unless you advise us otherwise,
in processing your request we may provide you with documents under these arrangements
where appropriate and any parts of your FOI request that are addressed by documents
released under the arrangements will be considered to be withdrawn. The arrangements do
not extend to information or materials of third parties. You will be notified when documents are
released to you under the arrangements.
Disclosure Log
Please note information released under the FOI Act may be published in a disclosure log on
the agency's website. Section 11C of the FOI Act requires this publication, however it is subject
to certain exceptions, including where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Exclusion of junior staff details
The Agency is working towards ensuring all staff have a choice about whether they provide
their full name, personal logon identifiers and direct contact details in response to public
enquiries. Where such details are included in the scope of a request, this may add to
processing time and applicable charges as it may be necessary to consider whether the details
are exempt under the FOI Act.
On this basis, can you confirm in writing that you consent
to staff details being outside the scope of your request?
Further assistance
If you have any questions please email xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Tara
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Reviews Branch | Legal Services Division
Services Australia
PAGE 2 OF 2
