24A  Requests may be refused if documents cannot be found, do not exist or have 
not been received 
Document lost or non-existent 
 
(1)  An agency or Minister may refuse a request for access to a document if: 
 
(a)  all reasonable steps have been taken to find the document; and 
 
(b)  the agency or Minister is satisfied that the document: 
 
(i)  is in the agency’s or Minister’s possession but cannot be found; or 
 
(ii)  does not exist. 
Document not received as required by contract 
 
(2)  An agency may refuse a request for access to a document if: 
 
(a)  in order to comply with section 6C, the agency has taken contractual 
measures to ensure that it receives the document; and 
 
(b)  the agency has not received the document; and 
 
(c)  the agency has taken all reasonable steps to receive the document in 
accordance with those contractual measures. 
 

---