LEX 50201 Decision on access.pdf

AS

Via email to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx

Dear AS,

Freedom of Information Request LEX 50201 – Decision on access

I refer to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) request made to the Department of Social Services
(Department) on 13th April 2024. The request seeks access to:

“Copy of ALL templates used by your FOI and PIA teams including but not limited to:

Allocation of Matter template to DM
ALL Decision Letter Templates used.
Refusal template
Acknowledgement Letter Template
Internal Line area request for documentation
Email Search template.
Statement of reasons template
Deemed decision template.
Consult with other agencies template.”

I am authorised to make decisions in respect of FOI requests under subsection 23(1) of the FOI Act.

Decision

I have decided to grant partial access to the documents sought by the request as they contain material that
is irrelevant to the request and deleted under section 22 of the FOI Act.

The documents and my decision in relation to each are set out in the Schedule of Documents at
Attachment A (Schedule).

The reasons for my decision are set out in the Statement of Reasons at Attachment B.

Review rights and complaints.

Information concerning how you may seek a review of this decision or make a complaint about the
handling of this request is at Attachment C.

Publication

Section 11C of the FOI Act requires agencies to publish details on how to access documents released in
response to FOI requests on their website within 10 days of release unless except where that publication
would be unreasonable.

GPO Box 9820 Canberra ACT 2601
Email  Facsimile  Telephone 1300 653 227
National Relay Service: TTY: 133 677, Speak and listen: 1300 555 727, Internet relay: www.relayservice.com.au
www.dss.gov.au

The documents released in response to this request do not contain any information that would be
unreasonable to publish. As a result, details on how to access them will be published on the Department’s
disclosure log within 10 days of this decision.

Contact
If you would like to discuss any aspect of my decision, please contact me at xxx@xxx.xxx.xx.

Yours sincerely

Sarah B
Authorised FOI Decision Maker
8 May 2024

Attachments
A – Schedule of Documents
B – Statement of Reasons
C – Review rights

ATTACHMENT A
SCHEDULE OF DOCUMENTS

Doc No  Description of document
Decision
1.    Template: Acknowledgement email to applicant (non-represented)
Release in full
2.    Template: Acknowledgement email to applicant (represented)
Release in full

3.    Template: Document Search Minute template
Release in full
4.    Template: Tasking email to line area(s)
Release in full
5.    Template: Decision to undertake third party consultation
Release in full
6.    Template: Third party consultation email to applicant
Release in full
7.    Template: Third party consultation email to third parties
Release in full
8.    Template: Courtesy consult email to external agency (from Department of Social
Release in ful
Services)
9.    Template: Courtesy consult email to DSS line area (within Department of Social
Release in full
Services)
10.    Template: Email to FOI Applicants – Requests seeking Redress protected information
Release in full
11.    Template: Section 16 transfer request email
Release in full
12.    Template: Acceptance of section 16 transfer email
Release in ful
13.    Template: Section 16 transfer, notification email to the applicant
Release in full
14.    Template: Section 16 transfer - Handover email following acceptance
Release in full
15.    Template: Rejection of section 16 transfer
Release in full
16.    Template: Decision email to applicant
Release in full
17.    Template:  Notification of Potential Decision to Line Areas
Release in full
18.    Template:  Notice of decision - release in full
Release in full
19.    Template: Notice of decision - refuse in full or release in part
Release in full
20.    Template:  Notice of decision - no docs exist
Release in full

ATTACHMENT A
Doc No  Description of document
Decision
21.    Template: Notice of decision - internal review template
Release in full
22.    Template: Decision to undertake third party consultation
Release in full
23.    Template:  FOI alert – New Request Received
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
24.    Template: FOI alert – Position on disclosure reached
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
25.    Template:  FOI alert – Decision pending
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
26.    Template: FOI alert – Extension to timeframe
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
27.    Template:  FOI alert – Request consultation process ended
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
28.    Template: FOI alert – Scope amended
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
29.    Template: FOI alert – Notification of Information Commissioner review
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
30.    Template: FOI alert – Media Reporting
Release in part
Section 22 – email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Department and Ministerial group email addresses
31.    Template:  FOI Portfolio Weekly FOI Reports (email)
Release in part
Section 22 –Department group email addresses

ATTACHMENT A
Doc No  Description of document
Decision
32.    Template: Fortnightly FOI Update to the Minister’s Offices (email)
Release in part
Section 22 – names and contact details of Department
personnel; email addresses of Ministerial personnel;
Ministerial group email addresses.
33.    Template: FOI Weekly Report
Release in part
Section 22- Contact details of Department personnel
34.    Template: Privacy Threshold Assessment – General Project
Release in part
Section 22 –Department group email address
35.    Template: Privacy Threshold Assessment – Legislation Project
Release in part
Section 22 –Department group email address
36.    Template: Privacy Threshold Assessment – Data Project
Release in part
Section 22 –Department group email address

ATTACHMENT B
STATEMENT OF REASONS

Material on which the decision is based.
1.  I relied on the following material in coming to this decision:

•  the terms of the FOI request;
•  the documents subject to the FOI request;
•  advice from subject matter experts within the Department regarding the nature and sensitivity
of the documents subject to the request;
•  the FOI Act; and
•  the Guidelines issued by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner under section
93A of the FOI Act (FOI Guidelines).

Section 22 – Irrelevant material
2.  Under section 22 of the FOI Act, the Department may delete material from documents that it
considers irrelevant to the scope of your request.

3.  At the outset of this request, you agreed to exclude the following information from its scope:

a)  group email addresses used for internal departmental purposes;
b)  all personal informa�on of members of the public;
c)  all personal informa�on of non-Senior Execu�ve Service (SES) government staﬀ; and
d)  al  personal informa�on of SES level government staﬀ with the excep�on of the names of the
Department’s SES staﬀ.
4.  Where present in the documents, this information has been deleted under section 22 of the FOI
Act.

ATTACHMENT C

INFORMATION ON REVIEW RIGHTS

You may seek review of this decision via:

(a) an internal review; or
(b) the Australian Information Commissioner (Information Commissioner).

Internal review

If you apply for internal review, a fresh decision will be made by a different decision-maker within the
Department. An application for internal review must be:

(a) made in writing;
(b) made within 30 days of receiving this letter; and
(c) sent to xxx@xxx.xxx.xx.

The application should also include the reasons why you think this decision should be reviewed.

If the internal review decision results in you not being provided access to all of the documents to which
you have requested access, you have the right to seek a further review by the Information
Commissioner.

Information Commissioner review

You can apply for the Information Commissioner to review this decision either immediately or following
an internal review decision. You must apply to the Information Commissioner within 60 days of the
receipt of this decision letter.

Further details on this process can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at
https://www.oaic.gov.au/.

COMPLAINTS TO THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner concerning actions taken by the
Department while exercising its powers or performing its functions under the FOI Act.

Further details on this process can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at
https://www.oaic.gov.au/.