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OFFICIAL
DEFENCE FOI 1054/24/25
STATEMENT OF REASONS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982
1.
I refer to the request by Trevor Bodnar (the applicant), dated and received on 13 May 
2025 by the Department of Defence (Defence), for access to the following documents 
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):
“I am seeking the RAAF Supplement Status Sheet" pages of the following 
publications:
AAP 7213.006-1-NFM-000
AAP 7212.007-1
AAP 7215.005-1(AM1)”
FOI decision maker
2.
I am the authorised officer pursuant to section 23 of the FOI Act to make a decision on 
this FOI request.
Documents identified
3.
I have identified two (2) documents as falling within the scope of the request. 
Exclusions
4.
Signatures contained in documents that fall within the scope of the FOI request, are 
excluded from this request. Defence has only considered final versions of documents.
Decision
5.
I have decided to:
a. partially release 2 documents in accordance with section 22 [access to edited 
copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted] of the FOI Act on the grounds 
that the deleted material is considered exempt under section 47E [Public 
interest conditional exemptions – certain operations of agencies] of the FOI
Act;
b. refuse item 1 of the request under section 24A [requests may be refused if 
documents cannot be found, do not exist or have not been received] of the FOI 
Act; and
c. remove irrelevant material in accordance with section 22 of the FOI Act. 
Material taken into account
6.
In making my decision, I have had regard to:
a. the terms of the request;
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b.  the content of the identified documents in issue; 
c.  relevant provisions of the FOI Act; and 
d.  the Guidelines published by the Office of the Australian Information 
Commissioner under section 93A of the FOI Act (the Guidelines). 
 
REASONS FOR DECISION 
Section 22 – Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted 
7. 
Section 22 of the FOI Act permits an agency to prepare and provide an edited copy of 
a document where the agency has decided to refuse access to an exempt document or 
that to give access to a document would disclose information that would reasonably be 
regarded as irrelevant to the request for access.   
8. 
The documents contain exempt and irrelevant material such as signatures that does not 
relate to the request.  
9. 
I am satisfied that it is reasonably practicable to remove the exempt and irrelevant 
material and release the documents to you in an edited form.  
Section 24A – Requests may be refused if documents cannot be found, do not exist or 
have not been received 
10. 
Section 24A(1) of the FOI Act states: 
(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.  
11. 
Paragraph 3.94 of the Guidelines advises the detail this statement of reasons should 
include to refuse a request under section 24A(l): 
…the statement of reasons given to the applicant should sufficiently identify the 
document, explain why it cannot be found or is known not to exist or to be in the 
agency’s possession, describe the steps the agency took to search for the 
document, and note the limitations of any search… 
12. 
To ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken in relation to this request, every 
reasonable avenue of locating documents matching item 1 has been exhausted. 
13. 
In relation to item 1 of the request, the Defence Records Management System 
‘Objective’ was searched for files containing the words “AAP 7213.006-1-NFM-000”. 
No records were found. In addition, advice received from subject matter experts close 
the material requested, is that the document was never brought into existence. 
14. 
I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to locate the documents sought 
by the applicant. I am satisfied that the documents cannot be found or do not exist, and 
refuse the request under section 24A(1) of the FOI Act. 
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Section 47E(d) –Public interest conditional exemptions – certain operations of agencies  
15. 
Section 47E(d) of the FOI Act states: 
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or 
could reasonably be expected to, do any of the following:  
(c)   have a substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of 
the operations of the agency. 
16. 
The Guidelines, at paragraph 6.115, provide that: 
  The predicted effect must bear on the agency’s ‘proper and efficient’ 
operations, that is, the agency is undertaking its operations in an expected 
manner. 
17. 
In the case of ‘ABK’ and Commonwealth Ombudsman [2022] AICmr 44, the 
Information Commissioner (IC) found that where the direct email addresses and phone 
numbers of agency staff are not publicly known, they should be conditionally exempt 
under section 47E(d). The IC made this determination due to reasonable expectation 
that the release of direct contact details would undermine the operation of established 
channels of communication with the public. Further, the IC accepted that staff who 
were contacted directly could be subject to excessive and abusive communications, 
which may give rise to work health and safety concerns.  
18. 
I am satisfied that were the contact details of Defence personnel made publicly 
available, it would have substantial adverse effects on the proper and efficient 
operation of existing public communication channels. Further, I am satisfied of a 
reasonable expectation that the information could be used inappropriately, in a manner 
which adversely affects the health, wellbeing and work of Defence personnel. 
Disclosure of names, email addresses and phone numbers could, therefore, reasonably 
be expected to prejudice the operations of Defence. 
19. 
The Guidelines provide, at paragraph 6.112, that I should consider whether disclosure 
of the information ‘would, or could reasonably be expected to lead to a change in the 
agency’s processes that would enable those processes to be more efficient.’ Given that 
the direct contact details within the documents are not publicly available and that more 
appropriate communication channels are already available, I am satisfied that release 
of the information could reasonably be expected to lead to a change in Defence’s 
processes that would not lead to any efficiencies. 
20. 
Accordingly, I am satisfied that all staff information contained within the documents 
is conditionally exempt under section 47E(d) of the FOI Act. 
Public interest considerations - sections 47E(d) 
21. 
Section 11A(5) of the FOI Act states: 
The agency or Minister must give the person access to the document if it is 
conditionally exempt at a particular time unless (in the circumstances) 
access to the document at that time would, on balance, be contrary to the 
public interest.  
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22. 
I have considered the factors favouring disclosure as set out in section 11B(3) [factors 
favouring access] of the FOI Act. The relevant factors being whether access to the 
document would: 
(a) promote the objects of this Act (including all the matters set out in 
sections 3 and 3A); 
(b) inform debate on a matter of public importance; 
(c) promote effective oversight of public expenditure; 
(d) allow a person to access his or her own personal information. 
23. 
In my view, disclosure of this information would not increase public participation in 
the Defence process (section 3(2)(a) of the FOI Act), nor would it increase scrutiny or 
discussion of Defence activities (section 3(2)(b) of the FOI Act). 
24. 
Paragraph 6.233 of the Guidelines specifies a non-exhaustive list of public interest 
factors against disclosure. The factors I find particularly relevant to this request are 
that release of this information could reasonably be expected to prejudice:  
x  the interests of an individual or a group of individuals; 
x  the management function of an agency; and 
x  the personnel management function of an agency. 
25. 
It is in the public interest that Defence efficiently and productively operates with 
regard for the health and wellbeing of its personnel. As I have established above, the 
release of the names, email addresses and phone numbers of Defence personnel can 
reasonably be expected to prejudice the management and personnel management 
functions of Defence. Existing communication channels and processes enable efficient 
and appropriate liaison with the public. The direct contact details of Defence 
personnel should, therefore, not be disclosed, as the public interest against their 
disclosure outweighs the public interest in their release.  
26. 
I have not taken any of the factors listed in section 11B(4) [irrelevant factors] of the 
FOI Act into account when making this decision.  
27. 
I am satisfied, based on the above particulars, the public interest factors against 
disclosure outweigh the factors for disclosure, and that, on balance, it is against the 
public interest to release the information to you. Accordingly, I find that the 
information is exempt under section 47E of the FOI Act. 
 
 
 Anthony SAVAGE Digitally signed by Anthony SAVAGE 
Date: 2025.06.10 21:41:12 +10'00'
CDRE Anthony Savage, RAN 
Accredited Decision Maker 
Capability and Sustainment Group 
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