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Our ref: FOI-2025-80064
8 July 2025
Lex (last name not given)
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Lex,
Freedom of Information request - Access decision
1. I refer to your 8 June 2025 Freedom of Information (
FOI) request to this Office
under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (
FOI Act), for access to documents in
the following terms:
On 29 May 2025, Sarah Bendal and Joanne Mulder delivered a
presentation at the National Investigations Symposium.
The title of their presentation was "restorative engagement in defence
abuse and student complaints".
Under the FOI Act, I request access to documents setting out that
presentation.
Please provide the documents by return email.
2. We have interpreted this to be a request for the power point presentations
delivered by Sarah Bendall and another staff member from our Office, as Joanne
was unable to attend.
Decision
3. This letter constitutes notice of my decision on your FOI request for access. I am
authorised to make decisions on behalf of our Office under s 23 of the
FOI Act.
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1300 362 072 ombudsman.gov.au GPO Box 442, Canberra ACT 2601
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4. When processing an FOI request, an agency is required to ensure that all
reasonable steps have been taken to find documents within the scope of the FOI
request in accordance with s 24A of the
FOI Act.
5. Searches have been undertaken of the Office’s record management system,
Objective. I have consulted with the Office staff who presented at the National
Investigations Symposium.
6. Our Office has identified two documents relevant to your FOI request, being the
two power point presentations that accompanied the address at the National
Investigations Symposium. I grant ful access. The documents are enclosed. The
Office does not hold a video / audio recording of the address.
Material taken into account
7. In making my decision I had regard to the following:
• the terms of your FOI request;
• relevant provisions of the
FOI Act;
• internal consultation with relevant areas within the Office; and
• Guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under s 93A
of the
FOI Act, available at
https://www.oaic.gov.au (
FOI Guidelines).
Disclosure Log
8. Section 11C of the
FOI Act requires our Office to publish documents released
through an FOI request on our website (
FOI disclosure log) within 10 business
days of release, unless an exception applies.
9. Having regard to the nature of the information captured by your FOI request, I
have not identified an exception to publication of the material and have decided
to publish the two documents on the Office’s disclosure log. As a result, they wil
be published on our disclosure log within 10 business days of this decision.
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1300 362 072 ombudsman.gov.au GPO Box 442, Canberra ACT 2601
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Review rights
Internal review
10. You can request internal review within 30 days of your receiving this decision. An
internal review wil be conducted by a different officer from the original decision-
maker.
11. No particular form is required to apply for review although it wil assist your case
to set out the grounds on which you believe that the original decision should be
changed. Applications for internal review can be made:
• via email t
o xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
• by mail to Commonwealth Ombudsman GPO Box 442 Canberra ACT 2601
12. If you choose to seek an internal review, you wil afterward have a right to apply
for Information Commissioner review (
IC review) of the internal review decision.
IC review or complaint
13. You also have the right to seek IC review of this decision. An application for IC
review must be made in writing within 60 days of the decision.
14. If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your FOI request, you
can lodge a complaint with the OAIC. However, the OAIC suggests that
complaints are made to the agency in the first instance.
15. While there is no particular form required to make a complaint to the OAIC, the
complaint should be in writing and set out the reasons for why you are
dissatisfied with the way your FOI request was processed. It should also identify
the Ombudsman’s Office as the agency about which you are complaining.
16. You can make an IC review application or make an FOI complaint in one of the
following ways:
• online at
Apply for an IC Review or at
Freedom of Information complaints
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Helping people, improving government
1300 362 072 ombudsman.gov.au GPO Box 442, Canberra ACT 2601
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• via email t
o xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
• by mail to GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001, or
• by fax to 02 9284 9666.
17. More information about the OAIC and your FOI rights is available at
Your freedom
of information rights | OAIC.
Yours sincerely
Clare
Senior Legal Officer
Legal
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