Our reference: FOI 25/26-0003 (LEXD 1080)
GPO Box 700
Canberra ACT 2601
1800 800 110
10 September 2025
ndis.gov.au
David Wright
Right to Know
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear David Wright
Freedom of Information request — Notification of Decision
Thank you for your correspondence of 1 July 2025, in which you requested access to
documents held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), under the
Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a decision on your request.
Scope of your request
You have requested access to the fol owing documents:
“Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,
Please provide the fol owing information about al law firms engaged by the NDIA in the
2024-2025 financial year for matters to which the NDIA was a Respondent at the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) / Administrative Review Tribunal (ART):
1) A list of al law firms engaged.
2) The number of AAT/ART matters each law firm was engaged for.
3) The total of al payments made by the NDIA to each of these law firms, giving the total
figure paid to each law firm and also a combined total figure of al payments.
Yours faithful y,
David Wright”
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Extension of time
The FOI Act provides 30 calendar days for the processing of an FOI request after it is
received. As your valid FOI request was received on 1 July 2025, the original due date for
your request was 31 July 2025.
On 23 July 2025, you agreed to a 30-day extension of time under section 15AA of the FOI
Act, making 30 August 2025 the new date to provide you with a decision on access.
We have been experiencing processing delays and were not able to provide you with our
decision by the due date. I sincerely apologise for the delay in releasing this decision to you
and thank you for your patience while we progressed your application. As this is a deemed
decision, we have submitted an application to the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC) seeking a 10-day extension to process the request under section
15AC of the FOI Act. On 9 September 2025, the OAIC granted our request for further time
under s 15AC of the FOI Act, making the new date for decision 10 September 2025.
Decision on access to documents
I am authorised to make decisions under section 23(1) of the FOI Act. My decision on your
request and the reasons for my decision are set out below.
Section 17(1)(c)(i) of the FOI Act provides that, in circumstances where an agency does not
hold a document containing the information sought in a discrete form, an agency can
produce a written document containing the requested information, if it can do so by using a
computer or other equipment that is ordinarily available for retrieving or col ating stored
information. We have been able to produce one document containing the information you
requested. I have, therefore, treated your request as if it were a request for access to this
document in accordance with section 17(1)(c) of the FOI Act.
I have decided to grant access to this document in ful .
The document was identified by consulting relevant staff in the NDIA’s Legal Operations
Team, who conducted searches of the Agency's systems, using al reasonable search terms
that could return data/information relevant to your request.
The FOI Act states that, in making a decision on a request, I must consider the FOI
Guidelines issued by the Information Commissioner pursuant to section 93A of the FOI Act.
According to the FOI Guidelines, the FOI Act serves as the legislative foundation for open
government, facilitating and promoting public access to information. I believe that providing
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access to this document aligns with the objects of the FOI Act, by providing for a right of
access to documents held by the Government of the Commonwealth.
In reaching my decision, I took the fol owing into account:
• your correspondence outlining the scope of your request
• the nature and content of the documents fal ing within the scope of your request
• the provisions of the FOI Act including section 3 (general objects of the Act), section 11
(Right of access), section 11A (Access to documents on request) and section 17
(Requests involving use of computer etc).
• the FOI Guidelines published under section 93A of the FOI Act
• consultation with relevant NDIA staff
• the NDIA’s operating environment and functions.
Release of documents
The document for release, as referred to in the Schedule of Documents at
Attachment A, is
enclosed.
Rights of review
Your rights to seek a review of my decision, or lodge a complaint, are set out at
Attachment B.
Should you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me
by email at xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Robert [RIA 421] Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Information Release, Privacy and Legal Operations Branch
Reviews and Information Release Division
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Attachment B
Your review rights
Internal Review
The FOI Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of this decision. The review
will be conducted by a different person to the person who made the original decision.
If you wish to seek an internal review of the decision, you must apply for the review, in
writing, within 30 days of receipt of this letter.
No particular form is required for an application for internal review, but to assist the review
process, you should clearly outline your grounds for review (that is, the reasons why you
disagree with the decision). Applications for internal review can be lodged by email to
xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or sent by post to:
Freedom of Information Section
Information Release, Privacy and Legal Operations Branch
Reviews and Information Release Division
GPO Box 700
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The FOI Act gives you the right to apply to the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC) to seek a review of this decision.
If you wish to have the decision reviewed by the OAIC, you may apply for the review, in
writing, or by using the online merits review form available on OAIC’s website via: OAIC Web
Form, within 60 days of receipt of this letter.
Applications for review can be lodged with the OAIC in the fol owing ways:
Online:
OAIC Web Form
Post:
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
Email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Phone:
1300 363 992 (local cal charge)
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
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Complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the
Commonwealth Ombudsman
You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the OAIC about actions
taken by the NDIA in relation to your request. The Ombudsman wil consult with the OAIC
before investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request.
Your complaint to the OAIC can be directed to the contact details identified above. Your
complaint to the Ombudsman can be directed to:
Phone:
1300 362 072 (local cal charge)
Email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Your complaint should be in writing and should set out the grounds on which it is considered
that the actions taken in relation to the request should be investigated.
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