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Our reference: FOI 26-192
Ben Fairless
by email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Fairless
Decision on your Freedom of Information Request
1
Your request
On 18 December 2025, you submitted a request to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (the Department), seeking access to documents under
the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
You requested access to:
the most recent version of the document “G644:2020 Emergency Call Service Protections
Requirements” created by the Australian Telecommunications Alliance
2
Authority to make decision
I am authorised by the Secretary to make decisions in relation to Freedom of Information requests under
section 23(1) of the FOI Act.
3
Decision
The right of access under the FOI Act is limited to a ‘document of an agency’, being a document in the
possession of the Department, whether created in the Department or received in the Department (section 4
of the FOI Act refers).
Section 24A of the FOI Act provides that an agency 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.
GPO Box 594, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
(02) 6274 7111 infrastructure.gov.au
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The business area responsible for the subject matter of your request has conducted searches of the
Department’s information holdings, including the Department’s official Electronic Document Management
System, G Drives available to the relevant business area and the Parliamentary Document Management
System. No documents matching the description in your request were identified as being in the possession
of the Department.
I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to find documents which would be relevant to your
request and that the documents do not exist in the possession of the department.
I have decided, in accordance with section 24A of the FOI Act, that the Department does not hold a document
in its possession that meets the terms of your request.
4
Material taken into consideration
In making my decision, I had regard to the following:
• the terms of your request
• the provisions of the FOI Act
• the guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under section 93A of the FOI Act
(the FOI Guidelines)
• advice from departmental officers with responsibility for the subject matter contained in the
documents captured by your request
5
Legislative provisions
The FOI Act, including the provisions referred to in my decision, are available on the Federal Register of
Legislation website: www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562.
6
Your review rights
If you are dissatisfied with my decision, you may apply for a review of it.
6.1 Internal review
You can request an internal review within 30 days of receiving this decision. An internal review will be
conducted by a different departmental officer from the original decision-maker.
No particular form is required to apply for review although it will assist the Department if you are able to set
out the grounds on which you believe that the original decision should be changed.
Applications for internal review can be sent to xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
If you choose to seek an internal review, you will also have a right to apply for Information Commissioner
review (IC review) of the internal review decision once it has been provided to you if you remain dissatisfied
with the decision.
6.2 Information Commissioner review or complaint
An application for IC review must be made in writing to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
(OAIC) within 60 days of the decision.
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.
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More information about the Information Commissioner reviews and complaints is available on the OAIC
website here: www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/foi-review-process.
Further information
If you require further information regarding this decision, please contact the Department’s FOI Section
at xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Kevin McGowan
A/g Assistant Secretary
Custodian Operations Branch
Triple Zero Custodian Division
Date: 13 January 2026
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