If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
2 March 2017
Our reference: LEX 27745
Mr Ben Fairless
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx Dear Mr Fairless
Your Freedom of Information request
I refer to your request dated 23 February 2017 and received by the Department of Human
Services (the
department) on the same day for access under the
Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the
FOI Act).
I cannot identify the documents you want and I am asking you to give me specific details
about the information you are seeking. If you decide not to give this information, I will have to
refuse your FOI request as a 'practical refusal reason' exists. For a more detailed explanation
of what this means see Attachment A.
How to send us a 'revised request'
Before I make a final decision on your request, you can submit a revised request.
Within the next 14 days (consultation period) you must do one of the following, in writing:
withdraw the request
make a revised request, or
tell us that you do not want to revise your request.
If you do not do contact us during the consultation period, we will assume you do not want to
continue with your request. See Attachment A for relevant sections of the FOI Act.
If you decide to make a revised request you should be specific about what documents you
actually want. This could help the department find the documents.
Note: You may want to access the department's online services at
www.humanservices.gov.au to immediately find some of the personal information and
documents included in your original request.
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Contact officer
I am the contact officer for your request. During the consultation period you are welcome to
ask for my help in revising your request and filling out the form. You can contact me:
in writing to the address at the top of this letter
via email t
o xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Note: When you contact us please quote the reference number
FOI LEX 27745.
Your response will be expected by
16 March 2017. If no response is received, your matter
will be taken as withdrawn.
Further assistance
If you have any questions please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Authorised FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
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Department of Human Services
Attachment A
What I took into account
You requested access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to the
following documents:
'…a copy of your administrative access arrangements'.
I am not able to reasonably identify what documents you want because ‘administrative
access arrangements’ within the department may refer to a number of processes by which
the department releases documents outside the FOI process. It would assist the department
to conduct searches for documents if you were to identify if you are interested in the informal
release of information in a particular programme area.
You may like to refer to the relevant Operational Blueprint (available at
http://operational.humanservices.gov.au/public/Pages/complaints-privacy-and-foi/104-
01010010-01.html) regarding information that may be appropriate for administrative release,
and the steps that service officers must undertake before releasing personal information to
customers.
Under sections 24AA(1)(b) and 24 of the FOI Act, I intend to refuse your FOI request as a
'practical refusal reason' exists. Under the Act, the practical refusal reason is that your
request does not satisfy the requirements in paragraph 15(2)(b) (identification of documents).
Relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 1982
Section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act provides that a practical refusal reason exists in relation to
a request for a document if the request does not satisfy the requirement in section 15(2)(b) of
the FOI Act.
Section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act provides that a request must provide such information as is
reasonably necessary to enable the agency to identify the documents that are being
requested.
Section 24AB(7) of the FOI Act provides that the request is taken to have been withdrawn
under at the end of the consultation period if:
the applicant does not consult the contact person during the consultation period in
accordance with the notice, or
the applicant does not do one of the things mentioned in subsection (6) before the
end of the consultation period.
Section 24AB(7) (subsection 6) says that the applicant must, before the end of the
consultation period, do one of the following, by written notice to the agency or Minister:
withdraw the request,
make a revised request, or
indicate that the applicant does not wish to revise the request
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Department of Human Services
