2016/17 Additional Estimates Topics

Jackson Gothe-Snape made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Communications and the Arts as part of a batch sent to 18 authorities

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was successful.

Jackson Gothe-Snape

Dear Department of Communications and the Arts,

If possible, please treat this as an administrative or informal request.

Otherwise, please consider this a request under the FOI Act.

Can you please provide the topics list for briefs created in preparation for hearings of Senate 2016-17 Additional Estimates.

I ask that all fees in relation to this request be waived because the release of the documents is in the public interest. The documents help identify the most important policy areas within the department's responsibilities.

Yours faithfully,

Jackson Gothe-Snape

2 Attachments

UNCLASSIFIED

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape

 

Re: Freedom of Information (FOI) Request (Reference No. 26-1617)

 

I refer to your email dated 28 March seeking access under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to:

 

“…the topics list for briefs created in preparation for hearings of Senate
2016-17 Additional Estimates.”

 

Timeframe for receiving your decision:

Please note that we will process your application in accordance with the
Department’s [1]FOI Policy and that the 30 day statutory period for
processing the request commenced the day after the date that your request
was received by the Department, i.e. 29 March 2017.  You should therefore
expect a decision from us by 27 April 2017.  The period of 30 days may be
extended in certain circumstances.  We will advise you if there is any
extension of time.

 

Scope of request:

If it emerges that the scope of the request is unclear or is too large for
processing, the Department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the
request.

 

Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:

It is the Department’s policy to withhold the mobile numbers of all
government officials, and the names and contact details of government
officials not in the Senior Executive Service (SES).  If you require the
mobile numbers of all government officials, or the names and contact
details of non-SES officials, please let us know at
[2][Department of Communications and the Arts request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise
we will take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the
scope of the request.

 

Charges:

Please note that it is the Department’s policy to issue charges for
processing FOI requests and that we will advise you of the estimated
charges when we are in a position to estimate the resources required to
process the request. 

 

Timing of release:

As the subject matter of the request will require the Department to upload
any documents released to you to the Department’s FOI Disclosure Log, I
take this opportunity to advise you that the Department’s policy is to
upload documents to the disclosure log as close in time to the release of
material to an applicant as is practicable. More information on the
Department’s disclosure log is available in the FOI Policy.

 

Personal Information:

Your personal information has been collected by the Department as a result
of your correspondence, and will be used in order to process the FOI
request.  Personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy
Act 1988.  The Department’s [3]Privacy Policy is available on the website
and contains information about access to or correction of your personal
information, and how you may complain about a breach of your privacy.

 

Please note that if we need to consult with other people regarding release
of the requested documents, we may need to disclose your personal
information. When we consult with other people about the request, it may
be apparent to those people that you have made a request, even if we do
not disclose your identity. If you have concerns about the Department
consulting with other people about the request, please let us know about
these concerns.

 

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact me by return email.

 

Yours sincerely

 

[4]cid:C4234CC5-D32A-44FF-A754-F96227B373F7

 

FOI Coordinator  /  Office of the General Counsel  

Department of Communications and the Arts

E [Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

 

38 Sydney Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601

  

[5]communications.gov.au

[6]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [7]@CommsAu

 

[8]arts.gov.au

[9]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [10]@artsculturegov

 

 

show quoted sections

4 Attachments

UNCLASSIFIED

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape,

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request for access
to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

 

Yours sincerely

 

[1]cid:C4234CC5-D32A-44FF-A754-F96227B373F7

 

Office of the General Counsel  

Department of Communications and the Arts

E [2][Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

 

38 Sydney Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601

  

[3]communications.gov.au

[4]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [5]@CommsAu

 

[6]arts.gov.au

[7]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [8]@artsculturegov

 

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[Department of Communications and the Arts request email]
3. https://www.communications.gov.au/
5. https://twitter.com/CommsAu?lang=en
6. http://arts.gov.au/
8. https://twitter.com/artsculturegov?lang=en

Jackson Gothe-Snape

Hello,

Can I please request an internal review of the estimate of search and retrieval time.

This estimate suggests it took more than one working day for a person to identify the documents requested.

The documents were defined narrowly, and had been used only months ago.

Section 3(4) of the Act requires that functions of the act are to be performed at lowest reasonable cost.

I contend that taking more than one day to find narrowly defined documents, used recently, is an unreasonable estimate.

Yours sincerely,

Jackson Gothe-Snape

2 Attachments

UNCLASSIFIED

FOI 26-1617

 

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape,

 

Thank you for your email dated 27 April 2017 applying for an internal
review of the preliminary estimate of charges decision dated 24 April 2017
in relation to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 for
documents relating to the topics list for briefs created in preparation
for hearings of Senate 2016-17 Additional Estimates.

 

The Department’s General Counsel will undertake the internal review of the
charges decision and will notify you of her decision no later than 27 May
2017. 

 

In the meantime, should you have any queries, please contact me by return
email.

 

Yours sincerely

 

[1]cid:C4234CC5-D32A-44FF-A754-F96227B373F7

 

FOI Coordinator  /  Office of the General Counsel  

Department of Communications and the Arts

E [Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

 

38 Sydney Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601

  

[2]communications.gov.au

[3]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [4]@CommsAu

 

[5]arts.gov.au

[6]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [7]@artsculturegov

 

 

 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
2. https://www.communications.gov.au/
4. https://twitter.com/CommsAu?lang=en
5. http://arts.gov.au/
7. https://twitter.com/artsculturegov?lang=en

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

FOI 26-1617

 

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape

 

I refer to your request dated 28 March 2017 seeking access to:

 

“…the topics list for briefs created in preparation for hearings of Senate
2016-17 Additional Estimates.…”

 

To assist our internal review of the Department’s charges decision dated
24 April 2017, and noting that you also requested that ‘if possible’ that
the Department treat your request ‘as an administrative or informal
request’, we consider that your request may be interpreted as a request
for access to a single document, i.e. a document that lists the topics of
briefs prepared for the Senate 2016-17 Additional Estimates hearings.

 

We would appreciate it if you could please provide further information to
clarify the scope of the request and in particular whether it is correct
that you are seeking access to a singular document.

 

Please note that usually in these circumstances, we would contact you by
telephone to discuss the terms of your request, however as you have not
provided the Department with any telephone details, we have not been able
to do this. 

 

We would be grateful for your prompt response to this query and no later
than 12pm on Friday, 26 May 2017.  Should you require any further
information, or would like to discuss your request, please do not hesitate
to contact me by return email or telephone (02) 6271 1277.

 

Best regards,

 

 

[1]cid:C4234CC5-D32A-44FF-A754-F96227B373F7

 

FOI Coordinator  /  Office of the General Counsel  

Department of Communications and the Arts

P +61 2 6271 1277

E [2][Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

4 Attachments

UNCLASSIFIED

FOI 26-1617

 

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape,

 

Please see attached correspondence in relation to your FOI Request.

 

Yours sincerely

 

[1]cid:C4234CC5-D32A-44FF-A754-F96227B373F7

 

FOI Coordinator  /  Office of the General Counsel  

Department of Communications and the Arts

E [Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

 

38 Sydney Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601

  

[2]communications.gov.au

[3]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [4]@CommsAu

 

[5]arts.gov.au

[6]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [7]@artsculturegov

 

 

 

 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
2. https://www.communications.gov.au/
4. https://twitter.com/CommsAu?lang=en
5. http://arts.gov.au/
7. https://twitter.com/artsculturegov?lang=en

4 Attachments

UNCLASSIFIED

FOI 26-1617

 

Dear Mr Gothe-Snape

 

Please see attached Notice of Access Decision and attachments.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

[1]cid:C4234CC5-D32A-44FF-A754-F96227B373F7

 

FOI Coordinator  /  Office of the General Counsel  

Department of Communications and the Arts

E [Department of Communications and the Arts request email]

 

38 Sydney Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603

GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601

  

[2]communications.gov.au

[3]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [4]@CommsAu

 

[5]arts.gov.au

[6]cid:17F0759F-5B67-41BB-B991-66700A2CA00A [7]@artsculturegov

 

 

 

 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
2. https://www.communications.gov.au/
4. https://twitter.com/CommsAu?lang=en
5. http://arts.gov.au/
7. https://twitter.com/artsculturegov?lang=en