Our Ref:  
26485/17 
GPO Box 9827 
 
In your capital city 
15 August 2017 
 
www.asic.gov.au 
 
Mr Phillip Sweeney 
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 
Dear Mr Sweeney 
 
Request Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982  
For Access to Documents 
 
I refer to your email of 16 July 2017 (your FOI request) received by this office on 
16 July 2017 in which you sought access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 
(FOI Act) to documents in the possession of the Australian Securities and 
Investments Commission (ASIC).  
  
Your FOI request stated, inter alia:  
 
This Freedom of Information request is to determine if ASIC currently has possession of 
a copy of a Trust Deed for an occupational pension scheme dated 23 December 1913 
that is recited in the Elder Smith & Co Limited Provident Funds Act 1963 (SA). 
 
I have taken the above to be the reasons for your request and your request to be for:  
 
a Trust Deed for an occupational pension scheme dated 23 December 1913 that is 
recited in the Elder Smith & Co Limited Provident Funds Act 1963 (SA).   
 
I am the authorised decision-maker for the purposes of section 23 of the FOI Act. 
 
The right to access documents pursuant to section 11 of the FOI Act refers to a 
'document of an agency'. Section 4 of the FOI Act defines a document as a 'document 
of an agency' if:  
 
(a) the document is in the possession of the agency, whether created in the 
agency or received in the agency; or 
(b) in order to comply with section 6C, the agency has taken contractual 
measures to ensure that it receives the document. 
 
You advise that the document is dated 23 December 1913 and is a Trust Deed for an 
occupational pension scheme. It is not a document created by, or required to be 
lodged with, ASIC. Section 6C of the Act relates to Commonwealth contracts and is 
not relevant to your FOI request.  

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2
 
Decision 
 
Section 24A(1) of the FOI Act relevantly states:  
 
An agency or Minister 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:  
 …  
(ii) does not exist. 
 
In making my decision, I have undertaken searches of ASIC's internal databases 
(current and past file and record management systems), ASIC registers and made 
enquiries with relevant staff. I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to 
locate documents relevant to your FOI request.  Based on these enquiries and the 
information before me, I am satisfied that ASIC does not have the document or the 
document does not exist.  
 
Therefore, I have decided to refuse your FOI request pursuant to section 24A(1) of the 
FOI Act.  
 
Review Rights 
 
In the event that you are dissatisfied with the decision: 
 
1.  You may, within 30 days after the day on which you have been notified of this 
decision, apply in writing to ASIC for a review of my decision by another ASIC 
officer under section 54B of the FOI Act.  This request should be addressed to me 
or to the Senior Manager, Administrative Law GPO Box 9827 SYDNEY or by 
email to xxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx 
 
2.  You may, within 60 days after the day on which you have been notified of this 
decision, apply in writing to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner 
(OAIC) for a review of my decision under section 54N of the FOI Act.  You may 
contact the OAIC by post at GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001, by email at 
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or by telephone on 1300 363 992 
 
Right to complain 
3.  You may lodge a complaint with the OAIC in relation to the conduct of ASIC in 
the handling of this request.  You may contact the OAIC as described above.   
 
Yours faithfully 
 
Chelsea McIntosh 
(Authorised decision-maker under subsection 23(1) of the FOI Act) 
for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission 

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