Dear Information Commissioner
I am writing to request a s 15AB extension for an FOI request made by the unnamed applicant contactable at the above email address.
Details of the access request
The applicant lodged their FOI access request (complying with s 15) with the Bureau on 13 October 2017. The Bureau is due to make a decision on the applicant's request by 13 November 2017.
Period of s 15AB extension sought
The Bureau sought the applicant's agreement to an extension of time pursuant to s15AA. The applicant agreed based on several conditions – please see the attached correspondence. While the Bureau employees are bound to comply with the APS Values and Code of Conduct and must deal with the FOI request in accordance with the provisions of the FOI Act, it is not clear to the Bureau whether it has met all of the applicant's conditions.
The Bureau requests a 30 day extension under s 15AB. This would make the new due date for a decision 12 Dec 2017.
Reasons
· The Bureau is unclear whether the applicant has agreed to an extension. In particular we note that while the Bureau is dealing with a high-volume of FOI work, we are not managing 'hundreds' of requests.
· The Bureau is experiencing a higher than usual volume of FOI work.
· The Bureau is in the process of recruiting a further resource to deal with FOI matters; this process is underway but not yet complete.
· The Bureau has undertaken initial work to identify material in scope of this request but requires further time to complete the search process. It seems unlikely that the Bureau would undertake third party consultation that would extend the processing time.
· If an additional 30 days is approved, the Bureau would expect to update the applicant by 23 November 2017 on the progress of the decision; we expect that by this time the document searching would be complete. If charges are to be applied, they would be notified at this stage.
Yours sincerely
Erin MacLatchy | FOI & Privacy Officer
Please note: I work part time and am in the office between Monday-Thursday
Bureau of Meteorology
GPO Box 1289 Melbourne VIC 3001
Level 7 (North West), 700 Collins Street, Docklands VIC 3008
Tel: +61 3 9616 8428 |
[email address]
www.bom.gov.au
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