Mr Chris Smyth
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Smyth
I refer to your inquiry of 25 October 2019 for an update on the Freedom of Information
application that you lodged earlier this year. I apologise for the delay in responding to you.
I have only recently become aware of the application, and the fact it has not been completed.
There are a number of reasons that contributed to initial delays in completing the application,
and I understand that these were conveyed to you in previous correspondence. In addition to
that, the assigned decision maker has departed AFMA.
The combination of circumstances means that the timeframes for AFMA to complete and
respond to your application that are set out in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 have well
and truly past. As such, the Act treats this as a “deemed refusal” of the application.
I can assure you that this was not intentional on AFMA’s part, and I wil shortly write to the
Australian Information Commissioner to seek an extension to properly respond to you. Given
the time of year, and the need to reconstruct some of the substantial early work that was done
on the application, I anticipate asking the Commissioner for a 60 day extension.
It would be very helpful to hear your views on the proposed extension please as that would be a
material consideration for the Commissioner.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the ongoing delay in your application, and my
commitment that AFMA wil move to deliver the relevant documents as soon as possible if the
extension is granted. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss this
further.
Yours sincerely
Wez Norris
Chief Executive Officer
T – (02) 6225 5534
E – xxx.xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Canberra
Darwin
Thursday Island
Lakes Entrance
PO Box 7051
PO Box 131
PO Box 376
PO Box 408
Canberra ACT 2610
Darwin NT 0801
Thursday Island QLD 4875
Lakes Entrance VIC 3909
P 02 6225 5555
P 08 8943 0333
P 07 4069 1990
P:0447 019 916
F 02 6225 5500
F 08 8942 2897
F 07 4069 1277
Securing Australia’s Fishing Future
afma.gov.au
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