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FOI20/070 
 
15 July 2020 
 
 
Mr John Smith  
 
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
Dear Mr Smith  
Freedom of Information Request FOI20/070 
 
The purpose of this letter is to give you a decision about access to information that you requested 
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). 
 
Summary 
 
In an email dated 21 May 2020 you requested: a copy of the contract associated with 
Commonwealth tender ID CN3418114-A2, between the Attorney General's department and Julian T 
Brophy. 
 
Extension to statutory timeframe for responding to your requests 
 
On 17 June 2020 you were advised that the period for processing your request was extended by 30 
days because the department was obliged to consult with a third party under s 27A of the FOI Act. 
This extension of time for processing your FOI request is provided for in s 15(6) of the FOI Act.  
 
The consultation mechanism under s 27A applies when the department believes that a person or 
organisation concerned may wish to contend that the requested information is exempt for reasons of 
personal privacy. 
 
Information within scope of your request 
 
I, Samantha Byng, am an officer authorised under s 23(1) of the FOI Act to make decisions in 
relation to FOI requests. 
 
I identified a single document that falls within the scope of your request. I did this by arranging for 
a comprehensive search of the department’s electronic documents management system and making 
enquiries of staff likely to be able to identify relevant documents.  
 
Where the documents within the scope of an FOI request include the personal information of junior 
officers of the department or other government agencies, the department’s practice is to not disclose 
that information (e.g. names, contact details). The names and contact details of senior officers will 
generally be disclosed. 
 
 
Decision and reasons for decision 
 
With regard to the information that falls within the scope of your request, I have decided to provide 
access subject to redactions.  
 
As discussed above the department consulted with a third party under s 27A. They have objected to 
the release of certain information. The department has initiated third party rights of review and the 
document will be withheld until the 30 day review period has expired. The department will contact 
you to advise you if we have received a review request.  
 
More information, including the reasons for my decision, is set out below. 
 
Material taken into account 
 
I have taken the following material into account in making my decision: 
  the terms of your request; 
  the content of the document that falls within the scope of your request; 
  submissions made by the party consulted as part of the third party consultation; 
  relevant provisions in the FOI Act, and  
  the Guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under s 93A of the FOI 
Act (the Guidelines). 
 
Section 47F- Personal information  
  
Subsection 47F(1) provides that a document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under the FOI 
Act would involve the unreasonable disclosure of personal information about any person (including 
a deceased person).  
 
In considering the question of whether the disclosure of some of the information would involve the 
unreasonable disclosure of personal information, I have had regard to the following matters in 
accordance with s 47F(2) of the FOI Act: 
 
  the extent to which the information is well known; 
  whether the persons to whom the information relates are known to be associated with the 
matters dealt with in the document; and 
  the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources. 
 
The name of the person who signed the contract on behalf of the supplier, the name of the supplier, 
the supplier’s abn and the supplier’s postal address are all available from publicly accessible 
sources.  
 
However the signature of the person who signed the contract on behalf of the supplier, contact 
details for an employee of the supplier, the name of the witness for the signatory and the witness’s 
signature are not publicly available and I consider that release of this information would constitute 
the unreasonable disclosure of personal information. Therefore I found that this information is 
conditionally exempt from release under s 47F.  
 
 
 
 
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Section 47G- Business information   
 
Section 47G conditionally exempts documents where disclosure would disclose information 
concerning a person in respect of his or her business or professional affairs, or concerning the 
business, commercial or financial affairs of an organisation or undertaking (business information), 
where the disclosure of the information: 
 
  would, or could reasonably be expected to, unreasonably affect the person adversely in 
respect of his or her lawful business or professional affairs or that organisation or 
undertaking in respect of its lawful business, commercial or financial affairs (s 47G(1)(a)), 
or 
  could reasonably be expected to prejudice the future supply of information to the 
Commonwealth or an agency for the purpose of the administration of a law of the 
Commonwealth or of a Territory or the administration of matters administered by an agency 
(s 47G(1)(b)). 
 
I consider that the release of the hourly rate in the contract could reasonably be expected to, 
unreasonably affect the supplier in respect of their lawful business as hourly rates are generally 
commercial in confidence. Therefore I found that information to be conditionally exempt from 
release under s 47G.  
  
Public interest test  
 
Paragraph 11A(5) of the FOI Act provides that an agency must give access to information if it is 
conditionally exempt at a particular time unless (in the circumstances) access to the information at 
that time would, on balance, be contrary to the public interest.   
 
In assessing whether access to conditionally exempt information would, on balance, be contrary to 
the public interest, s 11B(3) of the FOI Act sets out four factors favouring access which must be 
considered, if relevant. They are that disclosure would: 
 
  promote the objects of the FOI Act; 
  inform debate on a matter of public importance; 
  promote effect effective oversight of public expenditure; or 
  allow a person to access his or her personal information. 
 
With regard to the information that I found to be conditionally exempt under s 47F. I consider that 
only the first factor is relevant in this case. I accept that disclosing the conditionally exempt 
information may promote some of the objects of the FOI Act as information held by the Australian 
Government is a national resource and members of the community have a right to access 
Government documents. However disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to 
prejudice the protection of the privacy of the individuals concerned.  
 
Taking the above factors into consideration, I find that the public interest factors against disclosure 
outweigh the public interest factors for disclosure. I therefore find the relevant information is 
exempt from disclosure under s 47F of the FOI Act.  
 
With regard to the information that I found to be conditionally exempt under s 47G. I consider that 
only the first and third factors are relevant in this case. I accept that disclosing the conditionally 
exempt information may promote some of the objects of the FOI Act as information held by the 
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Australian Government is a national resource and members of the community have a right to access 
Government documents. I also accept that release of the information may promote effective 
oversight of public expenditure. However the information is commercial in confidence and 
disclosing it could adversely affect the supplier’s business.  
 
Taking the above factors into consideration, I find that the public interest factors against disclosure 
outweigh the public interest factors for disclosure. I therefore find the relevant information is 
exempt from disclosure under s 47G of the FOI Act.  
 
Your review rights 
 
If you are dissatisfied with my decision, you may apply for internal review or Information 
Commissioner review of the decision. We encourage you to seek internal review as a first step as it 
may provide a more rapid resolution of your concerns. 
 
Internal review 
 
Under s 54 of the FOI Act, you may apply in writing to the department for an internal review of my 
decision.  
 
The internal review application must be made within 30 days of the date of this letter, and be lodged 
in one of the following ways: 
 
email:  
xxx@xx.xxx.xx 
 
post: 
Freedom of Information and Parliamentary Section 
 
 
Strategy and Governance Branch 
 
 
Attorney-General’s Department 
 
 
3-5 National Circuit 
 
 
BARTON  ACT  2600 
Where possible please attach reasons why you believe review of the decision is necessary. The 
internal review will be carried out by another officer within 30 days. 
 
Information Commissioner review 
 
Under s 54L of the FOI Act, you may apply to the Australian Information Commissioner to review 
my decision.  
 
An application for review by the Information Commissioner must be made in writing within 60 
days of the date of this letter, and be lodged in one of the following ways: 
 
online:  
https://forms.business.gov.au/aba/oaic/foi-review-/  
 
email: 
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx  
 
post: 
GPO Box 5218, SYDNEY  NSW  2001 
 
in person:   Level 3, 175 Pitt Street, SYDNEY  NSW  2000 
More information about Information Commissioner review is available on the Office of the 
Australian Information Commissioner website. Go to http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-
information/foi-reviews. 
 
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Questions about this decision 
 
If you wish to discuss this decision, please contact the department’s FOI team on (02) 6141 6666 or 
by email xxx@xx.xxx.xx. 
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
 
Samantha Byng 
Assistant Secretary 
Royal Commissions Branch 
 
 
 
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