�- _A_u_straI
__ ia_nG_o_ve_r_n_m_e_n_t ____ _
� Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
FOi Reference: LEX2118
File No: 20/15967
10 July 2020
Mr Peter Timmins
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Timmins
Re. Freedom of Information Request- notification of intention to refuse request
The purpose of this letter is to give you a decision about access to documents that you requested
under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOi Act}.
On 18 June 2020, you sought access to:
"documents created or received since Australia took a position on the Executive Board of
the World Health Organisation in 2018 concerning the need for the organisation to be more
independent and transparent, including briefs, reports, records of conversation, speeches or
other documents sent to or sent from Australian representatives."
Practical refusal reason
I am writing to give you notice under section 24AA(l)(b) of the FOi Act of an intention to provide a
practical refusal in relation to your access request.
Notice is hereby given under section 24AB(2) of the FOi Act of an intention to refuse to grant
access to the documents sought. The practical refusal reason is that the work involved in
processing the request would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the
department from its other operations.
In deciding that this practical refusal reason exists, I have given consideration to how the
department could proceed to process your request, and the time and resources that would be
involved in doing so. I have been assisted in this task by estimates provided by members of staff in
the Global Health Policy Branch of the department to determine an estimate of the probable
resource demands posed by your FOi request.
On advice from the relevant line area, the outcome of initial searches has resulted in thousands of
documents which would require review in order to progress your request. I am therefore of the
opinion that processing your request in its current form would be a substantial and unreasonable
diversion of the department's resources within the meaning of section 24AA(ll of the FOi Act.
Request co.nsultation process
In accordance with section 24AB(2)(e) of the FOi Act. you have 14 days from the day you are given
this notice (Consultation Period} to:
R G Casey Building John McEwen Cres Barton 0221
THE DEPARTMENT.GOV.AU
T +61 2 62611111
"®THE
DEPARTMENT
(a) withdraw your request;
(b) revise the scope of your request; or
(c) inform the department that you do not wish to revise your request.
If we do not receive written notification from you with regards to (a), (b) or (c) as listed above, or
if you do not consult with me, as the contact person, during this Consultation Period, your request
will be taken to have been withdrawn in accordance with section 24AB(7l of the FOi Act.
If you intend to revise the scope of your request, you may wish to consider the following, which
would enable the department to appropriately process your request.
Please note that during this period of consultation, the statutory timeframe under section 15(5) of
the FOi Act for the processing of your request is on hold (see section 24AB(8l of the FOi Act for
details).
I have attached a copy of sections 24, 24AA and 24AB of the FOi Act for your information
Please do not hesitate to contact me via email: foi@the department.gov.au if you have any
questions about this consultation process, including revising the scope of your FOi request to
enable the department to process it.
Yours sincerely
Lindsay Buckingham
Director
Freedom of Information and Privacy Law Section
--------------- --
