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Internal review decision  
Applicant: 
 
Phillip Sweeney 
Decision-maker: 
Ben (person number 2355), an authorised officer of the 
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) for the 
  purposes of section 23(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 
1982 (‘FOI Act’).  
FOI reference: 
FOI 21 – 1  
Decision: 
Affirm the original decision to refuse access to the relevant 
documents.   
Summary 
 
1. 
On 7 July 2020 you made the following FOI request: 
“The documents I seek are any correspondence between either trustee and APRA 
related to the change in trustee from National Australia Bank Superannuation Fund 
Pty Ltd to PFS Nominees Pty Ltd and the change in fund status from ‘not-for-profit’ 
to ‘for-profit’.” 
 
(‘the original FOI request’) 
 
2. 
On 10 August 2020 APRA made the decision to refuse access to all relevant documents 
on the basis of sections 38, 47C and 47E(d) of the FOI Act (‘the original FOI decision’).  
 
3. 
On 14 August 2020 APRA received your email request for an internal review of the 
original FOI decision (‘the internal review application’).  
 
Material taken into account  
4. 
I relied on the following evidence and material in making my decision: 
a) 
the original FOI request; 
b) 
acknowledgment of FOI request from FOI Officer to the Applicant dated 8 July 
2020; 
c) 
email correspondence between APRA staff between 24 July – 3 August 2020; 
d) 
the original FOI decision; 
e) 
the internal review application; 
f) 
memorandum from FOI Officer dated 11 September 2020; 
g) 
relevant sections of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 (Cth) 
(APRA Act); 
 

 
 
 
 
h) 
relevant sections of the FOI Act; and 
i) 
guidelines issued by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to date 
(FOI Guidelines). 
Reasons  
5. 
I reproduce relevant paragraphs of the original FOI decision:  
“APRA conducted all reasonable searches and identified 14 documents relevant to 
the FOI request.  
I refused access to Documents 1-14 following application of the following exemptions 
in the FOI Act:   
a.  section 38: Documents 1-14 contain “protected information” under section 56 of 
the APRA Act;  
Secrecy Provisions 
I have taken the following approach in applying section 38 of the FOI Act:  
a.  a document is exempt under section 38 of the FOI Act if disclosure is prohibited 
under a provision of an enactment and section 38 expressly applies to that 
provision;   
b.  subsection 56(11) of the APRA Act applies section 38 of the FOI Act so a 
document that is a ‘protected document’ or contains ‘protected information’ within 
the meaning of subsection 56(1) of the APRA Act is an exempt document under 
section 38 of the FOI Act;  
c.  it is an offence under section 56(2) of the APRA Act to directly or indirectly 
disclose protected information or produce a protected document, unless a 
specified exemption applies. This offence provision is binding on APRA staff 
members. The offence is punishable by up to two years imprisonment; 
d. a 
‘protected document’ is defined in section 56(1) of the APRA Act to include 
documents given or produced under or for the purposes of a prudential 
regulation framework law, and containing information relating to the affairs of 
a financial sector entity.  
e.  The Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 and the APRA Act are 
prudential regulation framework laws.  
f.  Documents 1-14 were given and disclosed for the purposes of APRA 
regulating bodies in the financial sector in accordance with the laws that 
provide for prudential regulation, namely the APRA Act and the 
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. t 
g.  As the protected information in Documents 1-14 has not already been lawfully 
made available to the public from other sources, Documents 1-14 are protected 
documents. 
 
 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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6. 
You made the following statements in support of your internal review application: 
a) 
“It is a matter of public interest as to why APRA would have approved the change 
of status of the NAB staff superannuation fund from ‘not-for-profit’ to ‘for-profit’ – a 
change that would not be in the best interests of the members of the NAB staff 
superannuation fund.” 
b) 
“It is a matter of public interest that in a COMPULSORY superannuation system 
such a change in fund status would have been approved by APRA.” 
c) 
“It is a matter of public interest as to why staff of the Commonwealth Bank and 
ANZ Bank have the benefit of being members of top-performing superannuation 
funds which provide a high degree of transparency as to their administration, 
whereas APRA approved the change in status of the NAB staff superannuation 
fund so that there would be a complete lack of transparency as to the 
administration of the staff fund and underperformance due to profit-taking from 
members’ accounts.” 
d) 
“It is also a matter of public interest in that the trustee of the NAB Staff 
Superannuation Fund (since 1 July 2016) is NULIS Nominees (Australia) Ltd that 
featured at the Hayne Royal Commission and where the conduct of the previous 
Chairman of NULIS was extensively covered in the media.” 
e) 
“In a ‘for-profit’ fund there is a conflict of interest between the interests of 
shareholders in the parent company and fund members that leads to such 
misconduct as ‘Fees for No Service’ which is absent in ‘not-for-profit’ 
superannuation funds.” 
7. 
I considered your statements, reviewed all relevant documentation and the process that 
was undertaken by the FOI Officer.  
8. 
I affirm the original FOI decision to refuse access to the relevant documents. The 
relevant documents are exempt documents under section 38 of the FOI Act. 
Rights of review  
9. 
Under section 54L of the FOI Act, you have the right to apply to the OAIC for a review 
of my decision. The application for review by the OAIC must be made in writing within 
60 days of the date of this letter, and be lodged in one of the following ways: 
Online 
Complete and lodge the online review form at:  
https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/reviews-
and-complaints/information-commissioner-review/ 
Post 
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001 
Email 
xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx 
Facsimile 
(02) 9284 9666 
Delivered in person 
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner 
Level 3, 175 Pitt Street 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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Sydney NSW 2000 
 
10.  More information about your review rights under the FOI Act is available here: 
https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/foi-guidelines/part-10-review-by-the-
information-commissioner/  
 
Ben (person number 2355)  
FOI Officer  
 
14 September 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982 
38  Documents to which secrecy provisions of enactments apply 
 
(1)  Subject to subsection (1A), a document is an exempt document if: 
 
(a)  disclosure of the document, or information contained in the document, is 
prohibited under a provision of an enactment; and 
 (b) 
either: 
 
(i)  that provision is specified in Schedule 3; or 
 
(ii)  this section is expressly applied to the document, or information, by 
that provision, or by another provision of that or any other enactment. 
 
(1A)  A person’s right of access to a document under section 11 or 22 is not affected 
merely because the document is an exempt document under subsection (1) of 
this section if disclosure of the document, or information contained in the 
document, to that person is not prohibited by the enactment concerned or any 
other enactment. 
 
(2)  Subject to subsection (3), if a person requests access to a document, this 
section does not apply in relation to the document so far as it contains personal 
information about the person. 
 
(3)  This section applies in relation to a document so far as it contains personal 
information about a person if: 
 
(a)  the person requests access to the document; and 
 
(b)  disclosure of the document, or information contained in the document, is 
prohibited under section 503A of the Migration Act 1958 as affected by 
section 503D of that Act. 
 
(4)  In this section: 
enactment includes a Norfolk Island enactment. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY ACT 1998 
56  Secrecy—general obligations  
 
(1)  In this section: 
body regulated by APRA includes a body that has at any time been a body 
regulated by APRA. 
court includes a tribunal, authority or person having the power to require the 
production of documents or the answering of questions. 
financial sector entity has the same meaning as in the Financial Sector 
(Collection of Data) Act 2001. 
officer means: 
 
(a)  an APRA member; or 
 
(b)  an APRA staff member; or 
 
(c)  any other person who, because of his or her employment, or in the course 
of that employment: 
 
(i)  has acquired protected information; or 
 
(ii)  has had access to protected documents; 
 
  other than an employee of the body to which the information or document 
relates. 
personal information has the same meaning as in the Privacy Act 1988. 
produce includes permit access to. 
protected document means a document given or produced (whether before or 
after the commencement of this section) under, or for the purposes of, a 
prudential regulation framework law and containing information relating to the 
affairs of: 
 
(a)  a financial sector entity; or 
 
(b)  a body corporate (including a body corporate that has ceased to exist) that 
has at any time been, or is, related (within the meaning of the Corporations 
Act 2001) to a body regulated by APRA or to a registered entity; or 
 
(c)  a person who has been, is, or proposes to be, a customer of a body 
regulated by APRA or of a registered entity;; or 
 
(ca)  a person in relation to whom information is, or was, required to be given 
under a reporting standard made in accordance with subsection 13(4A) of 
the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001; 
other than: 
 
(d)  a document containing information that has already been lawfully made 
available to the public from other sources; or 
 
(e)  a document given or produced under, or for the purposes of, a provision of 
the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993: 
 
(i)  administered by the Commissioner of Taxation; or 
 
(ii)  being applied for the purposes of the administration of a provision 
administered by the Commissioner of Taxation. 
It also includes a document that is given to APRA under Part 7.5A of the 
Corporations Act 2001, other than a document containing information that has 
already been lawfully made available to the public from other sources. 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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protected information means information disclosed or obtained (whether before 
or after the commencement of this section) under, or for the purposes of, a 
prudential regulation framework law and relating to the affairs of: 
 
(a)  a financial sector entity; or 
 
(b)  a body corporate (including a body corporate that has ceased to exist) that 
has at any time been, or is, related (within the meaning of the Corporations 
Act 2001) to a body regulated by APRA or to a registered entity; or 
 
(c)  a person who has been, is, or proposes to be, a customer of a body 
regulated by APRA or of a registered entity;; or 
 
(ca)  a person in relation to whom information is, or was, required to be given 
under a reporting standard made in accordance with subsection 13(4A) of 
the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001; 
other than: 
 
(d)  information that has already been lawfully made available to the public from 
other sources; or 
 
(e)  information given or produced under, or for the purposes of, a provision of 
the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993: 
 
(i)  administered by the Commissioner of Taxation; or 
 
(ii)   being applied for the purposes of the administration of a provision 
administered by the Commissioner of Taxation. 
It also includes information that is given to APRA under Part 7.5A of the 
Corporations Act 2001, other than information that has already been lawfully 
made available to the public from other sources. 
registered entity means a corporation that is, or has at any time been, a 
registered entity within the meaning of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) 
Act 2001. 
 
(2)  A person who is or has been an officer is guilty of an offence if: 
 
(a)  the person directly or indirectly: 
 
(i)  discloses information acquired in the course of his or her duties as an 
officer to any person or to a court; or 
 
(ii)  produces a document to any person or to a court; and 
 
(b)  the information is protected information, or the document is a protected 
document; and 
 
(c)  the disclosure or production is not in accordance with subsection (3), (4), 
(5), (5AA), (5A), (5B), (5C), (6), (7), (7A), (7B) or (7C). 
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years. 
Note: 
Chapter 2 of the Criminal Code sets out the general principles of criminal responsibility. 
 
(3)  It is not an offence if the disclosure of protected information or the production of 
a protected document by a person is for the purposes of a prudential regulation 
framework law. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (3) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(4)  It is not an offence if the disclosure of protected information or the production of 
a protected document by a person: 
 
(a)  is by an employee of the person to whose affairs the information or 
document relates; or 
 
(b)  occurs after the person to whose affairs the information or document relates 
has agreed in writing to the disclosure or production. 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (4) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(5)  It is not an offence if the disclosure of protected information or the production of 
a protected document by a person: 
 
(a)  occurs when the person is satisfied that the disclosure of the information, or 
the production of the document, will assist a financial sector supervisory 
agency, or any other agency (including foreign agencies) specified in the 
regulations, to perform its functions or exercise its powers and the 
disclosure or production is to that agency; or 
 
(b)  is to another person and is approved by APRA by instrument in writing. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (5) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(5AA)  It is not an offence if the disclosure of protected information or the production of 
a protected document is made: 
 
(a)  by an officer of an agency to which the information or document has been 
disclosed or produced under paragraph (5)(a); and 
 
(b)  for the same purpose as the information or document was so disclosed or 
produced to that agency. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (5AA) 
(see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(5A)  It is not an offence if the production by a person of a document that was given to 
APRA under section 9 or 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001 
is to the Australian Statistician for the purposes of the Census and Statistics Act 
1905. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to matters in subsection (5A) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(5B)  It is not an offence if the production by a person of a document that was given to 
APRA under section 9 or 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001 
is to: 
 
(a)  the Reserve Bank of Australia; or 
 
(b)  another prescribed authority. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to matters in subsection (5B) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 (5C) 
If: 
 
(a)  a document is a reporting document given to APRA under section 13 of the 
Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001; and 
 (b) 
either: 
 
(i)  a determination has been made under section 57 that the document 
does not, or documents of that kind do not, contain confidential 
information; or 
 
(ii)  a determination has been made under section 57 that a specified part 
of the document, or of documents of that kind, does not contain 
confidential information; 
it is not an offence to disclose the document or that part of the document, or any 
information contained in the document or that part of the document, to any 
person (including by making the document, the part of the document or the 
information available on APRA’s website). 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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(6)  It is not an offence if the disclosure of protected information or the production of 
a protected document is to: 
 
(a)  an APRA member; or 
 
(b)  an APRA staff member; 
for the purposes of the performance of APRA’s functions, or the exercise of 
APRA’s powers, under a law of the Commonwealth or of a State or a Territory. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (6) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(6A)  It is not an offence if the disclosure of protected information or the production of 
a protected document is to: 
 
(a)  an auditor who has provided, or is providing, professional services to a 
general insurer, authorised NOHC or a subsidiary of a general insurer or 
authorised NOHC; or 
 
(b)  an actuary who has provided, or is providing, professional services to a 
general insurer, authorised NOHC or a subsidiary of a general insurer or 
authorised NOHC; 
and the disclosure is for the purposes of the performance of APRA’s functions, or 
the exercise of APRA’s powers, under a law of the Commonwealth or of a State 
or Territory. 
 
(7)  It is not an offence if the information, or the information contained in the 
document, as the case may be, is in the form of a summary or collection of 
information that is prepared so that information relating to any particular person 
cannot be found out from it. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (7) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(7A)  It is not an offence if the information, or the information contained in the 
document, as the case may be, is all or any of the following: 
 
(a)  the names of bodies that are regulated by APRA; 
 
(b)  the addresses at which bodies referred to in paragraph (a) conduct 
business; 
 
(c)  any other information that is reasonably necessary to enable members of 
the public to contact persons who perform functions in relation to bodies 
referred to in paragraph (a). 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (7A) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(7B)  It is not an offence if the information, or the information contained in the 
document, as the case may be, is: 
 
(a)  a statement of APRA’s opinion as to whether or not a body regulated by 
APRA is complying, or was complying at a particular time, with a particular 
provision of a prudential regulation framework law; or 
 
(b)  a description of: 
 
(i)  court proceedings in relation to a breach or suspected breach by a 
person of a provision of a prudential regulation framework law; or 
 
(ii)  activity engaged in, or proposed to be engaged in, by APRA in relation 
to such a breach or suspected breach; or 
 
(c)  a description of action under a prudential regulation framework law that 
APRA has taken or is proposing to take in relation to: 
 
(i)  a body regulated by APRA; or 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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(ii)  an individual who holds or has held a position with or in relation to such 
a body. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (7B) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(7C)  If information referred to in subsection (7A) or paragraph (7B)(a) that relates to a 
body that is, or has at any time been, regulated by APRA under the 
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 is disclosed to the Registrar of 
the Australian Business Register established under section 24 of the A New Tax 
System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999, the Registrar may enter the 
information in that Register. 
Note: 
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection (7C) (see 
subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 
 
(8)  A person who is, or has been, an officer cannot be required to disclose to a court 
any protected information, or to produce in a court a protected document, except 
when it is necessary to do so for the purposes of a prudential regulation 
framework law. 
 
(9)  If a person discloses information or produces a document under this section to 
another person, the first person may, at the time of the disclosure, impose 
conditions to be complied with in relation to the information disclosed or the 
document produced. 
 
(10)  A person is guilty of an offence if the person fails to comply with a condition 
imposed under subsection (9). 
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years. 
Note: 
Chapter 2 of the Criminal Code sets out the general principles of criminal responsibility. 
 
(11)  A document that: 
 
(a)  is a protected document; or 
 
(b)  contains protected information; 
is an exempt document for the purposes of section 38 of the Freedom of 
Information Act 1982. 
Note: 
For additional rules about personal information, see the Privacy Act 1988. 
 
(12)  A disclosure of personal information is taken to be authorised by this Act for the 
purposes of paragraph 6.2(b) of Australian Privacy Principle 6 if: 
 
(a)  the information is protected information and the disclosure is made in 
accordance with any of subsections (4), (5), (5AA), (6), (7A), (7B) and (7C); 
or 
 
(b) 
the information is contained in a protected document and the disclosure is 
made by the production of the document in accordance with any of those subsections. 
 
 
 
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY 
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