This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'CSIRO Gain-of-Function research with Wuhan Institute of Virology'.

CSIRO 
csiro.au  
xxx@xxxxx.xx  
ABN 41 687 119 230 
 
 
 
14 September 2021 
 
Our ref: FOI 2021/37 
 
 
Right to Know 
Attention: Jaay-H 
 
Via Email: Jaay-H xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx  
 
Dear Jaay-H 
 
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST – DECISION FOI2021/37 
 
I  refer  to  your  email  of  16  August  2021,  under  which  you  sought  access  under  the  Freedom  of 
Information Act 1982 
(FOI Act) to:  
 
… a copy of the risk assessments, due diligence and bioethics assessment documents relied upon to 
grant  CSIRO  approval  to  collaborate  in  GMO  and/or  Gain-of-Function  research  with  the  Wuhan 
Institute of Virology.” 

 
Decision maker 
 
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act. This letter sets out my decision 
and reasons for the decision in relation to your request.  
 
Decision  
 
Despite an extensive search, CSIRO has been unable to  identify any documents relevant to your 
request (i.e. copies of risk assessments, due diligence or bioethics documents within the specified 
context).  I must therefore refuse access, pursuant to section 24A of the FOI Act on the basis that 
the documents sought do not exist or cannot be found.   
 
I  refer  you  to  paragraph  3.85  of  the  Office  of  the  Australian  Information  Commissioner’s  FOI 
Guidelines: 
 
An agency or minister may refuse a request if it has taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to find the 
document requested, and is satisfied that the document cannot be found or does not exist 
(s 24A(1)). There are two elements that must be established before an agency or minister 
can refuse a request for access to a document under s 24A: 
 
CSIRO  
Australia’s National Science Agency   

•  the agency or minister must have taken all reasonable steps to find the document, 
and 
•  the agency or minister is satisfied that the document cannot be found or does not 
exist. 
 
I am satisfied that CSIRO has undertaken all reasonable steps to find the document in question and 
on that basis, I am satisfied that the document requested does not exist.  
 
Searches conducted 
 
Searches were conducted by relevant CSIRO staff/Records Staff and it was confirmed that CSIRO 
does not hold any documents relevant to the scope of your request.  
 
Further information 
 
I would like to draw your attention to questions asked as part of the Australian Senate’s Economics 
Legislation Committee Senate Estimates hearings concerning ‘gain of function’ research on 3 June 
2021. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and CSIRO’s responses may be of 
interest to you. 
 
The questions and their answers can be accessed via the following hyperlinks: 
 
https://www.aph.gov.au/api/qon/downloadestimatesquestions/EstimatesQuestion-
CommitteeId3-EstimatesRoundId11-PortfolioId34-QuestionNumber3 
 
https://www.aph.gov.au/api/qon/downloadestimatesquestions/EstimatesQuestion-
CommitteeId3-EstimatesRoundId11-PortfolioId34-QuestionNumber74 
 
https://www.aph.gov.au/api/qon/downloadestimatesquestions/EstimatesQuestion-
CommitteeId3-EstimatesRoundId11-PortfolioId34-QuestionNumber75 
 
The questions and answers form part of the public record and thus are not ‘documents of an agency’ 
as defined in the FOI Act.  
 
Rights of Review 
 
In accordance with section 26(1)(c) of the FOI Act, a statement setting out your rights of review 
under the Act is at Attachment A. Since my decision is that no documents exist, an application for 
review  would  be  limited  to  a  situation  where  you  consider  that  I  have  not  identified  all  the 
documents in the CSIRO’s possession that are relevant to your request. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
 
Stephen Jones 
Legal Counsel  
CSIRO 
CSIRO  
Australia’s National Science Agency   

Attachment A 
 
Review rights 
 
You are entitled to seek review of this decision.   
 
Internal Review 
 
Firstly, under section 54 of the FOI Act, you may apply for an internal review of the decision. Your 
application must be made by whichever date is the later between: 
 
30 days of you receiving this notice; or 15 days of you receiving the documents to which you have 
been granted access. 
 
An internal review will be conducted by a different officer from the original decision-maker.  No 
particular form is required to apply for review although it will assist your case to set out in the 
application the grounds on which you believe that the original decision should be overturned.  An 
application for a review of the decision should be addressed to: 
 
FOI Coordinator, 
xxx@xxxxx.xx  
 
If you choose to seek an internal review, you will subsequently have a right to apply to the 
Australian Information Commissioner for a review of the internal review decision. 
 
External review by the Australian Information Commissioner 
 
Alternatively, under 54L of the FOI Act, you may seek review of this decision by the Australian 
Information Commissioner without first going to internal review.  Your application must be made 
within 60 days of you receiving this notice. 
 
The Information Commissioner is an independent office holder who may review decisions of 
agencies and Ministers under the FOI Act.  More information is available on the Information 
Commissioner's website www.oaic.gov.au.  
 
You can contact the Information Commissioner to request a review of a decision online or by 
writing to the Information Commissioner at: 
 
GPO Box 2999 
Canberra ACT 2601 
 
Complaints to Ombudsman or Information Commissioner 
 
You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the Information Commissioner 
about action taken by CSIRO in relation to the application.  The Ombudsman will consult with the 
Information Commissioner before investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request. 
 
Your enquiries to the Ombudsman can be directed to: 
CSIRO  
Australia’s National Science Agency   

 
Phone 1300 362 072 (local call charge) 
 
Email xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
Your enquiries to the Information Commissioner can be directed to: 
 
Phone 1300 363 992 (local call charge) 
 
Email  xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx 
 
There is no particular form required to make a complaint to the Ombudsman or the Information 
Commissioner.  The request should be in writing and should set out the grounds on which it is 
considered that the action taken in relation to the request should be investigated and identify 
CSIRO as the relevant agency. 
 
 
 
CSIRO  
Australia’s National Science Agency