Freedom of Information Access Application
Notice of Decision
Buko
Email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx Freedom of Information access application request: FOI-CSD-22/3
Dear Buko
I refer to your application under section 30 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2016
(the FOI Act), received by the Community Services Directorate (the Directorate) on
13 January 2022, in which you sought access to information relating to emails and
other documents relating to the provision of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) to
ACT Ministers or their offices. Specifically, you were seeking:
“I request documents including but not limited to emails, text messages or
briefs with information about the supply of RATs to ACT Ministers or their
offices by the ACT Community Services Directorate in the months December
2021 and January 2022.”
An FOI Officer contacted you on 17 January 2022 to clarify the scope and obtain
permission to pass this advice onto this Directorate and the ACT Health Directorate.
You responded on 21 January 2022, agreeing to a clarified scope and for the
Education Directorate to advise this Directorate of same. The revised scope is now:
“I request documents including but not limited to emails, text messages or
briefs to ACT Ministers or their offices by the ACT Community Services
Directorate in the months December 2021 and January 2022 about the supply
of RATs to those offices or their ministers.”
I am an Information Officer appointed by the Director-General under section 18 of
the FOI Act to deal with access applications made under Part 5 of the FOI Act.
A decision on your revised access application was due by 21 February 2022.
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On 27 January 2022, a CSD FOI Officer emailed you acknowledging your Access
Application and requesting a 60 working-day extension to the due date for our
response. This email stated the Directorate would proceed on the basis that you had
agreed to the extension if not responded to within 7 working days. As you did not
respond, the due date for our response is now
20 May 2022 Search for documents and material considered
Thorough searches were conducted for documents falling within the revised scope of
your Access Application across the Directorates’ records systems in the following
Divisions and business units of the Directorate:
• Children, Youth and Family Division (CYF);
• Inclusion and Participation Division (I&P);
• Housing ACT (HACT);
• Strategic Policy Division;
• Quality, Complaints and Regulation Division (QCR); and
• Office of the Director General (DGO).
I am satisfied appropriate searches were completed and no documents relevant to
your request are held by this Directorate given the extensive searches of the
Divisions and business units, as listed above.
Disclosure log
Under section 28 of the FOI Act, the Directorate maintains an online record of access
applications called a disclosure log. Your original access application and this letter will
be published on the Directorate’s disclosure log no earlier than three (3) working
days and no later than ten (10) working days after the date of this letter. Your
personal contact details wil not be published.
You may view the Directorate’s disclosure log at
http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/home/disclosure-log.
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How to request a decision review
Ombudsman review
My decision on your access request is a reviewable decision as identified in
Schedule 3 of the Act. You have the right to seek the Ombudsman’s review of this
outcome under section 73 and 74 (1)(a)(i) of the FOI Act within 20 working days from
the day that my decision is published in Directorate’s disclosure log, or a longer
period al owed by the Ombudsman.
If you wish to request a review of my decision you can access the review of decision
form on the Ombudsman’s website
(www.ombudsman.act.gov.au/Apply-for-
Ombudsman-review.pdf). Alternatively, you can write to the Ombudsman at:
The ACT Ombudsman
GPO Box 442
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Via email:
xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) review
Under section 84 of the Act, if a decision is made under section 82(1) on an
Ombudsman review, you may apply to the ACAT for review of the Ombudsman
decision.
Further information may be obtained from the ACAT at:
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Level 4, 1 Moore Street
GPO Box 370
Canberra City ACT 2601
Telephone: (02) 6207 1740
http://www.acat.act.gov.au/
If you have any queries concerning the Directorate’s processing of your request
FOI CSD-22/3, or would like further information, please contact FOI Officer
Alastair Dunstan on 6205 0655 or xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Kristy Windeyer
Information Officer
Community Services Directorate
27 April 2022
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Document Outline
