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This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Records relating to the amount of expenditure on seconded lawyers and counsel and internal legal services'.


Referencecode:Z2927GHH
ICRequestForm
– Agency
extensionoftime
forprocessingan
FOIrequest
Gettingstarted
Aboutthisform
TheOfficeoftheAustralianInformationCommissioner(OAIC)cangrantextensionsoftimetoagencies
whoareprocessingFreedomofInformationrequests.
ThisformcanbeusedbyagenciestorequestanextensionoftimetoprocessanFOIrequestortonotify
anagreedextensionoftime.
PleasenotethatifanagencydoesnotprovidetheInformationCommissionerwithadequatereasons,the
extensionoftimerequestmayberefused.
Furtherguidanceandadviceforagenciesaboutextensionoftimeforprocessingrequests
(https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/guidance-and-advice/extension-of-time-for-processing-
requests/),includingthedetailstobeincludedinarequest,isavailableonourwebsite
(https://www.oaic.gov.au/).
AnagencymayapplytovarytheextensionifanearlierextensiongrantedbytheOAICisinsufficient,
howevertheagencymustexplainwhathaschangedsincetheinitialextensionoftimerequestandprovide
reasonsforwhyavariationtotheextensionisjustified.
Youcansavethisformatanypointandreturntocompleteitwithin3days.Ifyoudonotsubmityour
savedformwithin3daysitwil bepermanentlyerasedfromthesecureserver.
PLEASENOTE:
Tosaveyourform,clickontheSaveandClosebuttonatthetopofthisform.
Refreshingyourbrowserwil clearanyinformationthatyouhavenotsaved.Ifyouneedtorefresh
yourbrowserwhilecompletingthisformandwishtokeepyourchangespleasesavetheformfirst.
ThisrequestmaybesubjecttotheFreedomofInformationAct1982.
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutmakinganextensionoftimerequestorhavetroublecompletingthisform
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.auorcal ourenquirieslineon1300363992.
Yourpersonalinformation
Wewil handleyourpersonalinformationinaccordancewiththeAustralianPrivacyPrinciples.
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthepersonalinformationwecol ectandhowwewil handleyour
information,pleasecontacttheOAICorseeourprivacypolicy(http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy-policy-
summary)availableonourwebsite.
Beforeyoustart
Toensureyouareusingthecorrectform,pleaseselectoneofthefollowingoptions. *
Toensureyouareusingthecorrectform,pleaseselectoneofthefollowingoptions. *
Iamnotifyingoforrequestinganextensionoftime
IamrequestingareviewofanFOIdecision
IwanttocomplainaboutthehandlingofmyFOIrequest
Iamsubmittingthisnotificationorrequestonbehalfof: *
AustralianGovernmentAgency
Minister
Agencydetails
AdministrativeAppealsTribunal
Attorney-General'sDepartment
AustralianBroadcastingCorporation
AustralianFederalPolice
AustralianPrudentialRegulationAuthority
AustralianSecuritiesandInvestmentsCommission
AustralianTaxationOffice
AustralianTransactionReportsandAnalysisCentre(AUSTRAC)
Comcare
CommonwealthOmbudsman
DepartmentofAgriculture,WaterandtheEnvironment
DepartmentofDefence
DepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade
DepartmentofHealth
DepartmentofHomeAffairs
DepartmentofIndustry,Science,EnergyandResources
DepartmentofthePrimeMinisterandCabinet
DepartmentofSocialServices
DepartmentoftheTreasury
DepartmentofVeterans’Affairs
ImmigrationAssessmentAuthority
NationalDisabilityInsuranceAgency
NorfolkIslandRegionalCouncil
ServicesAustralia
TheAustralianNationalUniversity
Other
FOIreferencenumber
PleaseprovideyourinternalFOIreferencenumberforthisnotificationorrequest: *
LEX48448
Yourdetails
Pleasenotethatweareunabletoacceptanonymousrequests.You
mustprovideanemailorpostaladdresssothatwecansendyou
notices.
Title
Givenname *
Familyname *
Preferredcontactmethod(youmustprovideatleastonecontactmethod) *
Email
Phone
Post
Other
Emailaddress *
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
Phone(daytime)
Mobile
Includeareacode
Postaladdress
Starttypingful addresshere.
Othercontactdetails(eg.faxorinternationaladdress)
FOIapplicantdetails
IstheFOIapplicant *
anIndividual
anOrganisation
Title
Ms
Givenname *
Familyname *
Julie
A
Preferredcontactmethod(youmustprovideatleastonecontactmethod) *
Email
Phone
Post
Other
Emailaddress *
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Phone(daytime)
Mobile
Includeareacode
Postaladdress
Starttypingful addresshere.
Othercontactdetails(eg.faxorinternationaladdress)
IstheFOIapplicantrepresented *
Yes
No
Extensiondetails
Pleaseselectthetypeofextensionyouareseeking *
Extensionoftimenotificationwiththeagreementoftheapplicant(s15AA)
Extensionoftimetoprocesscomplexorvoluminousrequests(s15AB)
Extensionwheredecisionnotmadewithintime(s15AC)
Extensionwhereinternalreviewdecisionnotmadewithintime(s54D)
Extensionwhereamendment/annotationrequestnotmadeintime(s51DA)
Hasthestatutorytimeperiodforprocessingalreadyrunout?Thatis,hasadeemeddecisionalreadybeenmade? *
Yes
No
DateyoureceivedtheFOIrequest *
09Mar2022
Currentdatethedecisionisdue *
08Apr2022
Requestedlengthofextension(numberofdays) *
21
Newdecisionduedateifextensiongranted *
29Apr2022
Didyouapproachtheapplicantforanextensionoftimeunders15AA
Yes
No
Whydidyoudecidenottoapproachtheapplicantforanextensionoftimeunders15AA*
TheapplicantisafrequentFOIapplicantwiththeDepartment,andconsistentlydeclinestograntextensionsoftimetothe
Departmentunders15AA.Itwasthereforedecidedmoreappropriateinthisinstancetorequestanextensionunders15ABfrom
OAIC,ratherthangoingtotheapplicant.
Hastheprocessingperiodbeenextendedasaresultofotherstatutoryprovisions,orareyouconsideringsuchanextension?*
(Forexample,throughconsultationprovisionsorprovisionsaboutchargesthatimpactonthestatutoryduedate)
Yes
No
Hastheapplicantraisedanyconcernsaboutdelays? *
Yes
No
Pleaseprovideatimelinesettingouttheworkalreadycompletedinordertoprocessthisrequest,theworkundertakenonthisrequest
followinganyearlierextensiongrantedandtheexpectedtimelineforcompletingtheFOIrequest. *
9March2022-requestreceived
15March2022-requestacknowledged
28March2022-searchminutessenttorelevantlineareas,responsesrequestedby4April2022
28-29March2022-Numerousconsultationsandphonecallswithlineareasconfirmingscopedocumentsthatwerebeing
requestedbyapplicant,aswellasconfirmingscopeofrequest.
7-8April2022-Documentscollected.ItisrealisedbyInformationAccessOfficerthatduetothe10yearscopeoftheinformation
requested(2011-2021)aswellastheamountofinformationrequested,thatmoretimewillbeneededinordertolocateall
information.Duetoreportingmethodschangingin2016,notallinformationrequestedbytheapplicantisstraightforwardoreasyto
find,and,despitemostinformationrequestedbyapplicantalreadyavailableinpubliclyavailablereports(
https://www.transparency.gov.au/annual-reports/department-veterans-affairs/reporting-year/2020-21-22),somemorehistoricaland
specificbreakdownsofinformationwilltakefurtherinvestigationonthepartoflineareastoconfirmwhethertheinformationis
availabletobeprovidedtotheapplicant.
Pleasealsoexplainthereasonsfortherequestandwhyanextensionwouldbejustified.Requestsforlongerextensionsoftime(more
*
than30days)willrequiregreaterjustification.
Youwillneedtoaddress:
whytherequestisconsideredcomplexorvoluminous
anyconsultationwiththeapplicantconcerninglengthoftime
whetherotheragenciesorpartieshaveaninterestintherequest
measuresthatwillbetakentoensureadecisionwillbemadewiththeperiodofextensiongrantedandtokeeptheapplicant
informedaboutprogress.
GenerallytheOAICwillconsulttheapplicantwheretheextensionsoughtisforaperiodlongerthan30daysorwheretheagencyis
seekingtovary(furtherextend)anearlierextensiongrantedbytheOAIC.Duringconsultation,theOAICwilloftensendtheapplicanta
copyoftheEOTapplication,sopleaseadviseifitcontainsanythingsensitivethatshouldnotbepassedon.
Reasons*
-Requestiscomplexandvoluminous,requestinginformationovera10yearperiod,goingbackto2011.Whilesomeofthe
informationisavailableinpublicreports,asnotedabove,otherspecificpartsoftheapplicant'srequestarenotpublishedandarenot
figuresthatarecollectedbytheDepartmentasamatterofcourse.Duetothehistoricalnatureoftherequest,itwilltakefurther
investigationandliaisingwiththerelevantlineareas,whilebalancingtherestofoursignificantFOIworkload,inordertodetermine
whetherthisinformationisabletobelocatedandprovidedtotheapplicant.Thisrequestwilltakesignificantresourcesoftheline
areainordertolocateandcollatethe10year'sworthofinformation.
-Theapplicant'srequestreferstopreviousFOIdecisionsmadebytheDepartment,referencenumbersLEX46947andLEX47714.
Thesedecisionswillneedtobefurtherreviewedintermsoftheinformationprovidedtotheapplicant,inordertoensureconsistent
decisionmaking.
-NotingthatthereareboththeEasterLongWeekendandANZACDayinthenearfuture,thereareanumberofDepartmentstaff
memberstakingleave.ThiswillimpactuponthecapacityoftheDepartmenttoprocessitsFOIrequestsforashortperiod.Inlight
ofthis,weconsiderthata3weekextensionwillbesufficientinorderforustoproperlyprocessthisrequest.
-Note:Thecontactinformationoftheindividualcompletingthisformshouldnotbereleasedtothe
applicant.
PleaseprovideacopyoftheFOIapplicant'soriginalFOIrequestandanyrevisionstothescopeoftheFOIrequest.*
Filesyouat achmust:
bein*.pdf,*.docx,*.doc,*.txt,*.jpg,*.gif,*.pngformat
benomorethanfivefiles
intotalbenolargerthan20MB.
FreedomofInformationrequest-Recordsrelatingtotheamountofexpenditureonsecondedl…
Ifyouhavedocumentstoattachtothisform,pleasedosohere:
Filesyouat achmust:
bein*.jpg,*.gif,*.png,*.pdf,*.doc,*.docx,*.txt,*.xls,*.xlsxformat
benomorethanfivefiles
intotalbenolargerthan20MB.
Submission
Submittingyourrequest
Youcansavethisformatanypointandreturntocompleteitwithin3days.Ifyoudonotsubmityour
savedformwithin3daysitwil bepermanentlyerasedfromthesecureserver.
Pleasereviewtheinformationthatyouhaveprovidedinyourrequest.Ifyouwouldliketochangeanything,
youcanreturntotherelevantsectionusingtheGoBackbutton.
Whenyouarereadytosubmityourform,clicktheSubmitbuttonbelow.
Onceyousubmityourform,youwil betakentoaconfirmationpage.Thispagewil provideareceipt
numberforyoursubmission,andyouwil beabletodownloadacopyofyourcompletedformorhavea
copysenttoanemailaddressofyourchoice.
Adecisiononyourrequestwil usual ybeprovidedwithinfiveworkingdays.Incertaincircumstancesthe
OAICmayneedtoconsultwiththeFOIapplicantorotheraffectedparties.Ifthisisthecase,the
extensionmaytakelongertoprocess.
TheOAIC'sprocessingofanEOTapplicationmayalsotakelongerthanfivedaysiffurtherinformationis
required.Itisimportantthatagenciesprovideacompleteapplicationinthefirstinstance.IncompleteEOT
applicationsmayresultinanextensionbeingdenied.