This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 's 55G decisions the OAIC received in July 2022'.

FOIREQ22/00291   133
Contacting the FOI Section 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Nicole  
Position No. 60095088 
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
Attachments 

Attachment A – Decision Record 

Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 

Documents released to you under the FOI Act 



FOIREQ22/00291   135
 
(i )  that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and 
 
(b)  it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited copy
of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
 
(i)  access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and 
 
(i )  the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
 
(c)  it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the edited 
copy, having regard to: 
 
(i)  the nature and extent of the modification; and 
 
(i )  the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d)  it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) 
that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a 
document contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is 
possible for the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or 
exempt material deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy. 
 
This edited copy must be provided to the applicant. Further, the decision maker must advise 
the applicant in writing that the edited copy of the document has been prepared and of the 
reason(s) for each of the deletions in the document (s.22(3) of the FOI Act).  
 
Exempt material is deleted pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i) and irrelevant material is deleted 
pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act. 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff and contractors engaged 
in some roles. This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and 
direct work telephone numbers. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
 
You wil   see these exemptions in the documents released to you as they wil  be clearly 
identified with ‘s 22 (1)(a)(i )’ however they will not be individually noted in the Schedule of 
Documents. 
 
37 Documents affecting enforcement of law and protection of public safety  
 
(1)  A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 

reasonably be expected to:  
(a) prejudice the conduct of an investigation of a breach, or possible breach, of the law, 
or a failure, or  possible failure, to comply with a law  relating to taxation or prejudice 
the enforcement or proper  administration of the law in a particular instance; 

(b) disclose, or enable a person to ascertain, the existence or identity of a confidential 
source of  information, or the non-existence of a confidential source of information, in 
relation to the  enforcement or administration of the law; or 
(c) endanger the life or physical safety of any person. 
 
(2) A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 

reasonably be  expected to:  
(a) prejudice the fair trial of a person or the impartial adjudication of a particular case; 



FOIREQ22/00291   137
Access given to qualified person instead 
 
(4) Subsection (5) applies if: 

(a) a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document of the agency, 
or an official document of the Minister, that contains information concerning the 
applicant, being information that was provided by a qualified person acting in his or 
her capacity as a qualified person; and 

(b) it appears to the principal officer of the agency or to the Minister (as the case may be) 
that the disclosure of the information to the applicant might be detrimental to the 
applicant’s physical or mental health, or well-being. 

 
(5) The principal officer or Minister may, if access to the document would otherwise be given 

to the applicant, direct that access to the document, so far as it contains that information, 
is not to be given to the applicant but is to be given instead to a qualified person who: 
(a) carries on the same occupation, of a kind mentioned in the definition of qualified 

person in subsection (7), as the first-mentioned qualified person; and 
(b) is to be nominated by the applicant. 
 
(6) The powers and functions of the principal officer of an agency under this section may be 

exercised by an officer of the agency acting within his or her scope of authority in 
accordance with arrangements referred to in section 23. 

 
(7) In this section: 

qualified person means a person who carries on, and is entitled to carry on, an 
occupation that involves the provision of care for the physical or mental health of people 
or for their well-being, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes any 
of the following: 
(a) a medical practitioner; 
(b) a psychiatrist; 

(c) a psychologist; 
(d) a counsellor; 
(e) a social worker. 

 
Note:  
Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it 
would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A). 
 
The documents that are exempt, either in full or in part, under section 47F of the FOI Act 
contain personal information. 
 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F does apply, I 
am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be unreasonable. I took 
the following information into consideration: 
 

The information appears on a file that holds your personal information. This weighs in 
favour of the release being reasonable. 

The information is not your personal information. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable.  

Every person has the right to expect that their personal information wil  be securely 
maintained by the Department. This weighs against the release being reasonable.  

The information does not appear to be in the public forum. This weighs against the 
release being reasonable.  

Evidence that the third party consents to the release of their personal information for the 
purposes of this FOI request has not been provided in your request. 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   138
On balance I believe it would be unreasonable to release these documents in their complete 
format.  
 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F(1) does apply, 
I  am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the 
public interest. 
 
I have considered: 
 
Arguments in favour of the disclosure of the documents include: 
 
x  a person having a general right of access to any material about them held by the 
government; 
x  there is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public; 
x  a person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision;  
x  inform debate on a matter of public importance; and  
x  the need for openness and accountability of the Department’s operations. 
x  the extent to which the information is known by the public. 
 
Arguments that against disclosure of the documents include: 
 
x  it is a core Government concern to maintain the integrity of the information it holds and in 
the maintaining of an individual’s privacy 
x  prejudice the fair treatment of individuals 
x  prejudice security, law enforcement, public health or safety 
 
The information contained within the identified documents wholly relates to a person other 
than you.  The Department is obliged to take action to prevent the unreasonable disclosure 
of an individual’s personal information and I have given this the greatest weight.  
 
I  consider that disclosure of this information would be contrary to the public interest and it is 
therefore exempt from disclosure under section 47F of the FOI Act. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Nicole  
Position No. 60095088 
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 



FOIREQ22/00291   140
130-138 

Released in full 

139-140 
Prejudice to law enforcement methods and 
Exempt in full 
s 37(2)(b) 
procedures 
141-142 

Released in full 

143-154 
Identity documents relating to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
155-156 

Released in full 

157-159 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
160-162 

Released in full 

163 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
164-166 

Released in full 

167 
Prejudice to law enforcement methods and 
Exempt in full 
s 37(2)(b) 
procedures 
168 

Released in full 

169-170 
Prejudice to law enforcement methods and 
Exempt in full 
s 37(2)(b) 
procedures 
171-172 
Identity documents relating to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
173-174 

Released in full 

175-178 
Identity documents relating to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
179-180 

Released in full 

181-186 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
187 
Identity document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
188-194 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
195 

Released in full 

196 
Identity document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
197-200 
Identity documents belonging to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
201-202 

Released in full 

203-204 
Identity document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
205-210 

Released in full 

211 
Prejudice to law enforcement methods and 
Exempt in full 
s 37(2)(b) 
procedures 
212-213 
Identity documents belonging to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
214-215 

Released in full 

216 
Identity document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
217-225 

Released in full 

226-227 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
228-229 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in part 
s 47F(1) 
230-231 

Released in full 

232 
Identity document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
233-234 

Released in full 

235 
Identity document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
236-248 

Released in full 

249-250 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
251-254 

Released in full 

255-260 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
261-267 

Released in full 

268-270 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
271-277 
Identity documents relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
278-280 
Prejudice to law enforcement methods and 
Exempt in full 
s 37(2)(b) 
procedures 
281-288 
Identity documents belonging to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
289-301 

Released in full 

302 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in part 
s 47F(1) 
303-320 

Released in full 


FOIREQ22/00291   141
321-330 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
331-335 

Released in full 

336 
Identity information relating to a third party 
Exempt in part 
s 47F(1) 
337-365 

Released in full 

366-367 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
368-373 

Released in full 

374-377 
Personal information relating to a third party 
Exempt in part 
s 47F(1) 
378 

Released in full 

 
 
Departmental File - Copy of electronic file s 22
 
 
Page No.   Description 
Decision 
Legislation 
1-21 

Released in full  - 
22-39 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
40-57 

Released in full  - 
58-67 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
68-75 

Released in full  - 
76-93 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
94-102 

Released in full  - 
103-111 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
112-120 

Released in full  - 
121-138 
Personal document relating to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s 47F(1) 
139-156 

Released in full  - 
 
 

 



FOIREQ22/00291   152
55G  Procedure in IC review—revocation or variation of access refusal decision 
             (1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an application 
under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access refusal decision if the 

variation or substitution (the revised decision) would have an effect of: 
                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 
annotated in accordance with the application. 
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1): 
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister makes the 

variation or substitution; and 
                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC review application for 

the review of the varied or substituted decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 
I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
 
Authority to make decision 
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  the terms of your request; 
x  Departmental documents, (identified below) 
  
Revised decision 
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request.  
 
My decision is to release in full the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
falls within the scope of your request. A list of the documents is below for your reference.  

FOIREQ22/00291   153
 
No. 
Description 
Reference 
No. of folios 
1.  
2.   s 22
3.  
4.  
5.  
 
22  Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted (extract) 
Scope 
 
(1) 
This section applies if: 
 
(a) 
an agency or Minister decides: 
 
(i)  to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or 
 
(i )  that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and 

(b) 
it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited copy) of 
the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
 
(i)  access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and 
 
(i )  the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
(c) 
it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the edited 
copy, having regard to: 

 
(i)  the nature and extent of the modification; and 
 
(i )  the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d) 
it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) 
 
that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request.  
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   154
Contacting the FOI Section 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Nicole  
Position No. 60095088 
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 
Attachments 

Documents released to you under the FOI Act 
 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   155
 
 
 
 
 
16 June 2022 
 s 22
 
Refugee Advice and Casework Service 
30 Botany Street 
RANDWICK    NSW   2031 
 
Sent via email:s 22
 
 
In reply please quote: 
s 22
 
Dear  
s 22
 
Access Decision - Freedom of Information (FOI) request  
 s 22
 (the applicant) has authorised you to receive, on their behalf, 
correspondence about their Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Correspondence will not 
be sent directly to the applicant. In this letter, references to 'you' relate to the applicant. 
 
This letter refers to an access request received by the Department of Home Affairs (‘the 
Department’) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) on 11 March 2022, 
seeking access to:  
s 22
Timeframe for processing your request 
The FOI Act provides a statutory period for processing your request of 30 calendar days, 
unless an extension of time is agreed to, or provided for under a provision of the FOI Act. 
 
According to section 15 of the FOI Act, the statutory timeframe for the processing of your 
request expired on 10 April, 2022. The Department apologises for the delay in processing 
your request. 
 
Authority to make decision 
I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   156
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  the terms of your request; 
x Departmental 
documents, 
(identified 
below); 
 
 
Decision 
The Department has identified one (1) file that fal s within the scope of your request. This file 
was in the possession of the Department on 11 March, 2022 when your request was 
received. 
 
My decision is to exempt in part the document(s) in the possession of the Department which 
falls within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in 
Attachment A
 
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B. 
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act.   
 
Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner  
You may apply directly to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) for a 
review of my decision. You must apply in writing within 60 days of this notice. For further 
information about review rights and how to submit a review request to the OAIC, please see 
FOI fact sheet 12 ‘Freedom of information – Your review rights’, available online at 
www.oaic.gov.au . 
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
 
Contacting the FOI Section 
If you wish to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
Contacting the Department 
You can contact us with an enquiry in a number of ways including by email, through our 
website; by telephone, through our Service Centres or offices around the world, or in person. 
In Australia you can call 13 18 81 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. Details 
on submitting a webform, or contacting our offices outside Australia are available on our 
website at www.homeaffairs.gov.au. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Holly 
Position number: 60107420  
FOI Decision Maker  
Freedom of Information Melbourne 
xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
Attachments 

Attachment A – Decision Record 

Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 

Documents released to you under the FOI Act 



FOIREQ22/00291   158
 
(i)  to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or 
 
(ii)  that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and 

 
(b)  it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited copy
of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
 
(i)  access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and 
 
(ii)  the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
 
(c)  it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the edited 
copy, having regard to: 
 
(i)  the nature and extent of the modification; and 
 
(ii)  the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d)  it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) 
that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a 
document contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is 
possible for the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or 
exempt material deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy. 
 
This edited copy must be provided to the applicant. Further, the decision maker must advise 
the applicant in writing that the edited copy of the document has been prepared and of the 
reason(s) for each of the deletions in the document (s.22(3) of the FOI Act).  
 
Exempt material is deleted pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i) and irrelevant material is deleted 
pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act. 
 
I have decided that parts of the documents would disclose information that could reasonably 
be regarded as irrelevant to your request. This information consists of irrelevant internal 
communication not related to you.  
 
The schedule identifies documents where material has either been deleted as exempt 
information under the FOI Act; or deleted as irrelevant to the scope of the request. 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request.  
 
You will see these exemptions in the documents released to you as they will be clearly 
identified with ‘s 22 (1)(a)(ii)’ however they will not be individually noted in the Schedule of 
Documents. 
 
47F Public interest conditional exemptions—personal privacy  
 
(1)  A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would involve the 

unreasonable disclosure of personal information about any person (including a 
deceased person). 

 
(2) In determining whether the disclosure of the document would involve the unreasonable 

disclosure of personal information, an agency or Minister must have regard to the 
following matters: 


FOIREQ22/00291   159
(a)  the extent to which the information is well known; 
(b) whether the person to whom the information relates is known to be (or to have been) 

associated with the matters dealt with in the document; 
(c) the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources; 
(d) any other matters that the agency or Minister considers relevant. 

 
(3) Subject to subsection (5), subsection (1) does not have effect in relation to a request by a 

person for access to a document by reason only of the inclusion in the document of 
matter relating to that person. 

 
Access given to qualified person instead 
 
(4) Subsection (5) applies if: 

(a) a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document of the agency, or 
an official document of the Minister, that contains information concerning the 
applicant, being information that was provided by a qualified person acting in his or 
her capacity as a qualified person; and 

(b) it appears to the principal officer of the agency or to the Minister (as the case may be) 
that the disclosure of the information to the applicant might be detrimental to the 
applicant’s physical or mental health, or well-being. 

 
(5) The principal officer or Minister may, if access to the document would otherwise be given 

to the applicant, direct that access to the document, so far as it contains that information, 
is not to be given to the applicant but is to be given instead to a qualified person who: 
(a) carries on the same occupation, of a kind mentioned in the definition of qualified 

person in subsection (7), as the first-mentioned qualified person; and 
(b) is to be nominated by the applicant. 
 
(6) The powers and functions of the principal officer of an agency under this section may be 

exercised by an officer of the agency acting within his or her scope of authority in 
accordance with arrangements referred to in section 23. 

 
(7) In this section: 

qualified person means a person who carries on, and is entitled to carry on, an 
occupation that involves the provision of care for the physical or mental health of people 
or for their well-being, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes any of 
the following: 
(a) a medical practitioner; 
(b) a psychiatrist; 
(c) a psychologist; 
(d) a counsellor; 
(e) a social worker. 

 
Note:  
Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it 
would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A). 
 
The documents that are exempt, either in full or in part, under section 47F of the FOI Act 
contain personal information. 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F does apply, I 
am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be unreasonable. I took 
the following information into consideration: 
 

The information appears on a file that holds your personal information. This weighs in 
favour of the release being reasonable. 

The information is not your personal information. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable.  

FOIREQ22/00291   160

Every person has the right to expect that their personal information will be securely 
maintained by the Department. This weighs against the release being reasonable.  

The information does not appear to be in the public forum. This weighs against the 
release being reasonable.  

The information in question consists of departmental details (and identifiers) belonging to 
third part(y)ies, where consent was not provided. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable. 
 
On balance I believe it would be unreasonable to release these documents in their complete 
format.  
 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F(1) does apply, 
I am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the 
public interest. 
 
I have considered: 
 
Arguments in favour of the disclosure of the documents include: 
 
x  a person having a general right of access to any material about them held by the 
government; 
x  there is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public; 
x  a person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision;  
x  inform debate on a matter of public importance; and  
x  the need for openness and accountability of the Department’s operations. 
x  the extent to which the information is known by the public. 
 
Arguments that against disclosure of the documents include: 
 
x  it is a core Government concern to maintain the integrity of the information it holds and in 
the maintaining of an individual’s privacy 
x  prejudice the fair treatment of individuals 
x  prejudice security, law enforcement, public health or safety 
 
The information contained within the identified documents wholly relates to a person other 
than you.  The Department is obliged to take action to prevent the unreasonable disclosure 
of an individual’s personal information and I have given this the greatest weight.  
 
I consider that disclosure of this information would be contrary to the public interest and it is 
therefore exempt from disclosure under section 47F of the FOI Act. 
 
37 Documents affecting enforcement of law and protection of public safety  
 
(1)  A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 

reasonably be expected to:  
(a) prejudice the conduct of an investigation of a breach, or possible breach, of the law, 

or a failure, or  possible failure, to comply with a law relating to taxation or prejudice 
the enforcement or proper  administration of the law in a particular instance; 

(b) disclose, or enable a person to ascertain, the existence or identity of a confidential 
source of  information, or the non-existence of a confidential source of information, in 
relation to the  enforcement or administration of the law; or 

(c) endanger the life or physical safety of any person. 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   161
(2) A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 
reasonably be  expected to:  
(a) prejudice the fair trial of a person or the impartial adjudication of a particular case; 
(b) disclose lawful methods or procedures for preventing, detecting, investigating, or 

dealing with matters arising out of, breaches or evasions of the law the disclosure of 
which would, or would be reasonably likely to, prejudice the effectiveness of those 
methods or procedures; or 

(c) prejudice the maintenance or enforcement of lawful methods for the protection of 
public safety. 
 
The information which I have exempted under section 37(2)(b) is information which, if 
disclosed, would reveal lawful methods or procedures used by the Department to investigate 
complaints and would be reasonably likely to prejudice the effectiveness of those methods or 
procedures. 
 
I believe disclosure of this information would reasonably compromise the Department’s 
investigation strategy by revealing the Department’s methods of investigating issues and in 
so doing would compromise the Department’s ability to successfully utilise such methods or 
procedures in the future.  
 
It is important that these processes are kept confidential to prevent persons from 
circumventing these procedures, or from providing false information during these 
investigations. Release of this information would prejudice the effectiveness of the referral 
process, and the attainment of true and correct information. 
 
 
 
Holly 
Position number: 60107420  
FOI Decision Maker  
Freedom of Information Melbourne 
xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 



FOIREQ22/00291   163
158-159 
Information belonging to third parties 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1) 
160 
information belonging to third parties 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
161 
Departmental methods 
Exempt in part 
s.37(2)(b) 
162-163 - 
Released 
in 
full 

164 
Information belonging to third parties 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1) 
165-182 - 
Released 
in 
full 

183 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
184-189 - 
Released 
in 
full 

190-191 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
192-199 - 
Released 
in 
full 

200-203 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
204 - 
Released 
in 
full 

205-212 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
213-214 - 
Released 
in 
full 

215-238 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
239-240 
Information belonging to third parties 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1) 
241-243 - 
Released 
in 
full 

244-249 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
250-254 - 
Released 
in 
full 

255-256 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
257 - 
Released 
in 
full 

258-263 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
264-272 - 
Released 
in 
full 

273 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
274-276 - 
Released 
in 
full 

277-279 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
280-290 - 
Released 
in 
full 

291-297 
Document belonging to a third party 
Exempt in full 
s.47F(1) 
298-301 - 
Released 
in 
full 

302 
Information belonging to third parties 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1) 
303-330 - 
Released 
in 
full 

331 
Information belonging to third parties 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1) 
332-355 - 
Released 
in 
full 

 
 
Electronic File  
 
Page No.   Description 
Decision 
Legislation 

Identity information belonging to a third party 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1) 
2-20 - 
Released 
in 
full 

 
 




FOIREQ22/00291   165
55G  Procedure in IC review—revocation or variation of access refusal decision
             (1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an 
application under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access 
refusal decision if the variation or substitution (the revised decision)
would have an effect of:

                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 

annotated in accordance with the application.
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply.
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1):
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister 
makes the variation or substitution; and

                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC 
review  application for the review of the varied or substituted 
decision, subject otherwise to this Part.

I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below.
Authority to make decision
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records.
Information considered
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following:
x the Freedom of Information Act 1982
x the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government;
x the terms of your request;
x Departmental documents, (identified below); 
Revised decision
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request. 
My decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
fall within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in 
Attachment A
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B.
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 

FOIREQ22/00291   166
Contacting the FOI Section
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below.
Yours sincerely
Melissa
Position number 60046995
Freedom of Information Section
Department of Home Affairs
Email : xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Attachments
x Attachment A – Decision Record
x Attachment B – Schedule of Documents
x Documents released to you under the FOI Act





FOIREQ22/00291   169
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request.  You will see 
these exemptions in the documents released to you as they wil be clearly identified with ‘s 
22 (1)(a)(ii)’ however they will not be individually noted in the Schedule of Documents.
47E Public interest conditional exemptions—certain operations of agencies 
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or could reasonably 
be expected to, do any of the following: 

(a) prejudice the effectiveness of procedures or methods for the conduct of tests,
examinations or audits by an agency;
(b) prejudice the attainment of the objects of particular tests, examinations or audits

conducted or to be conducted by an agency;
(c) have a substantial adverse effect on the management or assessment of personnel by
the Commonwealth or by an agency;
(d) have a substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of the operations 
of an agency.

Note: Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would be 
contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).

For a document to be exempt under section 47E(d), I must be satisfied that there is a 
reasonable expectation that its disclosure will result in a substantial adverse effect on the 
Department’s operations and that there is no overriding public interest in favour of disclosure. 
In my opinion the documents listed in the Schedule as exempt under this section could 
reasonably be expected, if disclosed, to prejudice the effectiveness of the operations of this 
Department.  
Having formed this view I then considered whether release of the documents would be 
contrary to the public interest.
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government
accessible to the public;
x A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and
x The need for openness and accountability of the Department’s operations.
x The extent to which the information is known by the public.
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure: 
x An unfair advantage could be gained by knowledge of the operations of the
Department;
x Reveal covert operating procedures, the release of which would require the
Department to change the way it operates.
Releasing information about the way the Department operates may enable applicants to 
circumvent certain processes in the future. This would result in the Department having to 
continually change its processes at a cost to the Department. I have given this the most 
weight. I  therefore believe that releasing this information would be contrary to the public 
interest. 

FOIREQ22/00291   170
47F Public interest conditional exemptions—personal privacy 
(1) A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would involve the 
unreasonable disclosure of personal information about any person (including a 
deceased person).

(2) In determining whether the disclosure of the document would involve the unreasonable 
disclosure of personal information, an agency or Minister must have regard to the 
fol owing matters:
(a) the extent to which the information is well  known;
(b) whether the person to whom the information relates is known to be (or to have been) 

associated with the matters dealt with in the document;
(c) the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources;
(d) any other matters that the agency or Minister considers relevant.
(3) Subject to subsection (5), subsection (1) does not have effect in relation to a request by a 
person for access to a document by reason only of the inclusion in the document of 
matter relating to that person.

Access given to qualified person instead
(4) Subsection (5) applies if:
(a) a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document of the agency, or 
an official document of the Minister, that contains information concerning the 
applicant, being information that was provided by a qualified person acting in his or 
her capacity as a qualified person; and

(b) it appears to the principal officer of the agency or to the Minister (as the case may be) 
that the disclosure of the information to the applicant might be detrimental to the 
applicant’s physical or mental health, or well-being.

(5) The principal officer or Minister may, if access to the document would otherwise be given 
to the applicant, direct that access to the document, so far as it contains that information, 
is not to be given to the applicant but is to be given instead to a qualified person who:
(a) carries on the same occupation, of a kind mentioned in the definition of qualified 

person in subsection (7), as the first-mentioned qualified person; and
(b) is to be nominated by the applicant.
(6) The powers and functions of the principal officer of an agency under this section may be 
exercised by an officer of the agency acting within his or her scope of authority in 
accordance with arrangements referred to in section 23.
(7) In this section:
qualified person means a person who carries on, and is entitled to carry on, an 
occupation that involves the provision of care for the physical or mental health of people 
or for their well-being, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes any of 

the following:
(a) a medical practitioner;
(b) a psychiatrist;
(c) a psychologist;
(d) a counsellor;

(e) a social worker.
Note: 
Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it 
would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
The documents that are exempt,  either in full or in part, under section 47F of the FOI  Act 
contain personal information.
The Department wil  send emails and create documents containing records of multiple clients 

FOIREQ22/00291   171
where the information is  of  the same nature. These documents can  be placed on  individual 
client files without the information of other clients being removed. This situation has occurred 
in relation to documents on your file.
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F does apply, I 
am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be unreasonable. I took 
the following information into consideration:
y
The information appears on a file that holds your personal information. This weighs in 
favour of the release being reasonable.
y
The information is not your personal information. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable. 
y
Every person has the right to expect that their personal information will be securely 
maintained by the Department. This weighs against the release being reasonable. 
y
The information does not appear to be in the public forum. This weighs against the 
release being reasonable. 
y
The information in question had no effect on the outcome of your visa application. This 
weighs against the release being reasonable. 
On balance I believe it would be unreasonable to release these documents in their complete 
format. 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F(1) does apply, 
I  am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the 
public interest.
I have considered:
Arguments in favour of the disclosure of the documents include:
x a person having a general right of access to any material about them held by the 
government;
x there is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x a person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x the need for openness and accountability of the Department’s operations.
x the extent to which the information is known by the public.
Arguments that against disclosure of the documents include:
x it is a core Government concern to maintain the integrity of the information it holds and in 
the maintaining of an individual’s privacy
x prejudice the fair treatment of individuals
x prejudice security, law enforcement, public health or safety
The information contained within the identified documents wholly relates to a person other 
than you.  The Department is obliged to take action to prevent the unreasonable disclosure 
of an individual’s personal information and I have given this the greatest weight. 
I  consider that disclosure of this information would be contrary to the public interest and it is
therefore exempt from disclosure under section 47F of the FOI Act.
Melissa
Position number 60046995
Freedom of Information Section
Department of Home Affairs
Email : xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx





FOIREQ22/00291   174
section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access refusal decision if the 
variation or substitution (the revised decision) would have an effect of: 

                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or annotated in accordance 

with the application. 
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access refusal 
decision under subsection (1): 
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information Commissioner as soon 
as practicable after the agency or Minister makes the variation or substitution; and 
                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review application for review of 
the original decision as if it were an IC review  application for the review of the varied 
or substituted decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 

I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
 
Authority to make decision 
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  the terms of your request; 
x  Departmental documents, (identified below) 
  
Revised decision 
The Department has not identified any documents that fall within the scope of your request 
on 15 November 2021 when your request was received. 
 
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1982 
SECTION 24A  
Requests may be refused if documents cannot be found, do not exist or have not been 

received 
Document lost or non-existent 
 
(1)  An agency or Minister may refuse a request for access to a document if: 
 
(a)  all reasonable steps have been taken to find the document; and 
 
(b)  the agency or Minister is satisfied that the document: 
 
(i)  is in the agency’s or Minister’s possession but cannot be found; or 
 
(i )  does not exist. 
Document not received as required by contract 
 
(2)  An agency may refuse a request for access to a document if: 
 
(a)  in order to comply with section 6C, the agency has taken contractual 
measures to ensure that it receives the document; and 
 
(b)  the agency has not received the document; and 
 
(c)  the agency has taken all reasonable steps to receive the document in 
accordance with those contractual measures. 







FOIREQ22/00291   190
 
In light of your review request, I have undertaken the following steps: 
s 22
2.  I  have conducted further searches of departmental systems in attempting to identify and 
locate the documents relevant to your request. However, an extensive search of 
departmental systems has returned nil records   
s 22
4.  In  regard to your request, section 24A of the FOI  Act provides that the Department may 
refuse a request for access to a document if all reasonable steps have been taken to find 
the document and the Department is satisfied that the documents do not exist. 
 
5.  I  am satisfied that the Department has undertaken reasonable searches for documents 
relevant to your request, and that no documents were in the possession of the Department 
on 30 August 2021 when your FOI request was received. As such I am refusing access to 
the documents requested by you based on the application of section 24A of the FOI Act.  
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how  the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act.  Information about how  to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
 
Contacting the FOI Section 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Danica 
Position no: 60029640 
FOI Section 
FOI and Records Management Branch 
Data Division  
Strategy & Law Enforcement Group 
Email:  xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
Department of Home Affairs l  
 



FOIREQ22/00291   192
(1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an 
application under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access 
refusal decision if the variation or substitution (the revised decision
would have an effect of: 

(a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
(b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
(c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 

annotated in accordance with the application. 
 
Note: 
When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 
documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 

 
(2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1): 
(a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister 
makes the variation or substitution; and 

(b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC 
review application for the review of the varied or substituted 
decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 

 
I have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
 
Authority to  make  decision 
I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x the 
terms 
of 
your 
request; 
x Departmental 
documents, 
(identified 
below); 
 
Revised decision 
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request. 
My decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
fall within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in 
Attachment A
 
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B. 
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act 
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 

FOIREQ22/00291   193
 
 
 
 
Contacting the FOI Section 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
Yours sincerely 
 
Rosemary 
Position number 60016897 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 
 
 
Attachments 
x Attachment 

– 
Decision 
Record 
x  Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 
x  Documents released to you under the FOI Act 




FOIREQ22/00291   195
 (d) 
it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) that the 
applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
A number of documents contain information that is exempt under one or more sections of the 
FOI Act. I am able to provide you with an edited copy of those documents under section 
22(1)(b). You can identify those documents in the Schedule of Documents with the words 
‘Exempt in part’ or ‘Refused in part’ in the decision column. 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
 
47E Public interest conditional exemptions—certain operations of agencies  
 
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or could reasonably be 
expected to, do any of the following:  
(a) prejudice the effectiveness of procedures or methods for the conduct of tests, examinations or 
audits by an agency;  
(b) prejudice the attainment of the objects of particular tests, examinations or audits conducted or 
to be conducted by an agency;  
(c) have a substantial adverse effect on the management or assessment of personnel by the 
Commonwealth or by an agency;  
(d) have a substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of the operations of an 
agency.  
 
Note: Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would be 
contrary to the public interest (see section 11A). 
 
For a document to be exempt under section 47E(d), I must be satisfied that there is a 
reasonable expectation that its disclosure will result in a substantial adverse effect on the 
Department’s operations and that there is no overriding public interest in favour of disclosure.  
 
In my opinion the documents listed in the Schedule as exempt under this section could 
reasonably be expected, if disclosed, to prejudice the effectiveness of the operations of this 
Department.   
 
Having formed this view I then considered whether release of the documents would be 
contrary to the public interest. 
 
I considered the following factors in favour of disclosure: 
 
x  There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public; 
x  A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision;  
x  The need for openness and accountability of the Department’s operations. 
 
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure:  
 
x  Could reasonably be expected to impede the administration of migration and citizenship 
laws, including procedural fairness  
x  Reveal covert operating procedures, the release of which would require the Department 
to change the way it operates. 
 


FOIREQ22/00291   196
The disclosure of documents exempt under section 47E(d) would reveal various methods 
used by the Department, giving the applicant prior knowledge of the processes of the 
Department. This could allow applicants to deliberately circumvent certain departmental 
processes in the future, thereby prejudicing and compromising the effectiveness of the 
processes set up for the core operational activity of the Department – processing of visa and 
citizenship applications.  In addition, changing the processes continually would come at a 
cost to the Department. 
 
On balance, I am satisfied that the release would be contrary to the public interest and the 
documents are exempt under section 47E(d) of the FOI Act. 
 
 
 
 
Rosemary 
Position number 60016897 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email : xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9  Wentw orth    Street   Parr am atta    NSW    2150 
GPO    Box   9984    SYDNE Y    NSW    2001x    Telephone:    13  18  81x  Website:    w w w .homeaffair s. gov . au 


FOIREQ22/00291   197
 
 
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 
 
Client Details 
s 22
Departmental File s 22
 
 
Page No. 
Description 
Decision 
Legislation 
165-166 
Department’s internal working document 
Exempt in full 
s 47E(d) 
196-200 
Personal information of Third Party 
Exempt in full 
s 22(1)(a)(ii) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

9  Wentworth    Street   Parr am atta    NSW  2150 
GPO    Box   9984    SYDNE Y    NSW    2001x    Telephone:    13  18  81x  Website:    w w w .homeaffairs. gov . au 



FOIREQ22/00291   199
Deemed refused decision 
A ‘deemed refusal’ has occurred as the time for making a decision has expired on 28 April 
2022  and you have not been given a notice of decision.    
 
You have made an application for review of the deemed refusal decision with the Office of the 
Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC has notified the Department that the 
Information Commissioner wil  review the deemed refusal decision. 
Revocation of deemed refused decision  
Section 55G of the FOI Act allows for a revocation or variation of access refusal decision during 
a review by the Information Commissioner (IC): 
55G  Procedure in IC review—revocation or variation of access refusal decision 
             (1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an application 
under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access refusal decision if the 

variation or substitution (the revised decision) would have an effect of: 
                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 
annotated in accordance with the application. 
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 
documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1): 
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister makes the 
variation or substitution; and 
                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC review application for 
the review of the varied or substituted decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 
I  have now  set aside the deemed refused decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
 
Authority to make decision 
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 

FOIREQ22/00291   200
x  the terms of your request; 
x  Departmental documents, (identified below);  
 
Revised decision 
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request.  
My decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
fall within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in Attachment A
 
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B. 
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act. 
 
I  have refused access to s 22
 because it 
cannot be found. 
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how  the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act.  Information about how  to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
 
Contacting the FOI Section 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Rosemary  
PN 60016897 
FOI Officer 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
Attachments 
x  Attachment A – Decision Record 
x  Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 
x  Documents released to you under the FOI Act 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   201
Attachment A - DECISION RECORD 
 
Client Details 
s 22
Documents in scope 
s 22
Information considered 
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate departmental records. In reaching my 
decision, I have considered the following: 
x The Freedom of Information Act 1982; 
x  Departmental files and/or documents (identified above);  
x  The Australian Information Commissioner’s guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; and 
x  The terms of your request. 
 
Reasons for decision 

 
On 28 June you were sent a partial decision on this request. I  am now advising you of the 
decision in relation to the remaining documents. 
 
24A Requests may be refused if documents cannot be found, do not exist or have not 
been received 

Document lost or non-existent 
(1) An agency or Minister may refuse a request for access to a document if: 
(a) all reasonable steps have been taken to find the document; and 
(b) the agency or Minister is satisfied that the document: 
(i) is in the agency’s or Minister’s possession but cannot be found; or 
(i ) does not exist. 
Document not received as required by contract 
(2) An agency may refuse a request for access to a document if: 
(a) in  order to comply with  section 6C, the agency has taken contractual measures to 
ensure that it receives the document; and 
(b) the agency has not received the document; and 
(c) the agency has taken all reasonable steps to receive the document in accordance with 
those contractual measures. 
 
 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   202
I  have identified the following document/s as coming within the scope of your request.  
 
s 22
 
I  have taken the following actions and received the following responses to locate this 
document/s: 
s 22
As the document cannot be found, I am refusing your request for access. 
22   Access to edited copies  with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted (extract) 
Scope 
 
(1)  This section applies if: 
 
(a)  an agency or Minister decides: 
 
(i)  to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or 
 
(i )  that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and 

 
(b)  it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited copy
of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
 
(i)  access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and 
 
(i )  the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
 
(c)  it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the edited 
copy, having regard to: 
 
(i)  the nature and extent of the modification; and 
 
(i )  the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d)  it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) 
that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a document 
contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is possible for 
the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with  the irrelevant or exempt material 
deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy. 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
 
You will see these exemptions in the documents released to you as they will  be clearly 
identified with  ‘s  22 (1)(a)(i )’ however they wil   not be  individually noted in  the Schedule of 
Documents. 
 
Please note that I have deleted other irrelevant material under section 22(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act 



FOIREQ22/00291   204
citizenship applications.  In addition, changing the processes continual y would come at a 
cost to the Department. 
On balance, I am satisfied that the release would be contrary to the public interest and the 
documents are exempt under section 47E(d) of the FOI Act. 
47B Public interest conditional exemptions—Commonwealth-State 
relations etc
A document is conditionally exempt if disclosure of the document under this Act: 
(a) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between the
Commonwealth and a State; or
(b) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of
the Government of a State or an authority of a State, to the Government of the
Commonwealth, to an authority of the Commonwealth or to a person receiving the
communication on behalf of the Commonwealth or of an authority of the
Commonwealth; or

(d) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of
an authority of Norfolk Island, to the Government of the Commonwealth, to an
authority of the Commonwealth or to a person receiving the communication on behalf 
of the Commonwealth or an authority of the Commonwealth; or

(f) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of
the Government of a State or an authority of a State, to an authority of Norfolk Island
or to a person receiving the communication on behalf of an authority of Norfolk
Island.

Note:   Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would 
be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A). 
I  have decided that the documents identified in the Schedule as exempt under section 
47B(b) are documents that would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence 
by a State to the Commonwealth.   
I  am of the view that releasing the material I have exempted under this part would contribute 
to a lessening of confidence that State governments place on the Commonwealth 
government, which could reasonably be expected to result in a reduction of the quality and 
quantity of information provided by States. 
Having formed the view that the release of the documents would reveal information or matter 
communicated in confidence by the State to the Commonwealth I then considered whether 
release of the documents would be contrary to the public interest. 
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure: 
x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government
accessible to the public;
x A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure: 
y
When providing information in confidence there is an inherent expectation that the
confidence will be maintained.

FOIREQ22/00291   205

The need for Commonwealth and State to be able to work closely together to the 
benefit of the Australian public; 

The Commonwealth’s ability to administer its laws without the cooperation of State 
authorities; 
 
Given the possible effect on the ability of Commonwealth and State to work together, I have 
given more weight to those factors that favour non-disclosure.  
 
On balance I have decided that the public interest in the non-disclosure of the documents 
out-weighs the public interest in disclosing the documents, therefore the release would be 
contrary to the public interest and the documents are exempt under section 47B of the FOI 
Act. 
 
37 Documents affecting enforcement of law and protection of public safety  
 
(1)  A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 

reasonably be expected to:  
(a) prejudice the conduct of an investigation of a breach, or possible breach, of the law, 

or a failure, or  possible failure, to comply with a law  relating to taxation or prejudice 
the enforcement or proper  administration of the law in a particular instance; 

(b) disclose, or enable a person to ascertain, the existence or identity of a confidential 
source of  information, or the non-existence of a confidential source of information, in 
relation to the  enforcement or administration of the law; or 

(c) endanger the life or physical safety of any person. 
 
Section 37(1)(b) provides that a document will  be exempt  if its disclosure under the FOI Act 
would disclose or enable a person to ascertain the existence or identity of a confidential source 
of information or the non–existence of a  confidential source of information in  relation to the 
enforcement or administration of the law. 
 
I  believe that the release of these documents may disclose the confidential source of the 
information and that the identity of the confidential source may be ascertainable from the 
contents of the documents.  The information was supplied to the Department on an 
expectation that the identity of the confider would remain confidential.   
 
The Department has a policy of not disclosing the identity of persons providing information to 
the Department in the absence of their consent or unless there are compelling reasons for 
so doing.  The Department relies on persons or organisations to supply information to it so 
that it can enforce migration law.  If the Department were to disclose the identity of such 
suppliers it may discourage individuals from providing such information to the Department in 
the future and would be detrimental to the Department in enforcing the law. 
 
On that basis I am refusing you access under section 37(1)(b) to the information in the 
documents.   
 
 
Rosemary  
PN 60016897 
FOI Officer 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
29 June 2022 
 





FOIREQ22/00291   208
- 2 - 
                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 
annotated in accordance with the application. 

Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 
documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 

             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1): 

                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister makes the 
variation or substitution; and 

                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC review application for 
the review of the varied or substituted decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 

I have now set aside the deemed refused decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
Authority to make decision 
I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982;
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  the terms of your request; 
x  Departmental documents, (identified below);  
Revised decision 
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request. My 
decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which fall 
within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in Attachment A.
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B.
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au. 
Contacting the FOI Section

FOIREQ22/00291   209
- 3 - 
If you wish to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
Yours sincerely 
AJ, Position number 2145 
FOI Officer 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
Attachments
x  Attachment A – Decision Record 
x  Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 
x  Documents released to you under the FOI Act 

FOIREQ22/00291   210
- 4 - 
Attachment A – DECISION RECORD 
Client Details
s 22
Documents in scope
s 22
Information considered
I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate departmental records. In reaching my 
decision, I have considered the following: 
x The Freedom of Information Act 1982; 
x  Departmental files and/or documents (identified above); 
x  The Australian Information Commissioner’s guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  The terms of your request. 
Reasons for decision
I have considered the files within the scope of your request and applied exemptions in part or 
in full to documents as detailed in the Schedule of Documents. You should read the schedule 
in conjunction with the exemptions below. 
22 Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted (extract)
Scope
 
(1) 
This section applies if: 
 
(a) 
an agency or Minister decides: 
(i)  to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or 
(ii)  that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and

 
(b) 
it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited
copy) of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
(i)  access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and 
(ii)  the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
 
(c) 
it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the 
edited copy, having regard to: 
(i)  the nature and extent of the modification; and 

FOIREQ22/00291   211
- 5 - 
(ii)  the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d) 
it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the 
applicant) that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a document 
contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is possible for 
the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or exempt material 
deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy. 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
I have therefore determined the materials which do not relate to you to be irrelevant to your 
request and have deleted them under section 22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act. 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
Yours sincerely 
AJ, Position number 2145 
FOI Officer 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 

FOIREQ22/00291   212
- 6 - 
Attachment B - SCHEDULE OF DOCUMENTS  
s 22
1. Departmental File: 
s 22
Page Description 
Decision 
Legislation 

Out of scope third party information 
Irrelevant 
s. 22(1)(a)(ii) 
16 
Out of scope third party information 
Irrelevant 
s. 22(1)(a)(ii) 
19-23 
Out of scope third party information 
Irrelevant 
s. 22(1)(a)(ii) 
29 
Out of scope third party information 
Irrelevant 
s. 22(1)(a)(ii) 
 
All other pages 
Released in full   
 
 
2. Departmental File: 
s 22
Page Description 
Decision 
Legislation 

Out of scope extract 
Irrelevant 
s. 22(1)(a)(ii) 

Out of scope extract 
Irrelevant 
s. 22(1)(a)(ii) 
 
All other pages 
Released in full   
 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   217
 
 
5 July 2022 
 
 
Our Reference: s 22
 
 OAIC reference: s 22
 
s 22
 
By email: s 22
 
                 
  
 
 
Dear ,
s 22
 
Your Information Commissioner Review – Section 55G Decision Letter  
I refer to your FOI request (references 22
) dated 26 October 2020, seeking access to the 
following documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act): 
 ‘I request under FOI a list of the fees paid by Comcare for legal services 

Itemised by the name of the legal practice, or recipient of the funds 

For the last 6 financial years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 
2019- 2020.’ 

Clarification of Scope and Initial Information Commissioner Review  
 
On 26 October 2020, Comcare acknowledged receipt of your request and requested further 
clarification on the scope of your request.  
 
On 27 October 2020, you advised us that you were seeking the following documents:  
 
‘The fees Comcare pays to engage its external legal providers (including the name of each 
legal provider and the amount paid)’ 
  

On 3 November 2020, you further clarified the scope of your request, advising that you are seeking 
both the professional and disbursement costs (separately) in relation to the above.  
 
On 11 May 2021, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) advised Comcare 
that you sought Information Commissioner (IC) review of Comcare’s decision to refuse access to the 
documents you have requested. 
On 7 February 2022, Comcare provided the OAIC with a copy of the section 55G letter where the 
decision to refuse access was set aside, and a revised decision was provided. The revised decision 
gave you partial access to the documents you requested with the exception of the two legal firms 
who objected to the release of their business information under section 47G of the FOI Act. 
 
 

FOIREQ22/00291   218
Subsequent Information Commissioner Review 
On 14 April 2022, Comcare was informed by the OAIC that you requested a review of the initial 
section 55G decision made on 7 February 2022. After reconsidering our initial section 55G letter, we 
have further revised the decision, as provided to you below. 
My Decision 
I am authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in relation to FOI requests. I am 
issuing this decision under section 55G of the FOI Act which stipulates that an agency has the ability 
to set aside or substitute the original decision during the time of an IC review by giving access to a 
document in accordance with the request. 
 
Comcare has identified six documents, totalling six pages that relate to the scope of your request. I 
have decided to grant you full access to the documents. 
Third party consultation 
On 20 November 2020, Comcare advised you that in certain circumstances the timeframe of 
processing an FOI request may change such as if the agency is required to consult a third party due 
to their information being included in the requested documents. 
Under section 27 of the FOI Act, Comcare consulted with third parties as it formed the view that 
those third parties may reasonably wish to make a contention that the document or parts of the 
document should be exempt under the FOI Act.  
In response to Comcare’s consultation request, two of the third parties provided submissions 
objecting to the release of the document. In accordance with subsections 27(4) and (7) of the FOI 
Act, Comcare cannot provide you access to the document until the third parties have had the 
opportunity to request a review or appeal in relation to the decision. 
I will allow 30 days for the third party to respond to my notice that the documents will be released 
regardless of their objection. If the third party does not seek internal or Information Commissioner 
review, then the document will be provided to you 30 days from  when the third party is notified of 
this decision.  
Review rights 
The OAIC is currently conducting an IC review of Comcare’s decision to refuse access to the 
documents requested. Under section 55G(2)(b) of the FOI Act, the IC must deal with your IC review 
application as if it were an IC review application of this Substituted Decision. 
 
Please contact the IC if you require further information in relation to the IC review process. 
Further assistance 
If you have any questions please email xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx or phone me on 1300 366 979. 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Sam 
Statutory Oversight Officer 



FOIREQ22/00291   229
Revocation of deemed refused decision 
Section 55G of the FOI Act allows for a revocation or variation of access refusal decision during 
a review by the Information Commissioner (IC):
55G  Procedure in IC review—revocation or variation of access refusal decision
             (1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an 
application under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access 
refusal decision if the variation or substitution (the revised decision)
would have an effect of:

                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 

annotated in accordance with the application.
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply.
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1):
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister 
makes the variation or substitution; and

                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC 
review  application for the review of the varied or substituted 
decision, subject otherwise to this Part.

I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below.
Authority to make decision
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
Information considered
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following:
x the Freedom of Information Act 1982
x the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government;
x the terms of your request; 
x Departmental documents, (identified below) 
Revised decision
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request. 
My decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
fall within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in 
Attachment A
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B.
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act

FOIREQ22/00291   230
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
Contacting the FOI Section
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below.
Yours sincerely
John
Position number: 6004 6997
FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Victoria
E: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Attachments
x
Attachment A – Decision Record
x
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents
x
Documents released to you under the FOI Act



FOIREQ22/00291   232
Information considered
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following:
x the Freedom of Information Act 1982
x the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x the terms of your request; 
x Departmental documents, (identified above)
Reasons for decision
I  have considered the documents within the scope of your request and applied exemptions in 
part or in full as detailed in the Schedule of Documents. You should read the schedule in 
conjunction with the reasons for exemption below. 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff.  This includes their 
names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work telephone numbers of 
these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 (1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act 
from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
You wil   see these exemptions in the documents released to you as they wil  be clearly 
identified with ‘s 22 (1)(a)(i )’ however they will not be individually noted in the Schedule of 
Documents. 
Please note that there are times that this same section of the FOI Act will  be used to remove 
other material and this wil  be in the Schedule of Documents with a clear explanation as to
what the material is.
22 Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted (extract)
Scope
(1) This section applies if:
(a) an agency or Minister decides:
(i) to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or
(i ) that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and

(b) it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited copy)
of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that:
(i) access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and
(i ) the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and
(c)  it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the edited 
copy, having regard to:
(i) the nature and extent of the modification; and
(i ) the resources available to modify the document; and
(d) it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) 
that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy.
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a 
document contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is 
possible for the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or 
exempt material deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy.

FOIREQ22/00291   233
This edited copy must be provided to the applicant. Further, the decision maker must advise 
the applicant in writing that the edited copy of the document has been prepared and of the 
reason(s) for each of the deletions in the document (s.22(3) of the FOI Act). 
Exempt material is deleted pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i) and irrelevant material is deleted 
pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act.
I  have decided that parts of the file/document would disclose information that could 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to your request. This information consists of third 
party names not associated with your application. 

The schedule identifies documents where material has either been deleted as exempt 
information under the FOI Act; or deleted as irrelevant to the scope of the request.
47E Public interest conditional exemptions—certain operations of agencies 
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or could reasonably 

be expected to, do any of the following: 
(a) prejudice the effectiveness of procedures or methods for the conduct of tests, 
examinations or audits by an agency; 
(b) prejudice the attainment of the objects of particular tests, examinations or audits 
conducted or to be conducted by an agency; 
(c) have a substantial adverse effect on the management or assessment of personnel by the 

Commonwealth or by an agency; 
(d) have a substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of the operations of 
an agency. 

Note: Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would be 
contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
  
For a document to be exempt under section 47E(d), I must be satisfied that there is a 
reasonable expectation that its disclosure will result in a substantial adverse effect on the 
department’s operations and that there is no overriding public interest in favour of disclosure. 
  
In my opinion the documents listed in the Schedule as exempt under this section could 
reasonably be expected, if disclosed, to prejudice the effectiveness of the operations of this 
department.  
  
Having formed this view I then considered whether release of the documents would be 
contrary to the public interest.
  
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
   x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public; 
x
A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision;  
x
Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and  
x
The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations. 
x
The extent to which the information is known by the public. 
  
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure:  
   x An unfair advantage could be gained by knowledge of the operations of the 
department; 
x
Reveal covert operating procedures, the release of which would require the 
department to change the way it operates.  
  

FOIREQ22/00291   234
Releasing information about the way the department operates may enable applicants to 
circumvent certain processes in the future. This would result in the department having to 
continually change its processes at a cost to the department. I have given this the most 
weight. I  therefore believe that releasing this information would be contrary to the public 
interest. 
  
  
47F Public interest conditional exemptions—personal privacy 
(1) A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would involve the 

unreasonable disclosure of personal information about any person (including a 
deceased person).
(2) In determining whether the disclosure of the document would involve the unreasonable 
disclosure of personal information, an agency or Minister must have regard to the 
fol owing matters:

(a) the extent to which the information is well  known;
(b) whether the person to whom the information relates is known to be (or to have been) 

associated with the matters dealt with in the document;
(c) the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources;
(d) any other matters that the agency or Minister considers relevant.

(3) Subject to subsection (5), subsection (1) does not have effect in relation to a request by a 
person for access to a document by reason only of the inclusion in the document of 
matter relating to that person.

Access given to qualified person instead
(4) Subsection (5) applies if:
(a) a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document of the agency, or 
an official document of the Minister, that contains information concerning the 
applicant, being information that was provided by a qualified person acting in his or 

her capacity as a qualified person; and
(b) it appears to the principal officer of the agency or to the Minister (as the case may be) 
that the disclosure of the information to the applicant might be detrimental to the 
applicant’s physical or mental health, or well-being.

(5) The principal officer or Minister may, if access to the document would otherwise be given 
to the applicant, direct that access to the document, so far as it contains that information, 
is not to be given to the applicant but is to be given instead to a qualified person who:
(a) carries on the same occupation, of a kind mentioned in the definition of qualified 

person in subsection (7), as the first-mentioned qualified person; and
(b) is to be nominated by the applicant.
(6) The powers and functions of the principal officer of an agency under this section may be 
exercised by an officer of the agency acting within his or her scope of authority in 
accordance with arrangements referred to in section 23.

(7) In this section:
qualified person means a person who carries on, and is entitled to carry on, an 
occupation that involves the provision of care for the physical or mental health of people 
or for their well-being, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes any of 
the following:

(a) a medical practitioner;
(b) a psychiatrist;
(c) a psychologist;
(d) a counsellor;
(e) a social worker.


FOIREQ22/00291   235
Note: 
Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it 
would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
The documents that are exempt, either in full or in part, under section 47F of the FOI Act 
contain personal information.
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F does apply, I 
am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be unreasonable. I took 
the following information into consideration:
y
The information appears on a file that holds your personal information. This weighs in 
favour of the release being reasonable.
y
The information is not your personal information. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable. 
y
Every person has the right to expect that their personal information will be securely 
maintained by the department. This weighs against the release being reasonable. 
y
The information does not appear to be in the public forum. This weighs against the 
release being reasonable. 
On balance I believe it would be unreasonable to release these documents in their complete 
format. 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F(1) does apply, 
I  am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the 
public interest.
I have considered:
Arguments in favour of the disclosure of the documents include:
x a person having a general right of access to any material about them held by the 
government;
x there is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x a person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x the need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.
x the extent to which the information is known by the public.
Arguments against disclosure of the documents include:
x it is a core Government concern to maintain the integrity of the information it holds and in 
the maintaining of an individual’s privacy
x prejudice the fair treatment of individuals
x prejudice security, law enforcement, public health or safety
The information contained within the identified documents wholly relates to a person other 
than you.  The department is obliged to take action to prevent the unreasonable disclosure of
an individual’s personal information and I have given this the greatest weight. 
I  consider that disclosure of this information would be contrary to the public interest and it is 
therefore exempt from disclosure under section 47F of the FOI Act.

FOIREQ22/00291   236
47B Public interest conditional exemptions—Commonwealth-State
relations etc

A document is conditionally exempt if disclosure of the document under this Act:
(a) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between the 
Commonwealth and a State; or
(b) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of 
the Government of a State or an authority of a State, to the Government of the 
Commonwealth, to an authority of the Commonwealth or to a person receiving the 
communication on behalf of the Commonwealth or of an authority of the 

Commonwealth; or
(c) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between the 
Commonwealth and Norfolk Island; or
(d) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of 
the Government of Norfolk Island or an authority of Norfolk Island, to the Government 
of the Commonwealth, to an authority of the Commonwealth or to a person receiving 
the communication on behalf of the Commonwealth or an authority of the 
Commonwealth; or

(e) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between 
Norfolk Island and a State; or 
(f) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of the 
Government of a State or an authority of a State, to the Government of Norfolk Island, 
to an authority of Norfolk Island or to a person receiving the communication on behalf 
of Norfolk Island or of an authority of Norfolk Island.

Note:  Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would 
be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
I  have decided that the documents identified in the Schedule as exempt under section 47B(b) 
are documents that would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by a 
State to the Commonwealth.  
I  am of the view that releasing the material I have exempted under this part would contribute 
to a lessening of confidence that State governments place on the Commonwealth 
government, which could reasonably be expected to result in a reduction of the quality and 
quantity of information provided by States.
Having formed the view that the release of the documents would reveal information or matter 
communicated in confidence by the State to the Commonwealth I then considered whether 
release of the documents would be contrary to the public interest.
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.

FOIREQ22/00291   237
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure: 
y
When providing information in confidence there is an inherent expectation that the 
confidence will be maintained. 
y
The need for Commonwealth and State to be able to work closely together to the 
benefit of the Australian public;
y
The Commonwealth’s ability to administer its laws without the cooperation of State 
authorities;
y
The documents relate specifical y to one case and do not affect the interpretation or 
administration of a policy in relation to a cohort group. 
Given the possible effect on the ability of Commonwealth and State to work together, I have 
given more weight to those factors that favour non-disclosure. 
On balance I have decided that the public interest in the non-disclosure of the documents 
out-weighs the public interest in disclosing the documents, therefore the release would be 
contrary to the public interest and the documents are exempt under section 47B of the FOI 
Act.
47D Public interest conditional exemptions—financial or property interests of the 
Commonwealth or Norfolk Island
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would have a substantial 
adverse effect on the financial or property interests of the Commonwealth, of Norfolk Island 
or of an agency.

Note:  Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document
unless it would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
The documents I have exempted under section 47D relate to the commercial activities of the 
department. The release of these documents would have a substantial adverse effect on the 
financial or property interests of the Commonwealth. 
Having formed the view that the release of the documents would have a substantial adverse 
effect on the financial or property interests of the Commonwealth I then considered whether 
release of the documents would be contrary to the public interest.
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure: 
y
Prejudice the competitive commercial activities of the department;
y
Provide an unfair advantage in relation to lawful tender process;
y
Affect the department’s ability to use public money effectively. 
The department’s responsibility to use public money lawfully and effectively has been given 
the most weight. I  am satisfied therefore the release would be contrary to the public interest 
and the documents are exempt under section 47D of the FOI Act.

FOIREQ22/00291   238
37 Documents affecting enforcement of law and protection of public safety 
(1) A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 
reasonably be expected to: 
(a) prejudice the conduct of an investigation of a breach, or possible breach, of the law, 

or a failure, or  possible failure, to comply with a law  relating to taxation or prejudice 
the enforcement or proper  administration of the law in a particular instance;

(b) disclose, or enable a person to ascertain, the existence or identity of a confidential 
source of  information, or the non-existence of a confidential source of information, in 
relation to the  enforcement or administration of the law; or

(c) endanger the life or physical safety of any person.
(2) A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 
reasonably be  expected to: 
(a) prejudice the fair trial of a person or the impartial adjudication of a particular case;

(b) disclose lawful methods or procedures for preventing, detecting, investigating, or 
dealing with matters arising out of, breaches or evasions of the law the disclosure of 
which would, or would be reasonably likely to, prejudice the effectiveness of those 
methods or procedures; or

(c) prejudice the maintenance or enforcement of lawful methods for the protection of 
public safety.
Section 37(2)(b)
The information which I have exempted under section 37(2)(b) is information which, if 
disclosed, would reveal lawful methods or procedures used by the department to investigate 
complaints and would be reasonably likely to prejudice the effectiveness of those methods or 
procedures.
I  believe disclosure of this information would reasonably compromise the department’s 
investigation strategy by revealing the department’s methods of investigating issues and in 
so doing would compromise the department’s ability to successfully utilise such methods or 
procedures in the future. 
It is important that these processes are kept confidential to prevent persons from 
circumventing these procedures, or from providing false information during these 
investigations. Release of this information would prejudice the effectiveness of the referral 
process, and the attainment of true and correct information.
Yours sincerely
John
Position number: 6004 6997
FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Victoria
E: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx

FOIREQ22/00291   239
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents
Client Details
s 22
Departmental Electronic File - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1-10
Released in full
11-13
Information provided in confidence from a 
Exempt in part
s.47B(b)
Stage agency 
14-77
Released in full
78
Third party names not associated with your 
Exempt in part
s.22(1)(a)(i)
application
79-92
Released in full
93-95
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
96-151
Released in full
152-161
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
162-259
Released in full
260
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
261-341
Released in full
Audio recording - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
N/A
Released in full
  
Audio recording - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
N/A
Released in full
  

FOIREQ22/00291   240
s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Released in full
s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Released in full
Departmental Paper File s 22
Page No.
Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Financial/property interests of the 
Exempt in part
s.47D
Commonwealth 
2-13
Released in full
14
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
15-62
Released in full
Departmental Electronic File – s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Released in full
2
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
3-4
Released in full
5
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
6-13
Released in full
14
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
15-38
Released in full
39
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
40-74
Released in full
75
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
76-87
Released in full
88
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
89-94
Released in full
95
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
96-105
Released in full
106
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
107
Released in full
108
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
109
Released in full

FOIREQ22/00291   241
110-111
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
112-116
Released in full
117-119
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
120-123
Released in full
124-130
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
131
Released in full
132
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
133-153
Released in full
154-157
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
158-190
Released in full
191
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
192-203
Released in full
204
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
205-268
Released in full
269
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
270
Released in full
271
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
272-276
Released in full
277
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
278-293
Released in full
294
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
295-300
Released in full
301
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
302-323
Released in full
324
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
325-336
Released in full
337
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
338
Released in full
339
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
340
Released in full
341
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
342-352
Released in full
353
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
Electronic File - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1-3
Released in full
4
Departmental processes and methodology
Exempt in part
s.37(2)(b)
5-21
Released in full
22
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in part
s.47E(d)
23-26
Released in full
27
Departmental processes and methodology
Exempt in part
s.37(2)(b)
28-65
Released in full
66-67
Information provided in confidence from a 
Exempt in part
s.47B(b)
Stage agency 
68-73
Released in full
  


FOIREQ22/00291   242
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30 
May 
2022 
    
 s 22
 
Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) 
PO Box 5143 
WEST END  QLD  4101 
 
Sent by email:  s 22
   
 
In reply please quote: 

s 22
 
Dear  
s 22
 
Freedom of Information request – Revised decision  
 s 22
 (the applicant) has authorised you to receive, on their behalf, correspondence 
about their Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Correspondence will not be sent directly to 
the applicant. In this letter, references to 'you' relate to the applicant. 
 
This letter refers to an access request received by the Department of Home Affairs (‘the 
Department’) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) on 24 February 2022, 
seeking access to:  
 
s 22
Deemed refused decision 
A ‘deemed refusal’ has occurred as the time for making a decision has expired on 24 
February 2022  and you have not been given a notice of decision.    
 
You have made an application for review of the deemed refusal decision with the Office of 
the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC has notified the Department that 
the Information Commissioner will review the deemed refusal decision.   
 

FOIREQ22/00291   243
Revocation of deemed refused decision  
Section 55G of the FOI Act allows for a revocation or variation of access refusal decision during 
a review by the Information Commissioner (IC): 
55G  Procedure in IC review—revocation or variation of access refusal decision 
             (1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an application 
under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access refusal decision if the 

variation or substitution (the revised decision) would have an effect of: 
                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 
annotated in accordance with the application. 
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1): 
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister makes the 
variation or substitution; and 
                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC review application for 

the review of the varied or substituted decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 
I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
 
Authority to make decision 
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  the terms of your request; 
x  Departmental documents, (identified below) 
  
Revised decision 
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request.  
 
My decision is to release in full the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
falls within the scope of your request. A list of the documents is below for your reference.  
 
No. Description 
Reference  
No. of folios 
1.   
Documents in Scope on 
s 22
 
128 
Departmental File  

FOIREQ22/00291   244
2.   Departmental document – 
22 
s 22
3.   s 22
  
19 
s 22
s 22
4.   Audio recording – 
 

  
 
 
22  Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted (extract) 

Scope 
 

(1) 
This section applies if: 
 
(a) 
an agency or Minister decides: 
 
(i) 
to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or 
 
(ii) 
that to give access to a document would disclose  information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; and 
 
(b) 
it is  possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited 
copy) of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
 

(i) 
access to the edited copy would be required to be given under section 
11A (access to documents on request); and 
 

(ii) 
the edited copy  would not disclose  any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
 

(c) 
it is  reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the 
edited copy,  having regard to: 
 

(i) 
the nature and extent of the modification; and 
 
(ii) 
the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d) 
it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the 
applicant) that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a 
document contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is 
possible for the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or 
exempt material deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy. 
 
This edited copy must be provided to the applicant. Further, the decision maker must advise 
the applicant in writing that the edited copy of the document has been prepared and of the 
reason(s) for each of the deletions in the document (s.22(3) of the FOI Act). 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request.  
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
 
Contacting the FOI Section
 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Melissa   
Position number 60046995 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email : xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
Attachments 
x  Documents released to you under the FOI Act 



FOIREQ22/00291   246
                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or 
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or 
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 

annotated in accordance with the application. 
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply. 
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1): 
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister 
makes the variation or substitution; and 

                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC 
review  application for the review of the varied or substituted 
decision, subject otherwise to this Part. 

 
I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below. 
 
Authority to make decision 
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
 
Information considered 
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following: 
 
x the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982
x  the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x  the terms of your request; 
x  Departmental documents, (identified below);  
 
Revised decision 
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request.  
My decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
fall within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in 
Attachment A
 
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B. 
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act 
 
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request 
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au  
 
Contacting the FOI Section
 
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Melissa  
Position number 60046995 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email : xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 

FOIREQ22/00291   247
 
 
 
 
Attachments 
x  Attachment A – Decision Record 
x  Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 
x  Documents released to you under the FOI Act 



FOIREQ22/00291   249
 
(b) 
it is  possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited 
copy) of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that: 
 

(i) 
access to the edited copy would be required to be given under section 
11A (access to documents on request); and 
 

(ii) 
the edited copy  would not disclose  any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and 
 
(c) 
it is  reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the 
edited copy,  having regard to: 
 

(i) 
the nature and extent of the modification; and 
 
(ii) 
the resources available to modify the document; and 
 
(d) 
it is  not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the 
applicant) that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy. 
 
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a 
document contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is 
possible for the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or 
exempt material deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy. 
 
This edited copy must be provided to the applicant. Further, the decision maker must advise 
the applicant in writing that the edited copy of the document has been prepared and of the 
reason(s) for each of the deletions in the document (s.22(3) of the FOI Act). 
 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff engaged in some roles. 
This includes their names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work 
telephone numbers of these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 
(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act from the documents that form the scope of your request.  
 
47F Public interest conditional exemptions—personal privacy  
(1)  A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would involve the 

unreasonable disclosure of personal information about any person (including a 
deceased person). 

 
(2) In determining whether the disclosure of the document would involve the unreasonable 

disclosure of personal information, an agency or Minister must have regard to the 
fol owing matters: 
(a)  the extent to which the information is well  known; 
(b) whether the person to whom the information relates is known to be (or to have been) 

associated with the matters dealt with in the document; 
(c) the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources; 
(d) any other matters that the agency or Minister considers relevant. 

 
(3) Subject to subsection (5), subsection (1) does not have effect in relation to a request by a 

person for access to a document by reason only of the inclusion in the document of 
matter relating to that person. 

 
Access given to qualified person instead 
 
(4) Subsection (5) applies if: 

(a) a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document of the agency, or 
an official document of the Minister, that contains information concerning the 
applicant, being information that was provided by a qualified person acting in his or 
her capacity as a qualified person; and 

(b) it appears to the principal officer of the agency or to the Minister (as the case may be) 
that the disclosure of the information to the applicant might be detrimental to the 
applicant’s physical or mental health, or well-being. 

 
(5) The principal officer or Minister may, if access to the document would otherwise be given 

to the applicant, direct that access to the document, so far as it contains that information, 
is not to be given to the applicant but is to be given instead to a qualified person who: 

FOIREQ22/00291   250
(a) carries on the same occupation, of a kind mentioned in the definition of qualified 
person in subsection (7), as the first-mentioned qualified person; and 
(b) is to be nominated by the applicant. 
 
(6) The powers and functions of the principal officer of an agency under this section may be 

exercised by an officer of the agency acting within his or her scope of authority in 
accordance with arrangements referred to in section 23. 
 
(7) In this section: 

qualified person means a person who carries on, and is entitled to carry on, an 
occupation that involves the provision of care for the physical or mental health of people 

or for their well-being, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes any of 
the fol owing: 
(a) a medical practitioner; 
(b) a psychiatrist; 
(c) a psychologist; 

(d) a counsellor; 
(e) a social worker. 

 
Note:  
Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it 
would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A). 
 
The documents that are exempt, either in full or in part, under section 47F of the FOI Act 
contain personal information. 
 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F does apply, I 
am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be unreasonable. I took 
the following information into consideration: 
 

The information is not your personal information. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable.  

Every person has the right to expect that their personal information will be securely 
maintained by the Department. This weighs against the release being reasonable.  

The information does not appear to be in the public forum. This weighs against the 
release being reasonable.  
 
On balance I believe it would be unreasonable to release these documents in their complete 
format.  
 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F(1) does apply, 
I  am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the 
public interest. 
 
I have considered: 
 
Arguments in favour of the disclosure of the documents include: 
 
x  a person having a general right of access to any material about them held by the 
government; 
x  there is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public; 
x  a person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision;  
x  inform debate on a matter of public importance; and  
x  the need for openness and accountability of the Department’s operations. 
x  the extent to which the information is known by the public. 
 
Arguments that against disclosure of the documents include: 
 
x  it is a core Government concern to maintain the integrity of the information it holds and in 
the maintaining of an individual’s privacy 

FOIREQ22/00291   251
x  prejudice the fair treatment of individuals 
x  prejudice security, law enforcement, public health or safety 
 
 
Melissa  
Position number 60046995 
Freedom of Information Section 
Department of Home Affairs 
Email : xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 


FOIREQ22/00291   252
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents 
Client Details 
s 22
Electronic record – s 22
 
Page No. 
Description 
Decision 
Legislation 
1 - 9 
Personal information of another 
Exempt in part 
s.47F(1)

FOIREQ22/00291   253
30 May 2022
s 22
Sent via email: s 22
  
In reply please quote:
s 22
Dear s 22
Freedom of Information request – Revised decision 
s 22
(the applicant) has authorised you to receive, on their behalf, 
correspondence about their Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Correspondence will not 
be sent directly to the applicant. In this letter, references to 'you' relate to the applicant.
This letter refers to an access request received by the Department of Home Affairs (‘the 
Department’) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) on 4 October 2021,
seeking access to:
s 22
Deemed refused decision
A ‘deemed refusal’ has occurred as the time for making a decision has expired on 3 
November, 2021 and you have not been given a notice of decision.   
You have made an application for review of the deemed refusal decision with the Office of 
the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC has notified the Department that 
the Information Commissioner will review the deemed refusal decision.  

FOIREQ22/00291   254
Revocation of deemed refused decision 
Section 55G of the FOI Act allows for a revocation or variation of access refusal decision during 
a review by the Information Commissioner (IC):
55G  Procedure in IC review—revocation or variation of access refusal decision
             (1)  An agency or Minister may vary (or set aside and substitute) an access 
refusal decision (the original decision) in relation to a request or an 
application under section 48 at any time during an IC review of the access 
refusal decision if the variation or substitution (the revised decision)
would have an effect of:

                     (a)  giving access to a document in accordance with the request; or
                     (b)  relieving the IC review applicant from liability to pay a charge; or
                     (c)  requiring a record of personal information to be amended or 

annotated in accordance with the application.
Note:          When making the revised decision, a consultation requirement under 
section 26A (documents affecting Commonwealth-State relations etc.), 27 (business 

documents) or 27A (documents affecting personal privacy) may apply.
             (2)  If an agency or Minister varies (or sets aside and substitutes) an access 
refusal decision under subsection (1):
                     (a)  the agency or Minister must, in writing, notify the Information 
Commissioner as soon as practicable after the agency or Minister 
makes the variation or substitution; and

                     (b)  the Information Commissioner must deal with the IC review 
application for review of the original decision as if it were an IC 
review  application for the review of the varied or substituted 
decision, subject otherwise to this Part.

I  have now set aside the deemed refusal decision and substitute it with a revised decision 
under section s55G(1)(a) of the FOI Act as set out below.
Authority to make decision
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records. 
Information considered
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following:
x the Freedom of Information Act 1982
x the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government;
x the terms of your request; 
x Departmental documents, (identified below) 
Revised decision
The Department has identified the documents that fall within the scope of your request. 
My decision is to exempt in part the documents in the possession of the Department, which 
fall within the scope of your request. The reasons for my decision are set out in 
Attachment A
The Schedule of Documents that falls within the scope of your request is at Attachment B.
Read together the Decision Record and Schedule sets out the decision on access and where 
appropriate refers to various sections of the FOI Act

FOIREQ22/00291   255
How to make a complaint about the handling of this FOI request
You may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns about 
how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. Information about how to 
submit a complaint is available at www.oaic.gov.au . 
Contacting the FOI Section
If you wish  to discuss this matter, I can be contacted using the details provided below.
Yours sincerely
John
Position number: 6004 6997
FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Victoria
E: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Attachments
x
Attachment A – Decision Record
x
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents
x
Documents released to you under the FOI Act

FOIREQ22/00291   256
Attachment A – Decision Record
Client Details
s 22
Scope of Request 
s 22
Departmental records within scope
No.
Description
Reference (if applicable)
No. of folios
1.
341
2.
N/A
3.
N/A
4.
1
s 22
5.
1
6.
62
7.
353
8.
73
Authority to make decision
I  am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of 
requests to access documents or to amend or annotate Departmental records.

FOIREQ22/00291   257
Information considered
In reaching my decision, I have considered the following:
x the Freedom of Information Act 1982
x the Australian Information Commissioner’s FOI guidelines relating to access to 
documents held by government; 
x the terms of your request; 
x Departmental documents, (identified above)
Reasons for decision
I  have considered the documents within the scope of your request and applied exemptions in 
part or in full as detailed in the Schedule of Documents. You should read the schedule in 
conjunction with the reasons for exemption below. 
In your acknowledgement letter, you were advised of the Department’s policy to consider 
irrelevant to the scope of your request the personal details of staff.  This includes their 
names, direct email addresses and also the mobile and direct work telephone numbers of 
these staff. This material has therefore been removed under s 22 (1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act 
from the documents that form the scope of your request. 
You wil   see these exemptions in the documents released to you as they wil  be clearly 
identified with ‘s 22 (1)(a)(i )’ however they will not be individually noted in the Schedule of 
Documents. 
Please note that there are times that this same section of the FOI Act will  be used to remove 
other material and this wil  be in the Schedule of Documents with a clear explanation as to
what the material is.
22 Access to edited copies with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted (extract)
Scope
(1) This section applies if:
(a) an agency or Minister decides:
(i) to refuse to give access to an exempt document; or
(i ) that to give access to a document would disclose information that 
would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request for access; 
and

(b) it is possible for the agency or Minister to prepare a copy (an edited copy)
of the document, modified by deletions, ensuring that:
(i) access to the edited copy would be required to be given under 
section 11A (access to documents on request); and
(i ) the edited copy would not disclose any information that would 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to the request; and
(c)  it is reasonably practicable for the agency or Minister to prepare the edited 
copy, having regard to:
(i) the nature and extent of the modification; and
(i ) the resources available to modify the document; and
(d) it is not apparent (from the request or from consultation with the applicant) 
that the applicant would decline access to the edited copy.
Section 22(2) of the FOI Act provides that, where an agency reaches the view that a 
document contains exempt information or material that is irrelevant to the request and it is 
possible for the agency to prepare an edited copy of the document with the irrelevant or 
exempt material deleted, then the agency must prepare such a copy.

FOIREQ22/00291   258
This edited copy must be provided to the applicant. Further, the decision maker must advise 
the applicant in writing that the edited copy of the document has been prepared and of the 
reason(s) for each of the deletions in the document (s.22(3) of the FOI Act). 
Exempt material is deleted pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i) and irrelevant material is deleted 
pursuant to s.22(1)(a)(i ) of the FOI Act.
I  have decided that parts of the file/document would disclose information that could 
reasonably be regarded as irrelevant to your request. This information consists of third 
party names not associated with your application. 

The schedule identifies documents where material has either been deleted as exempt 
information under the FOI Act; or deleted as irrelevant to the scope of the request.
47E Public interest conditional exemptions—certain operations of agencies 
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or could reasonably 

be expected to, do any of the following: 
(a) prejudice the effectiveness of procedures or methods for the conduct of tests, 
examinations or audits by an agency; 
(b) prejudice the attainment of the objects of particular tests, examinations or audits 
conducted or to be conducted by an agency; 
(c) have a substantial adverse effect on the management or assessment of personnel by the 

Commonwealth or by an agency; 
(d) have a substantial adverse effect on the proper and efficient conduct of the operations of 
an agency. 

Note: Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would be 
contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
  
For a document to be exempt under section 47E(d), I must be satisfied that there is a 
reasonable expectation that its disclosure will result in a substantial adverse effect on the 
department’s operations and that there is no overriding public interest in favour of disclosure. 
  
In my opinion the documents listed in the Schedule as exempt under this section could 
reasonably be expected, if disclosed, to prejudice the effectiveness of the operations of this 
department.  
  
Having formed this view I then considered whether release of the documents would be 
contrary to the public interest.
  
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
   x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public; 
x
A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision;  
x
Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and  
x
The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations. 
x
The extent to which the information is known by the public. 
  
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure:  
   x An unfair advantage could be gained by knowledge of the operations of the 
department; 
x
Reveal covert operating procedures, the release of which would require the 
department to change the way it operates.  
  

FOIREQ22/00291   259
Releasing information about the way the department operates may enable applicants to 
circumvent certain processes in the future. This would result in the department having to 
continually change its processes at a cost to the department. I have given this the most 
weight. I  therefore believe that releasing this information would be contrary to the public 
interest. 
  
  
47F Public interest conditional exemptions—personal privacy 
(1) A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would involve the 

unreasonable disclosure of personal information about any person (including a 
deceased person).
(2) In determining whether the disclosure of the document would involve the unreasonable 
disclosure of personal information, an agency or Minister must have regard to the 
fol owing matters:

(a) the extent to which the information is well  known;
(b) whether the person to whom the information relates is known to be (or to have been) 

associated with the matters dealt with in the document;
(c) the availability of the information from publicly accessible sources;
(d) any other matters that the agency or Minister considers relevant.

(3) Subject to subsection (5), subsection (1) does not have effect in relation to a request by a 
person for access to a document by reason only of the inclusion in the document of 
matter relating to that person.

Access given to qualified person instead
(4) Subsection (5) applies if:
(a) a request is made to an agency or Minister for access to a document of the agency, or 
an official document of the Minister, that contains information concerning the 
applicant, being information that was provided by a qualified person acting in his or 

her capacity as a qualified person; and
(b) it appears to the principal officer of the agency or to the Minister (as the case may be) 
that the disclosure of the information to the applicant might be detrimental to the 
applicant’s physical or mental health, or well-being.

(5) The principal officer or Minister may, if access to the document would otherwise be given 
to the applicant, direct that access to the document, so far as it contains that information, 
is not to be given to the applicant but is to be given instead to a qualified person who:
(a) carries on the same occupation, of a kind mentioned in the definition of qualified 

person in subsection (7), as the first-mentioned qualified person; and
(b) is to be nominated by the applicant.
(6) The powers and functions of the principal officer of an agency under this section may be 
exercised by an officer of the agency acting within his or her scope of authority in 
accordance with arrangements referred to in section 23.

(7) In this section:
qualified person means a person who carries on, and is entitled to carry on, an 
occupation that involves the provision of care for the physical or mental health of people 
or for their well-being, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes any of 
the following:

(a) a medical practitioner;
(b) a psychiatrist;
(c) a psychologist;
(d) a counsellor;
(e) a social worker.


FOIREQ22/00291   260
Note: 
Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it 
would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
The documents that are exempt, either in full or in part, under section 47F of the FOI Act 
contain personal information.
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F does apply, I 
am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be unreasonable. I took 
the following information into consideration:
y
The information appears on a file that holds your personal information. This weighs in 
favour of the release being reasonable.
y
The information is not your personal information. This weighs against the release being 
reasonable. 
y
Every person has the right to expect that their personal information will be securely 
maintained by the department. This weighs against the release being reasonable. 
y
The information does not appear to be in the public forum. This weighs against the 
release being reasonable. 
On balance I believe it would be unreasonable to release these documents in their complete 
format. 
Having formed the view that the documents are of a kind to which section 47F(1) does apply, 
I  am required to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the 
public interest.
I have considered:
Arguments in favour of the disclosure of the documents include:
x a person having a general right of access to any material about them held by the 
government;
x there is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x a person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x the need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.
x the extent to which the information is known by the public.
Arguments against disclosure of the documents include:
x it is a core Government concern to maintain the integrity of the information it holds and in 
the maintaining of an individual’s privacy
x prejudice the fair treatment of individuals
x prejudice security, law enforcement, public health or safety
The information contained within the identified documents wholly relates to a person other 
than you.  The department is obliged to take action to prevent the unreasonable disclosure of
an individual’s personal information and I have given this the greatest weight. 
I  consider that disclosure of this information would be contrary to the public interest and it is 
therefore exempt from disclosure under section 47F of the FOI Act.

FOIREQ22/00291   261
47B Public interest conditional exemptions—Commonwealth-State
relations etc

A document is conditionally exempt if disclosure of the document under this Act:
(a) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between the 
Commonwealth and a State; or
(b) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of 
the Government of a State or an authority of a State, to the Government of the 
Commonwealth, to an authority of the Commonwealth or to a person receiving the 
communication on behalf of the Commonwealth or of an authority of the 

Commonwealth; or
(c) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between the 
Commonwealth and Norfolk Island; or
(d) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of 
the Government of Norfolk Island or an authority of Norfolk Island, to the Government 
of the Commonwealth, to an authority of the Commonwealth or to a person receiving 
the communication on behalf of the Commonwealth or an authority of the 
Commonwealth; or

(e) would, or could reasonably be expected to, cause damage to relations between 
Norfolk Island and a State; or 
(f) would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by or on behalf of the 
Government of a State or an authority of a State, to the Government of Norfolk Island, 
to an authority of Norfolk Island or to a person receiving the communication on behalf 
of Norfolk Island or of an authority of Norfolk Island.

Note:  Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document unless it would 
be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
I  have decided that the documents identified in the Schedule as exempt under section 47B(b) 
are documents that would divulge information or matter communicated in confidence by a 
State to the Commonwealth.  
I  am of the view that releasing the material I have exempted under this part would contribute 
to a lessening of confidence that State governments place on the Commonwealth 
government, which could reasonably be expected to result in a reduction of the quality and 
quantity of information provided by States.
Having formed the view that the release of the documents would reveal information or matter 
communicated in confidence by the State to the Commonwealth I then considered whether 
release of the documents would be contrary to the public interest.
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.

FOIREQ22/00291   262
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure: 
y
When providing information in confidence there is an inherent expectation that the 
confidence will be maintained. 
y
The need for Commonwealth and State to be able to work closely together to the 
benefit of the Australian public;
y
The Commonwealth’s ability to administer its laws without the cooperation of State 
authorities;
y
The documents relate specifical y to one case and do not affect the interpretation or 
administration of a policy in relation to a cohort group. 
Given the possible effect on the ability of Commonwealth and State to work together, I have 
given more weight to those factors that favour non-disclosure. 
On balance I have decided that the public interest in the non-disclosure of the documents 
out-weighs the public interest in disclosing the documents, therefore the release would be 
contrary to the public interest and the documents are exempt under section 47B of the FOI 
Act.
47D Public interest conditional exemptions—financial or property interests of the 
Commonwealth or Norfolk Island
A document is conditionally exempt if its disclosure under this Act would have a substantial 
adverse effect on the financial or property interests of the Commonwealth, of Norfolk Island 
or of an agency.

Note:  Access must generally be given to a conditionally exempt document
unless it would be contrary to the public interest (see section 11A).
The documents I have exempted under section 47D relate to the commercial activities of the 
department. The release of these documents would have a substantial adverse effect on the 
financial or property interests of the Commonwealth. 
Having formed the view that the release of the documents would have a substantial adverse 
effect on the financial or property interests of the Commonwealth I then considered whether 
release of the documents would be contrary to the public interest.
I  considered the following factors in favour of disclosure:
x There is a general public interest in making information held by the Government 
accessible to the public;
x A person or the general public is entitled to have access to documents containing 
decisions which affect them.  Disclosure may reveal the reasons for decision; 
x Inform debate on a matter of public importance; and 
x The need for openness and accountability of the department’s operations.
On the other hand I considered the following in favour of non-disclosure: 
y
Prejudice the competitive commercial activities of the department;
y
Provide an unfair advantage in relation to lawful tender process;
y
Affect the department’s ability to use public money effectively. 
The department’s responsibility to use public money lawfully and effectively has been given 
the most weight. I  am satisfied therefore the release would be contrary to the public interest 
and the documents are exempt under section 47D of the FOI Act.

FOIREQ22/00291   263
37 Documents affecting enforcement of law and protection of public safety 
(1) A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 
reasonably be expected to: 
(a) prejudice the conduct of an investigation of a breach, or possible breach, of the law, 

or a failure, or  possible failure, to comply with a law  relating to taxation or prejudice 
the enforcement or proper  administration of the law in a particular instance;

(b) disclose, or enable a person to ascertain, the existence or identity of a confidential 
source of  information, or the non-existence of a confidential source of information, in 
relation to the  enforcement or administration of the law; or

(c) endanger the life or physical safety of any person.
(2) A document is an exempt document if its disclosure under this Act would, or could 
reasonably be  expected to: 
(a) prejudice the fair trial of a person or the impartial adjudication of a particular case;

(b) disclose lawful methods or procedures for preventing, detecting, investigating, or 
dealing with matters arising out of, breaches or evasions of the law the disclosure of 
which would, or would be reasonably likely to, prejudice the effectiveness of those 
methods or procedures; or

(c) prejudice the maintenance or enforcement of lawful methods for the protection of 
public safety.
Section 37(2)(b)
The information which I have exempted under section 37(2)(b) is information which, if 
disclosed, would reveal lawful methods or procedures used by the department to investigate 
complaints and would be reasonably likely to prejudice the effectiveness of those methods or 
procedures.
I  believe disclosure of this information would reasonably compromise the department’s 
investigation strategy by revealing the department’s methods of investigating issues and in 
so doing would compromise the department’s ability to successfully utilise such methods or 
procedures in the future. 
It is important that these processes are kept confidential to prevent persons from 
circumventing these procedures, or from providing false information during these 
investigations. Release of this information would prejudice the effectiveness of the referral 
process, and the attainment of true and correct information.
Yours sincerely
John
Position number: 6004 6997
FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Victoria
E: xxx.xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx

FOIREQ22/00291   264
Attachment B – Schedule of Documents
Client Details
s 22
Departmental Electronic File - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1-10
Released in full
11-13
Information provided in confidence from a 
Exempt in part
s.47B(b)
Stage agency 
14-77
Released in full
78
Third party names not associated with your 
Exempt in part
s.22(1)(a)(i)
application
79-92
Released in full
93-95
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
96-151
Released in full
152-161
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
162-259
Released in full
260
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
261-341
Released in full
Audio recording - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
N/A
Released in full
  
Audio recording - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
N/A
Released in full
  

FOIREQ22/00291   265
s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Released in full
s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Released in full
  
Departmental Paper File – s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Financial/property interests of the 
Exempt in part
s.47D
Commonwealth 
2-13
Released in full
14
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
15-62
Released in full
Departmental Electronic File – s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1
Released in full
2
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
3-4
Released in full
5
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
6-13
Released in full
14
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
15-38
Released in full
39
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
40-74
Released in full
75
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
76-87
Released in full
88
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
89-94
Released in full
95
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
96-105
Released in full
106
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
107
Released in full
108
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
109
Released in full

FOIREQ22/00291   266
110-111
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
112-116
Released in full
117-119
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
120-123
Released in full
124-130
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
131
Released in full
132
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
133-153
Released in full
154-157
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in full
s.47E(d)
158-190
Released in full
191
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
192-203
Released in full
204
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
205-268
Released in full
269
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
270
Released in full
271
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
272-276
Released in full
277
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
278-293
Released in full
294
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
295-300
Released in full
301
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
302-323
Released in full
324
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
325-336
Released in full
337
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
338
Released in full
339
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
340
Released in full
341
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
342-352
Released in full
353
Third party details 
Exempt in full
s.47F(1)
Electronic File - s 22
Page No.  Description
Decision
Legislation
1-3
Released in full
4
Departmental processes and methodology
Exempt in part
s.37(2)(b)
5-21
Released in full
22
Operations and processes of Department
Exempt in part
s.47E(d)
23-26
Released in full
27
Departmental processes and methodology
Exempt in part
s.37(2)(b)
28-65
Released in full
66-67
Information provided in confidence from a 
Exempt in part
s.47B(b)
Stage agency 
68-73
Released in full