Our reference: RQ22/05022
Agency reference: FOI 4133
Ms Andorra Loom By email
: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
CC
: xxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx
Extension of time under s 15AB
Dear Ms Loom
On 22 December 2022, the Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport (Minister’s office)
applied to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (the OAIC) for further time
to make a decision on your FOI request of 9 December 2022 under the
Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cth) (the FOI Act).
This application was made on the basis that the processing period is insufficient to deal
adequately with your FOI request, because it is complex.
The Minister’s office attempted to obtain an agreement under s 15AA of the FOI Act for an
extension of time from you. The Minister’s office did not receive a response from you.
Decision
As a delegate of the Information Commissioner, I am authorised to make decisions on
applications for extensions of time under s 15AB of the FOI Act.
I have decided to grant the Minister’s office an extension of time under s 15AB(2) of the FOI
Act
to 23 January 2023. I am satisfied that the Minister’s application for an extension of time
is justified, because the request is complex. My reasons and considerations follow:
• The request is considered to be complex as it is seeking documents held by the
Minister’s office and involves correspondence between various third parties.
• The request is also complex as an instrument of authorisation needs to be put in
place to finalise the decision-making power.
• The Christmas shutdown period and congoing discussions regarding the instrument
of authorisation also caused some delays.
1300 363 992
T +61 2 9942 4099
GPO Box 5288
www.oaic.gov.au
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
F +61 2 6123 5145
Sydney NSW 2001
ABN 85 249 230 937
• The extension of time will enable the Minister’s office sufficient time to finalise the
FOI request and provide a notice of decision.
If Ministers office does not make a decision by
23 January 2023 you may wish to seek
Information Commissioner review of the Minister office’s deemed refusal of reques
t here.
Further information
on applying for IC review is available on the OA
IC website. An
application for IC review will need to be made within 60 days of the Department’s decision or
deemed decision.
Contact
If you have any questions about this letter, please contact me via email
to xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.
In all correspondence please include OAIC reference: RQ22/05022.
Yours sincerely
Avanithah Selvarajah
Assistant Review Adviser
FOI Regulatory Group
19 January 2023
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Review rights
If you disagree with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) decision
you can apply to the Federal Court of Australia or the Federal Circuit Court for a review of a
decision of the Information Commissioner if you think that a decision by the Information
Commissioner to grant an extension of time is not legally correct. You can make this
application under the
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977.
The Court will not review the merits of your case but it may refer the matter back to the
Information Commissioner for further consideration if it finds the decision was wrong in law
or the Information Commissioner’s powers were not exercised properly.
An application for review must be made to the Court within 28 days of the OAIC sending the
decision to you. You may wish to seek legal advice as the process can involve fees and costs.
Please contact the Federal Court registry in your state or territory for more information, or
visit the Federal Court website a
t http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/.
Further information
Further information about how applications to extend the timeframe to process an FOI
request are handled by the OAIC can be found published on our website:
For FOI applicants: How to make an FOI request: Extensions of time
For agencies and ministers: Guidance and advice: Extension of time for processing
requests
The OAIC has the power to investigate complaints about an agency’s actions under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). This is a separate process from asking for an
Information Commissioner review following a decision made under the FOI Act. Complaints
usually focus on how an agency has handled your FOI request or complied with other
obligations under the FOI Act, rather than the decision itself.
In some cases, the Information Commissioner's investigation of a complaint may lead to the
agency addressing the issues that you have complained about. In other cases, the
Information Commissioner may make suggestions or recommendations that the agency
should implement. The Information Commissioner can only make non-binding
recommendations as a result of a complaint. You and the agency will be notified of the
outcome of the investigation.
FOI complaints to the OAIC must be made in writing. Our preference is for you to use
the online FOI complaint form if at all possible.
Further information about how to make a complaint can be found published on our website:
https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/reviews-and-complaints/make-an-foi-
complaint/ .
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