All correpondence and documentation relating to the the documentary TV series: Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail
Dan Monceaux made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation,
I am seeking access to all written and email correspondence and documentation relating to the documentary TV series: Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail, sent or received by ANSTO and its staff prior to, during the series' development and following its premier broadcast on SBS. The series was written by Wain Fimeri, was produced by Gene Pool Productions and first aired on SBS in 2015.
I note that ANSTO's support is listed in the series' credits and that ANSTO CEO Adrian 'Adi' Paterson was involved in this production in an advisory role.
Yours faithfully,
Dan Monceaux
Dear Mr Monceaux
We received the Freedom of Information request below on 18 August 2016.
The 30 day statutory time period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date. You should therefore expect a decision from
us by Monday 19 September 2016.
The period of 30 days may be extended if we need to consult third parties
or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.
We will also let you know whether any charges will apply.
Kind regards
Steven McIntosh
Acting FOI Coordinator
Dear Mr Monceaux
I refer to your Freedom of Information request for access to the following
documents:
All written and email correspondence and documentation relating to the
documentary TV series: Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail, sent or
received by ANSTO and its staff prior to, during the series' development
and following its premier broadcast on SBS. The series was written by Wain
Fimeri, was produced by Gene Pool Productions and first aired on SBS in
2015.
Consultation
As your request covers documents which contain:
(a) information concerning the business, commercial or financial
affairs of an organisation, or a person’s business or professional
affairs; and
(b) other people’s personal information.
ANSTO is required to consult with the person or organisation concerned
(under section 27 and 27A of the FOI Act) before making a decision on the
release of those documents.
For this reason the period for processing your request has been extended
by 30 days in order to allow ANSTO time to consult with that person or
organisation (section 15(6) of the FOI Act).
The consultation mechanism under section 27 applies when we believe the
person or organisation concerned may wish to contend that the requested
documents are exempt because their release would disclose trade secrets or
commercially valuable information or may adversely affect their business
or financial affairs.
The consultation mechanism under section 27A applies when we believe the
individual (or their representative) may wish to contend that the
requested documents are exempt for reasons of personal privacy.
We will take into account any comments we receive from the person or
organisation but the final decision about whether to grant you access to
the documents you requested rests with ANSTO.
Charges
Attached for consideration and response is a Notice of Charges letter
dated 15 September 2016.
Kind regards
FOI Administration
Dear Freedom of Information Officer (Steve),
I am writing to accept the scope and costs as described in your recent correspondence of 15 September 2016. I will gladly pay the required deposit on receipt of an invoice. I also note that half of one page of your last email attachment was obscured (possibly the result of a bad scan) and invite you to resupply the document in full for my records.
Yours sincerely,
Dan Monceaux
Dear Mr Monceaux
As requested attached is an invoice.
Also attached is another copy of our charges letter. It seems that the payment instructions were concealed when it was uploaded to the Right to Know website?
Kind regards
FOI Administration
Dan Monceaux left an annotation ()
I received an invoice and statement of costs today, and paid the deposit via bank deposit. The invoice provided and cost breakdown made committing to and making the payment very easy. A receipt was also emailed to ANSTO for their records.
Dear Mr Monceaux
I refer to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated 18 August 2016
for access to the following documents:
All written and email correspondence and documentation relating to the
documentary TV series: Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail, sent or
received by ANSTO and its staff prior to, during the series' development
and following its premier broadcast on SBS. The series was written by Wain
Fimeri, was produced by Gene Pool Productions and first aired on SBS in
2015.
Charges
On 16 September 2016, you were provided with a Notice of Charges. The
Notice of Charges required a deposit in the sum of $46.50.
On 21 September 2016, you paid the $46.50 deposit by way of internet
transfer.
Under the FOI Act there is no charge for giving access to a document
outside the statutory processing period, unless that period has been
extended and the agency makes a decision within that extended period.
Therefore, if ANSTO does not make a decision within the statutory time
frame your deposit will be refunded and no charges will be payable.
Statutory Timeframes
The FOI Act provides that an applicant is to be notified of a decision on
a request not later than 30 days after the receipt of the request.
This statutory period can be extended by an agency to facilitate
consultation with an affected third party. On 16 September 2016 we
notified you that consultation was required and the statutory period was
extended for 30 days (17 October 2016).
Under the FOI Act an agency may defer work on the applicant’s request
following a Notice of Charges until the deposit is paid. This extends the
statutory time period for a further 4 days to 21 October 2016.
Kind regards
FOI Administration
Dan Monceaux left an annotation ()
The agreed statutory timeframe for the fulfillment of this request is 21 October 2016.
Dan Monceaux left an annotation ()
This request is expected to be filled no later than 21 October 2016.
Our reference: RQ16/04427
Mr Dan Monceaux
By email: [1][FOI #2145 email]
Dear Mr Monceaux
Extension of time request under s15AB
On 21 October 2016, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
(ANSTO) requested further time to make a decision on your FOI request of
18 August 2016.
This request was on the basis that the processing period is insufficient
to deal adequately with your request, because it is complex or voluminous.
ANSTO has advised the OAIC that the processing time had previously been
extended by under s 15(6) of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)(the
FOI Act).
The Information Commissioner has decided to grant ANSTO an extension of
time to process your request to 28 October 2016. This decision has been
made under s15AB(2) of the FOI Act.
By granting further time it is anticipated that ANSTO will provide a
well-reasoned and better managed decision.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding this email please contact me on 1300
363 992 or via email [2][email address]. Please quote OAIC
reference number RQ16/04427 in all correspondence.
Yours sincerely
Irene Nicolaou | Assistant Investigation and Review Officer | Freedom of
Information Dispute Resolution
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Level 3, 175 Pitt Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000
GPO Box 5128 SYDNEY NSW 2001| [3]www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: +61 2 9284 9605 | E-mail: [4][email address]
Protecting information rights – advancing information policy
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #2145 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/
4. mailto:[email address]
Dan Monceaux left an annotation ()
Following a time extension decision, documentation is now expected no later than 28 October 2016.
Dear Mr Monceaux
Attached is my decision of today's date in relation to your Freedom of
Information request dated 18 August 2016.
Kind regards
Steven McIntosh
Senior Manager, Government and International Affairs
Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the intended
addressee. It is confidential to the intended addressee and may contain
privileged information and or copyright material. If this email is not
intended for your attention, any use, printing, storage , reproduction or
further disclosure of this communication (including all attachments) is
strictly forbidden. If you have received this transmission in error,
please notify me by telephone or email and immediately delete all copies
of this transmission as well as any attachments.
Dan Monceaux left an annotation ()
I have written to ANSTO requesting an invoice for the outstanding administrative fees associated with this request from a personal email address. I also clarified that I wish to receive the released documentation via this RightToKnow email address.
Dear Mr Monceaux
I refer to the decision of Mr Steven McIntosh dated 28 October 2016 and
attach as a share file the documents set out attachment A (excluding the
10 documents subject to third party review)
To download, please follow the link below.
[1]https://sharefile.ansto.gov.au/download/...
This download will expire on 16-11-2016
Kind regards
FOI Administration
References
Visible links
1. https://sharefile.ansto.gov.au/download/...
Dear Mr Monceaux
I refer to the decision below and attach, as a share file (due to size),
10 documents which were withheld for third party review rights.
The redactions have been applied in accordance with the schedule attached
to the 28 October 2016 decision.
To download, please follow the link below.
[1]https://sharefile.ansto.gov.au/download/...
This download will expire on 14-12-2016
Kind regards
FOI Administration
Dear Freedom of Information Officers,
Many thanks for your further release of documentation today. Could you please advise whether these documents will now become available for longterm download via ANSTO's FoI Disclosure Log?
Yours sincerely,
Dan Monceaux
Dear Mr Monceaux
The following information has been recorded on ANSTO’s disclosure log. The
documents (in redacted form)
[1]http://www.ansto.gov.au/AboutANSTO/About...
will be available on a long term basis by emailing [2][ANSTO request email]
Log Date Summary of request Description of information
number released
4 28 All documentation relating to Emails between ANSTO and
October the documentary TV series: Genepool Productions.
2016 Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Redaction applied pursuant
Tail, sent or received by ANSTO to sections 47, 47G and 45
prior to, during the series' of the FOI Act.
development and following its
premier on SBS,
Kind regards
FOI Administration
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ansto.gov.au/AboutANSTO/About...
2. mailto:[ANSTO request email]
Dear Freedom of Information Officers,
Thankyou for directing me to the ANSTO FoI Disclosure Log.
On considering it, I note that the actual documents released are not directly downloadable from the disclosure log webpage, and that ANSTO states that they can be supplied following a personal request.
I wish to recommend that ANSTO consider expanding its existing FoI disclosure log to provide direct download links for all previously released documents.
Here's a link to the Department of Defence's FoI disclosure log which serves as an example of such a system in practise.
http://www.defence.gov.au/FOI/decisions/...
Yours sincerely,
Dan Monceaux
Dear Mr Monceaux,
Apologies for the delayed response.
Thank you for your suggestion, it has been passed on and we will consider implementing the suggested changes.
Kind regards,
FOI Administration.
Dan Monceaux left an annotation ()
After receiving a quotation from ANSTO to fulfill the request, I've lodged a GoFundMe campaign to crowdfund the costs. A total of $200 is required to cover administration fees and GoFundMe's fundraising admin fees, and 600 pages of documentation is expected to be released. Contributions of all sizes are welcome!
https://www.gofundme.com/uraniumFoI