Compliments of FOI disclosure log
Posty made this Freedom of Information request to Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet as part of a batch sent to 6 authorities
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear [Authority name] FOI Team,
I’d like to start 2019 by thanking you all for your hard work and commitment to transparency over the years, and for your correct interpretation of section 11C of the FOI Act.
In particular, I appreciate the fact that in 2018 (and other years) for each FOI request you have made unredacted and/or redacted documents available online for download for the public from your website as per the standard set by the Office of the Information Commissioner FOI log.
It has been noticed that some federal agencies (other than yourselves) are choosing to put statements in their FOI log, by each item, the equivalent of “contact us for access to the document”. In some egregious cases they are doing this for all FOI items!
You are setting a great standard for FOI in this country, and this deserves recognition. I can’t afford any award but you have been named a “Leader of the Pack” in my article about the aforementioned phenomenon which will shortly be published.
I’d like the public to know whether this has been a thankless task or not.
I request, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, copies of the following documents:
All email (or the last 3 years, if that is too voluminous) sent to the Freedom of Information Team’s email address that feature compliments relating to this department's Freedom of Information Disclosure Log.
If there’s too many of them, and the redaction would require too much effort to do, a simple number of documents over the time period is fine (a year breakdown would be great but I don’t want to push it).
If none exist—that’s fine too. I’d like to know.
If you require any time extension, I grant an extra 30 days.
Happy New Year!
Regards,
Posty
Thank you for your email. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(the Department) is currently on its annual shutdown which extends from
close of business, Monday, 24 December 2018 to Tuesday, 1 January 2019
(inclusive) - the Department will re-open for normal business from
Wednesday, 2 January 2019.'
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Posty
Thank you for your email dated 31 December 2018, received by the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department), in which
you made a request to the Department under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (the FOI Act) in the following terms:
I request, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, copies of the
following documents:
All email (or the last 3 years, if that is too voluminous) sent to the
Freedom of Information Team’s email address that feature compliments
relating to this department's Freedom of Information Disclosure Log.
If there’s too many of them, and the redaction would require too much
effort to do, a simple number of documents over the time period is fine (a
year breakdown would be great but I don’t want to push it).
If none exist—that’s fine too. I’d like to know.
Timeframe for receiving your decision
We received your request on 31 December 2018 and the 30 day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
You should therefore expect a decision from us by 30 January 2019. The
period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances. We will advise
you if there is any extension of time.
Charges
Agencies may decide that an applicant is liable to pay a charge in respect
of a request for access to documents. If the Department decides that you
are liable to pay a charge, we will send you a preliminary assessment of
the charge as soon as possible.
Publication of documents
Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on our disclosure log at
[1]http://www.dpmc.gov.au/pmc/accountabilit...,
subject to certain exceptions. If you think you might wish to raise any
objections to the publication of any of the information which may be
released to you please contact us by email at [2][DPMC request email]. If you
do wish to object to the publication of information, you would need to
provide supporting reasons.
Exclusion of officers’ names and contact details
For documents that fall within scope of the request, it is the
Department’s policy to withhold:
· any person’s signature;
· the names and contact details of Australian Public Service
officers not in the Senior Executive Service (SES);
· the mobile or direct numbers of SES officers;
· the names and contact details of Ministerial staff at a level
below Chief of Staff.
The names and other details of SES officers will not be withheld unless
there is some reason for that information to be exempt from release. If
you require signatures, the names and contact details of non-SES officers
or Ministerial staff below the level of Chief of Staff, or the mobile or
direct numbers of SES officers please let us know at [3][DPMC request email] so
the decision-maker may consider; otherwise we will take it that you agree
to that information being excluded from the scope of your request (that
is, the information will be treated as irrelevant and redacted from any
documents for release).
We will write again when the Department has more information. Further
information on FOI processing can be found at the website of the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner at
[4]http://www.oaic.gov.au/foi-portal/about_....
Sincerely
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy | Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. (02) 6271 5849
e. [5][DPMC request email] | w. [6]www.pmc.gov.au
One National Circuit Barton ACT 2600 | PO Box 6500 CANBERRA ACT 2600
Please note that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the
Department) will be closed during its annual shutdown period from close of
business 24 December 2018 through to 1 January 2019 (inclusive)—the
Department will re-open for normal business from 2 January 2019.
[7]Title: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present. -
Description: Reconcilation branding and acknowledgment: The Department
acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia
and their continuing connections to the land, waters and community. We pay
respect to their Cultures, Country and Elders both past and present.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dpmc.gov.au/pmc/accountabilit...
2. mailto:[DPMC request email]
3. mailto:[DPMC request email]
4. http://www.oaic.gov.au/foi-portal/about_...
5. mailto:[DPMC request email]
6. http://www.pmc.gov.au/
UNCLASSIFIED
Dear Posty,
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact the FOI Team.
Kind Regards,
FOI Adviser
FOI and Privacy Section| Legal Policy Branch
Government Division | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
p. +61 2 6271 5849
e. [1][DPMC request email] | [2]www.dpmc.gov.au
[3]cid:image001.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00[5]cid:image003.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00 [6]cid:image004.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00
[7]cid:image005.jpg@01D30607.6CF4DA00
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[DPMC request email]
2. http://www.dpmc.gov.au/
3. https://twitter.com/pmc_gov_au
4. https://www.linkedin.com/company/departm...
5. https://twitter.com/indigenous_gov
6. https://www.facebook.com/indigenous.gov....