Copy of all 2021 Disclosure Log Documents
Verity Pane made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Veterans' Affairs
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
Unlike other government departments, the Department of Veterans' Affairs continues to require individuals to apply in writing to access its disclosure log entries, even though this is more resource intensive and expensive than directly giving access on the disclosure log, and deemed an unnecessary and unreasonable barrier to access in the Information Commissioner's position paper on disclosure logs.
I therefore seek copy of all documents listed in the 2021 disclosure log table listed by Veterans' Affairs at https://www.dva.gov.au/about-us/overview...
Yours faithfully,
Verity Pane
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
I am following up - given it is now 17 days since I sought copy of these documents.
Yours faithfully,
Verity Pane
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Dear Ms Pane,
We note that on 11 January 2021 we incorrectly acknowledged your request
as an FOI request. We apologise for this administrative error.
As your request is simply for documents already listed on the department’s
disclosure log we do not consider that the department has to proceed to a
decision on access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Accordingly we will send you a link to access the documents listed on the
2021 disclosure log table via Sigbox due to the size of the document
bundle.
If you have any questions, please contact me using the following details:
Post: Information Law Section, Legal Services & Audit Branch
GPO Box 9998 CANBERRA ACT 2601
Email: [1][email address]
Kind Regards,
Jarrod (Position Number 62329536)
Information Access Officer
Information Law Section
Legal Services and Audit Branch
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
e [2][email address]
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
Dear Ms Pane,
We refer to our below email. We are currently in the process of finalising
the collation of the documents held on the 2021 disclosure log. Due to the
size of these documents we will be required to share them with you via
Sigbox which is an online document sharing platform. You will receive an
email instructing you how to access the documents through Sigbox at the
same time as we share the link to access the documents.
I note that as this was a request for documents on the disclosure log, and
therefore not an FOI request requiring a decision under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), there is no statutory time frame for the
release of the documents. Notwithstanding this, we will aim to have shared
these documents with you by the end of this week.
Kind Regards,
Jarrod (Position Number 62329536)
Information Access Officer
Information Law Section
Legal Services and Audit Branch
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
e [1][email address]
From: INFORMATION.LAW
Sent: Thursday, 3 February 2022 5:49 PM
To: '[FOI #8249 email]'
Cc: INFORMATION.ACCESS.OVERFLOW
Subject: LEX 47365 - Access to documents [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear Ms Pane,
We note that on 11 January 2021 we incorrectly acknowledged your request
as an FOI request. We apologise for this administrative error.
As your request is simply for documents already listed on the department’s
disclosure log we do not consider that the department has to proceed to a
decision on access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Accordingly we will send you a link to access the documents listed on the
2021 disclosure log table via Sigbox due to the size of the document
bundle.
If you have any questions, please contact me using the following details:
Post: Information Law Section, Legal Services & Audit Branch
GPO Box 9998 CANBERRA ACT 2601
Email: [2][email address]
Kind Regards,
Jarrod (Position Number 62329536)
Information Access Officer
Information Law Section
Legal Services and Audit Branch
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
e [3][email address]
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS.OVERFLOW,
Disclosure log requests are not FOI requests, and the 30 day basic processing period for FOIs is not the timeframe for completing disclosure log requests (14 days would be the maximum, because no consideration or redaction or internal consulting or inter-agency searching is involved in processing disclosures log requests).
Even if 30 days was true, that period of time has already passed.
Is there a reason why the Department drags it feet on giving reasonable access to disclosure log documents, and why it does not link these documents to the disclosure log like other agencies.
Yours sincerely,
Verity Pane
Dear Ms Pane,
Shortly we will be providing you with the response to your request
LEX47365
As the documents we are releasing to you are too large to send via email,
we will be releasing them to you using SIGBOX.
Please follow the instructions provided in the email to access your
information.
Any documents produced by the Department in response to this request will
be available through SIGBOX for a period of 7 days before being removed.
It is important that you download the information from SIGBOX onto your
own electronic device within 7 days of receipt.
You will shortly receive an email from Information Law via ‘Macquarie
Government’ advising you that Information Law has shared a document with
you. The email will read a little like this:
[1]Hey there, Just letting you know that Information Law shared
“LEX47365-Pane-Documents for release” with you. Activate your guest
account at Macquarie Government by setting a password. Then view it! You
can login using the email address
“[FOI #8249 email]”. Cheers! -- Macquarie
Government – Intellicentres are intelligent
https://macquariegovernment.com/
If you have any problems accessing the documents please let me know.
Kind regards,
Jarrod (Position Number 62329536)
Information Access Officer
Information Law Section
Legal Services and Audit Branch
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
e [2][email address]
References
Visible links
1. https://macquariegovernment.com/
2. mailto:[email address]
[1]Macquarie Government
Hey there,
just letting you know that Information Law shared LEX47365 - Pane -
Documents for release with you.
Activate your guest account at Macquarie Government by [2]setting a
password.
Then [3]view it!
You can login using the email address
"[FOI #8249 email]" .
Cheers!
--
Macquarie Government - Intellicentres are intelligent
[4]https://macquariegovernment.com/
References
Visible links
2. https://dva.sig-box.com/index.php/apps/g... #8249 email]/2fGHv7xcaQGAPXwfxQ9Pd
3. https://dva.sig-box.com/index.php/f/305008
4. https://macquariegovernment.com/
[1]Macquarie Government
Hello [FOI #8249 email],
You are receiving this email because the following things happened at
[2]Macquarie Government
* Information Law shared [3]LEX47365 - Pane - Documents for release
with you - Today at 5:57:48 AM
--
Macquarie Government - Intellicentres are intelligent
[4]https://macquariegovernment.com/
References
Visible links
2. file:///tmp/dva.sig-box.com/
3. file:///tmp/dva.sig-box.com/index.php/f/305008
4. https://macquariegovernment.com/
Dear INFORMATION.LAW,
I requested access to documents via an accessible website, not a link to documents only one person can access (which defeats the purpose of making these documents available to anyone interested).
How many files are we talking about?
Yours sincerely,
Verity Pane
Verity Pane left an annotation ()
I've had FOIs that have received large files before, including from DVA, that did not require use of a private third party website that encrypts the files for access by only one person.
It's intentional barrier to access, given other agencies just split the files up, or even more wisely, don't deliberately use the most inefficient PDF settings to intentionally blow up file sizes to make it deliberately awkward to access and handle.
[1]Macquarie Government
Hello,
You have 29 days to change your password
See [2]dva.sig-box.com/index.php/settings/personal?sectionid=general on
Macquarie Government for more information
--
Macquarie Government - Intellicentres are intelligent
[3]https://macquariegovernment.com/
References
Visible links
2. file:///tmp/dva.sig-box.com/index.php/settings/personal?sectionid=general
3. https://macquariegovernment.com/
Attn INFORMATION.LAW,
Pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Veterans' Affairs's handling of my FOI request LEX47365 'Copy of all 2021 Disclosure Log Documents', because access has not been given in the manner applied for.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/c...
My query of a month ago as to why the Department knowingly ignored this and seeking further detail was wilfully ignored by your section, as has other similar queries by me in other FOIs. This type of unconscionable conduct by your section and the Department is disgraceful and highly inappropriate.
Verity Pane
Dear Verity Pane,
Thank you for sending in the request that has now been registered under
reference LEX 49105.
Please accept this as the formal acknowledgement and copies of relevant
documents will be sent to you in due course.
Contacting you about your request
You have advised your electronic address is
[1][FOI #8249 email] . Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
If you have any questions, please contact us using the following details:
Post: Information Access Unit,
Client Access and Rehabilitation Branch
GPO Box 9998 BRISBANE QLD 4001
Email: [2][DVA request email]
Yours sincerely,
Aaron (position number 62214261)
Registration Officer
Information Access Unit
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
t 1800 838 372 | e [3][email address] |
[4]www.dva.gov.au
p GPO Box 9998, Canberra ACT 2601
[5]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #8249 email]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/
[1]Macquarie Government
Hey there,
just letting you know that you now have an Macquarie Government account.
Your username: [FOI #8249 email]
Please set the password by accessing it: [2]Here
Cheers!
--
Macquarie Government - Intellicentres are intelligent
[3]https://macquariegovernment.com/
References
Visible links
2. https://dva.sig-box.com/index.php/settin... #8249 email]
3. https://macquariegovernment.com/
Dear Ms Pane,
Re: LEX 49105
I refer to your request for an internal review of LEX 47365.
Your request is in the following terms:
‘…I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Veterans'
Affairs's handling of my FOI request LEX47365 'Copy of all 2021 Disclosure
Log Documents', because access has not been given in the manner applied
for…’
As the initial request, LEX 47365, was a request for documents already
published on the Department’s disclosure log and was not a request access
to documents under section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982
(Cth). Accordingly internal review under section 54 of the FOI Act is not
available in respect of this decision.
Pursuant to section 11C(3)(c), the Department publishes information as to
how disclosure log documents can be obtained. I understand that you were
provided with a copy of all the requested documents on 11 February 2022.
Due to the number and size of documents requested, this material was
shared with you on SIGBox as it is not feasible for this amount of
material to be shared with you via multiple emails.
Please let me know if you require a further copy of this material as
published on the disclosure log and we can resend the SIGBox link.
Alternatively if you are interested in a particular disclosure log
document and do not agree with the redactions applied in that FOI
decision, you may wish to make a new FOI request for that document.
Regards,
Suzanne
Position Number: 62210948
Information Access Officer
Information Access Unit
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
e [1][email address]
t 1800 838 372
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
JS left an annotation ()
Withholding documents (that should be available on the DVA Disclosure Log) until the public enter into a legal agreement with Macquarie Telecom Pty Limited is not consistent with the FOI Act. By browsing or using the Macquarie website you have accepted the agreement.
Further the public must agree to indemnify Macquarie Telecom against any loss, damage, claim, proceeding and cost (including all legal costs on an indemnity basis), including as a result of a third party claim against us, arising out of any information, data, images, graphics or material produced, stored, transmitted, accessed, downloaded or used by you or any other person using this website.