Correspondence including attachments to and from Amanda Kyd - Amanda.Kyd@dfat.gov.au
Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
I seek access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to documents held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In particular, I request access to all documents, including emails, and its attachments, and its forwarding details sent to or from the email address Amanda.Kyd dfat.gov.au (add @ before dfat) ([email address]) during the period from 1 January 2025 to 1 March 2025 inclusive.
Yours faithfully,
T
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal privacy
FOI Request: LEX 13246
Dear Thu Phuong
Thank you for your email dated 13 January 2026 seeking access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
This email sets out some information about how your request will be processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).
Scope of request:
all documents, including emails, and its attachments, and its forwarding details sent to or from the email address Amanda.Kyd dfat.gov.au (add @ before dfat) ([email address]) during the period from 1 January 2025 to 1 March 2025 inclusive
If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or too large for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the request.
Timeframe for receiving our decision:
We received your request on 13 January 2026, and the 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after the date. A decision is currently due to you by 12 February 2026. The period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances.
Request for your assistance:
To assist the department's decision maker to be satisfied that you have the authority to access personal information regarding Amanda Kyd's documents, emails and their attachments, we would be grateful if you would provide:
* a copy of a letter of authority signed by Amanda Kyd authorising you to access their personal information; or
* other evidence that establishes that you have authority to access personal information of Amanda Kyd.
If we have not receive evidence establishing your authority to access Amanda Kyd's personal information by 17:00, 22 January 2026, the department's decision maker will proceed on the basis that you are seeking someone else's personal information.
Charges:
Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI requests. If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your request.
Disclosure log:
Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information), documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the department’s disclosure log.
Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:
It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including reference numbers.
Duplicate documents and incomplete email chains:
Your request will be processed on the basis that you did not intend to capture duplicate documents or duplicate emails within email chains.
If you require the excluded information or documents, please let us know at [DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we will take it that you agree to the information and documents being excluded from the scope of your request.
Personal Information:
If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request, even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department handles personal information is accessible via our privacy policy.
https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora...
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us by reply email.
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_____________________________________________________
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal privacy
FOI Request: LEX 13246
Dear Thu Phuong
Please find attached a letter notifying you of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade’s intention to refuse your request, together with your
options.
Kind regards
Jonathan Messieh
_____________________________________________________
A/g Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram | [5]LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.
FOI Request: LEX 13246
File Reference: 26/4366
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your consultation notice on 31 January 2026.
On 13 January 2026 I requested access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to all documents, including emails, and its attachments, and its forwarding details sent to or from the email address Amanda.Kyd dfat.gov.au (add @ before dfat) ([email address]) during the period from 1 January 2025 to 1 March 2025 inclusive.
I now wish to revise this request so that it is limited to the period 1 January 2025 to 15 January 2025 (inclusive) only. It is made in response to the practical refusal consultation and is intended to substantially reduce the processing burden previously identified by the Department.
Yours sincerely,
Thu Phuong
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal privacy
FOI Request: LEX 13246
Dear Thu Phuong
Thank you for your email.
We have received your revised scope.
We are writing to you to seek your agreement to providing the department with an extension of 15 calendar days to process your FOI request in accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act. This would mean that a decision would then be due to you by 2 March 2026.
Background
The department has experienced delays in processing your request. The additional time will enable the department to finalise its processes and provide you with an outcome.
Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is available.
Timeframe
We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request by COB 12 February 2026.
If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.
Should you have any questions, please contact us by reply email.
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_____________________________________________________
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your email for LEX 13246.
I do not consent to the proposed extension under section 15AA of the FOI Act. I request that the FOI request continue to be processed and finalized within the original statutory timeframe.
Yours sincerely,
Thu Phuong
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal privacy
FOI Request: LEX 13246
Dear Thu Phuong
Thank you for your email.
The aim is to deliver the matter within the original statutory timeframe. However, the documents retrieved presented complexities that requires interagency consultation. I can confirm to you that this matter will not be delivered in its original timeframe. To avoid being deemed and you losing your review rights, I will apply for extension through the OAIC by the end of the week.
Kind regards
DFAT FOI Team
_____________________________________________________
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
dfat.gov.au | X | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
OFFICIAL: Sensitive
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 26/02/00615
File Number: FA26/02/00615
Dear Thu Phuong
Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request
This letter acknowledges that on 13 January 2026 the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade received your request to access documents held by that agency under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). This letter also provides important information about your request.
Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:
I seek access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to documents held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In particular, I request access to all documents, including emails, and its attachments, and its forwarding details sent to or from the email address Amanda.Kyd dfat.gov.au (add @ before dfat) ([email address]) during the period from 1 January 2025 to 1 March 2025 inclusive.
The subject matter of the documents requested by you is more closely connected with the functions of the Department of Home Affairs (the Department ) than the functions of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As such, on 9 February 2026 your request was transferred to the Department under section 16 of the FOI Act. Your request has been allocated FOI request number FA 26/02/00615 . Please include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.
Timeframe
The timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the day we receive your request, as set out in the FOI Act.
Your review rights in relation to your request are available on Freedom of information reviews | OAIC.
Fees and Charges
Charges do not apply to requests from individuals seeking access to documents about themselves. However, a charge may apply to all other requests for access to documents.
Charges are based on the amount of time the Department spends on your request. Charges can range from $10 to over $1,000 depending on the complexity and scope of your request. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reported that across the public service, the average charge notified was $335.50 in 2020-21.
If a charge applies, you will be issued with a Notice of Charge that explains the charge and your options.
Detailed information about FOI charges that may apply to your FOI request is available on the Department’s website.
We do not provide personal details of staff or non-public facing operational email addresses
The Department’s practice is to exclude the personal details of Government employees, including contractors, not in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as well as the direct contact details of SES staff, contained in documents that fall within scope of an FOI request. If you require personal details of non-SES officers, or direct contact details of SES staff, please inform us so the decision maker may consider your request. Otherwise we will take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your request as irrelevant under section 22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act. However names of staff that have previously been released in departmental correspondence may be disclosed.
We do not provide duplicated documents
If the FOI decision-maker deems a document to be a duplicate, they will not assess those pages as part of your FOI request. This means that if a there is a decision to release the document to you, you will receive only one copy, even if multiple copies of that document exist.
Publication of document
Released documents you request may be published to our website.
Where documents are released to you in response to your request, the Department may be required to publish these documents on its website within 10 working days in accordance with section 11C of the FOI Act. Publication will not be required where the documents contain personal or business affairs information.
How to reduce or withdraw your request
Reducing the scope of your request can reduce the time and charges associated with processing your FOI request.
To reduce or withdraw your request, contact the FOI section at [email address] and include your FOI request number.
Contacting the FOI Section
Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at [email address].
Kind regards,
Varsha
Authorised FOI Officer, Freedom of Information
Position Number 60204567
Privacy, FOI and Records Management Branch
Legal Group
Department of Home Affairs
E: [email address]
OFFICIAL: Sensitive