Disclosure Log - reason(s) why documents (pdfs) not being uploaded to disclosure log

JS made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Agriculture and Water Resources

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources did not have the information requested.

Dear Department of Agriculture and Water Resources,

The Department of Agriculture is required to publish an FOI Disclosure log. The Department asserts on its Disclosure Log webpage that :

(a) Where possible, the information will be available in Portable Document Format (PDF) and
(b) Information that is not available for download may be obtained by writing to the department.

A note on the Webpage states that it was last reviewed on 13 December 2019.

Prior to 22 February 2017 the Department found it possible to upload to its Disclosure Log copies of documents (pdfs) released to FOI applicants. Since February 2017 the Disclosure Log suggests that the Department has not found it possible to upload copies of documents (pdfs) released to FOI applicants .

To overcome its inability to upload pdfs the Department makes the released documents available on request. The Disclosure Log reads: The documents are available on request by contacting the FOI Officer.

Under FOI I seek access to documents that contain details of the reason(s) why the Department has not found it possible to upload documents (pdfs) to its Disclosure Log since 21 February 2017.

Yours faithfully,

JS

Foi, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources

Dear JS

 

Acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information Request

 

I refer to your request, for access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). I have taken your request to be for:

 

‘The Department of Agriculture is required to publish an FOI Disclosure
log. The Department asserts on its Disclosure Log webpage that :

 

(a) Where possible, the information will be available in Portable Document
Format (PDF) and

 

(b) Information that is not available for download may be obtained by
writing to the department.

 

A note on the Webpage states that it was last reviewed on 13 December
2019.

 

Prior to 22 February 2017 the Department found it possible to upload to
its Disclosure Log copies of documents (pdfs) released to FOI applicants. 
Since February 2017 the Disclosure Log suggests that  the Department has
not found it possible to upload copies of documents (pdfs) released to FOI
applicants .

 

To overcome its inability to upload pdfs the Department makes the released
documents available on request.  The Disclosure Log reads:  The documents
are available on request by contacting the FOI Officer.

 

Under FOI I seek access to documents that contain details of the reason(s)
why the Department has not found it possible to upload documents (pdfs) to
its Disclosure Log since 21 February 2017.’

 

Your request was received by the Department of Agriculture (department) on
20 December 2019 and the 30 day statutory period for processing your
request commenced from the day after that date. 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.

 

The department will advise you if a charge is payable to process your
request and the amount of any such charge as soon as practicable. No
charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.

 

Your address

 

The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address which we can send
notices to. You have advised your electronic address is
[1][FOI #6031 email]. We will send all notices
and correspondence to this address.

 

Please advise us as soon as possible if you wish correspondence to be sent
to another address or if your address changes. If you do not advise us of
changes to your address, correspondence and notices will continue to be
sent to the address specified above.

 

Disclosure log

 

Please note that information released under FOI Act may be published in a
disclosure log on the department's website. Section 11C of the FOI Act
requires this publication, however it is subject to certain exceptions,
including where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.

 

Exclusion of junior department employee details

 

The department is working towards ensuring that all employees have a
choice about whether they provide their full name and direct contact
details in response to public enquiries. Where such details are included
in the scope of a request, this may add to processing time and applicable
charges as it may be necessary to consider whether the details are exempt
under the FOI Act. On this basis, unless you tell us otherwise, we will
assume that these details are out of scope of your request and they will
be redacted under section 22 of the FOI Act.

 

Further assistance

 

If you have any questions please email [2][Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email].

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Freedom of Information Team

Email [3][Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]

Department of Agriculture [4]www.agriculture.gov.au

18 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia GPO Box 858

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #6031 email]
2. mailto:[Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]
3. mailto:[Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]
4. http://www.agriculture.gov.au/

Foi, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources

1 Attachment

Dear JS,

 

Please find attached the decision in relation to your freedom of
information request.

 

Regards,

 

Freedom of Information Team

Email [1][Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]

Department of Agriculture [2]www.agriculture.gov.au

18 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia GPO Box 858

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

 

 

 

------ IMPORTANT - This email and any attachments have been issued by the
Australian Government Department of Agriculture. The material transmitted
is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain
confidential, legally privileged, copyright or personal information. You
should not copy, use or disclose it without authorisation from the
Department. It is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses
and defects before opening or forwarding them. If you are not an intended
recipient, please contact the sender of this email at once by return email
and then delete both messages. Unintended recipients must not copy, use,
disclose, rely on or publish this email or attachments. The Department of
Agriculture is not liable for any loss or damage resulting from
unauthorised use or dissemination of, or any reliance on, this email or
attachments. If you have received this e-mail as part of a valid mailing
list and no longer want to receive a message such as this one, advise the
sender by return e-mail accordingly. This notice should not be deleted or
altered ------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]
2. http://www.agriculture.gov.au/

Dear Foi,

Thank you for your decision. Your decision indicates that prior to 1 Feb 2020 the Department should not have published the following on its website: "If it is the case that documents in the disclosure log are not available in a format accessible to you, please contact the FOI Officer. We will try to meet all reasonable requests for an alternate format of the document in a timely manner and at the lowest reasonable cost to you."

The Department established on 1 Feb 2020 has published the following information about its disclosure log:

Disclosure log
We publish a disclosure log of documents we have released in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. This is required by the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Documents are published on the disclosure log within 10 days after it is released to the FOI applicant.

It seems the Department will upload to its disclosure log copies of documents released to FOI applicants. A welcome development.

Yours sincerely,

JS