Documents and Communications re Metgasco

Culley Palmer made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Securities and Investments Commission

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

Dear Australian Securities and Investments Commission,

I hereby request access, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982,
to:

1. Copies of any communications between ASIC and any other Government Departments, Agencies or individuals mentioning or concerning Metgasco's activities in PEL16 (Metgasco is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange as MEL);

2. Copies of all briefings, communications, forms, reports or notes mentioning Metgasco's activities in PEL16.

For reference, this is a link to a map of Metgasco's Petroleum Exploration Licences, and a quote to provide context;
"Metgasco is focussed on exploring the Clarence Moreton basin in northern New South Wales. Metgasco has a 100% interest in all of its tenements which include PEL 16, PEL 13 and PEL 426. These tenements cover an area of approximately 4,556 km2."

http://www.metgasco.com.au/information/p...

I request that all costs for all aspects of the processing of this
request be waived on the grounds that the release of this
information is in the public interest.

Regards,

Culley Palmer

Greg Hackett, Australian Securities and Investments Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Palmer
Attached is ASIC's acknowledgement of your FOI request received on 11
January 2015.

Cheers
Greg Hackett | Senior Lawyer – Escalated Matters & Government, Assessment
& Intelligence | ASIC | ' +61 3 9280 3530 | È +61 402 972 182 | 7 +61 3
9280 3413 | * [email address]

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Culley Palmer left an annotation ()

ASIC have asked to limit the scope of the request to documents produced after 14 May 2014, which is the date when the NSW OCSG suspended Metgasco's drilling approval for the Rosella (Bentley) site in PEL16.

I am seeking advice on targeting the usefulness of this request.

Dear Greg Hackett,

I note that the normal timeframe for processing my FOI request expires today. Would you please provide an update on the status of the request.

Regards,

Culley Palmer

Greg Hackett, Australian Securities and Investments Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Palmer
Thanks for your email. Attached is my decision in response to your FOI
request.

Cheers
Greg Hackett | Senior Lawyer – Escalated Matters & Government, Assessment
& Intelligence | ASIC | ' +61 3 9280 3530 | È +61 402 972 182 | 7 +61 3
9280 3413 | * [email address]

From:        Culley Palmer <[FOI #864 email]>
To:        Greg Hackett <[email address]>,
Date:        11/02/2015 08:55 AM
Subject:        Re: Acknowledgement of your FOI request [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

show quoted sections

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Culley Palmer left an annotation ()

Do I have grounds to seek a review of the refusal?

Dear Australian Securities and Investments Commission,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Australian Securities and Investments Commission's handling of my FOI request 'Documents and Communications re Metgasco'.

I am dissatisfied with the public interest test as it has been applied to my FOI request.

I think the possibility that release of information would adversely affect the market performance of a company does not outweigh the public interest in the public having knowledge of a company's conduct.

The public cannot make informed decisions about investment without accurate information about companies. The withholding of this information actually artificially protects the market performance of companies.

Further, I doubt that ASIC's intelligence gathering 'sources and methods' are explicitly exempt from FOI releases. If this is so, could you provide a reference to legislation or precedent which explicitly states
this.

Additionally, the assertion that the information should not be released because it would provide an incomplete picture is illogical. At present, the public have only an incomplete picture. Any information released will add to, not detract from, this picture. Perhaps ASIC could provide an addendum which gives context to any documents released?

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/d...

Regards,

Culley Palmer

Leigh Coughlan, Australian Securities and Investments Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Culley

Attached is our acknowledgement of your FOI internal review request
received on 15 February 2015.

Yours sincerely
Leigh Coughlan | Senior Manager NSW- ACT | Misconduct & Breach Reporting |
ASIC

t: 61 2 9911 2910 | f: 61 2 9911 2414  | e: [email address]

 

 

Please consider the environment before printing this document

 

Information collected by ASIC may contain personal information. Please
refer to our Privacy policy http://www.asic.gov.au/privacy for information
about how we handle your personal information, your rights to seek access
to and correct personal information, and how to complain about breaches of
your privacy by ASIC.

 

 NOTICE

This e-mail and any attachments are intended for the addressee(s) only and
may be confidential. They may contain legally privileged or copyright
material. You should not read, copy, use or disclose them without
authorisation. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the
sender as soon as possible by return e-mail and then please delete both
messages. This notice should not be removed.

 

Leigh Coughlan, Australian Securities and Investments Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Palmer

Attached is our Decision Letter in relation to your FOI internal review
request received on 15 February 2015.

Yours sincerely
Leigh Coughlan | Senior Manager NSW- ACT | Misconduct & Breach Reporting |
ASIC

t: 61 2 9911 2910 | f: 61 2 9911 2414  | e: [email address]

 

 

Please consider the environment before printing this document

 

Information collected by ASIC may contain personal information. Please
refer to our Privacy policy http://www.asic.gov.au/privacy for information
about how we handle your personal information, your rights to seek access
to and correct personal information, and how to complain about breaches of
your privacy by ASIC.

 

 NOTICE

This e-mail and any attachments are intended for the addressee(s) only and
may be confidential. They may contain legally privileged or copyright
material. You should not read, copy, use or disclose them without
authorisation. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the
sender as soon as possible by return e-mail and then please delete both
messages. This notice should not be removed.