Documents related to revenue received by CSIRO from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation's Reef Trust Partnership – Water Quality Improvement Project in the period 1st July 2019 to 30th June 2020
Richard Smith made this Freedom of Information request to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Dear Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation,
I refer to the grant by the Commonwealth of monies of approximately $443 million to the privately run Great Barrier Reef Foundation (the Foundation) in April 2018.
The Foundation lists the CSIRO as a "Project Delivery Partner" and funding beneficiary under the Reef Trust Partnership – Water Quality Improvement Project in it's 2020 Annual Report.
The Foundation's 2020 Annual Report stated that an amount of $10,520,374 had been spent on Project Delivery Partners through the Water Quality Improvement Project.
There is great public interest in protecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef and in ensuring the $443 million of public money gifted to the Foundation is spent on directly benefiting the health of the Great Barrier Reef and it's ecosystem.
I therefore request the following Government Information documents:
a) Documents relating to the engagement of CSIRO for the provision of any work, research or consultancy services by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
b) Documents relating to any work, services or advice provided by the CSIRO to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020 regarding initiatives to improve water quality in and around the Great Barrier Reef; and
c) Documents relating to any invoices issued by the CSIRO to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
d) Documents relating to the receipt of monies transferred from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to CSIRO in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020.
If this can be answered as informal request, please do so.
Otherwise, please proceed with this as a formal request under the Freedom of Information principles & framework, i.e. the Freedom of Information Act 1982 & other associated guidelines and regulations.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Smith
Dear Mr Smith,
Please refer to the attached correspondence acknowledging receipt of your freedom of information request.
Kind regards
Karen Robinson
FOI Administrative Officer
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[email address] | +61 2 6276 6431
Black Mountain Science and Innovation Park
Clunies Ross Street Black Mountain ACT 2601
Postal Address: GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
www.csiro.au
My working hours are 9.30am to 3:00pm Monday to Thursday
PLEASE NOTE
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged. Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of errors, virus, interception or interference.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Smith <[FOI #7059 email]>
Sent: Friday, 5 February 2021 4:57 PM
To: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Documents related to revenue received by CSIRO from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation's Reef Trust Partnership - Water Quality Improvement Project in the period 1st July 2019 to 30th June 2020
Dear Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation,
I refer to the grant by the Commonwealth of monies of approximately $443 million to the privately run Great Barrier Reef Foundation (the Foundation) in April 2018.
The Foundation lists the CSIRO as a "Project Delivery Partner" and funding beneficiary under the Reef Trust Partnership - Water Quality Improvement Project in it's 2020 Annual Report.
The Foundation's 2020 Annual Report stated that an amount of $10,520,374 had been spent on Project Delivery Partners through the Water Quality Improvement Project.
There is great public interest in protecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef and in ensuring the $443 million of public money gifted to the Foundation is spent on directly benefiting the health of the Great Barrier Reef and it's ecosystem.
I therefore request the following Government Information documents:
a) Documents relating to the engagement of CSIRO for the provision of any work, research or consultancy services by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
b) Documents relating to any work, services or advice provided by the CSIRO to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020 regarding initiatives to improve water quality in and around the Great Barrier Reef; and
c) Documents relating to any invoices issued by the CSIRO to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
d) Documents relating to the receipt of monies transferred from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to CSIRO in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020.
If this can be answered as informal request, please do so.
Otherwise, please proceed with this as a formal request under the Freedom of Information principles & framework, i.e. the Freedom of Information Act 1982 & other associated guidelines and regulations.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Smith
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Our ref: FOI 2021/8
Dear Mr Smith,
Please refer to the attached correspondence.
Please do contact me, should you wish to discuss.
Kind regards,
Beth Cribb
Senior Legal Counsel
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[1][email address] | 03 9545 8329 | 0467 818 263
PLEASE NOTE
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged.
Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received
this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by
return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not
represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this
communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of
errors, virus, interception or interference.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
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Our ref: FOI 2021/8
Dear Mr Smith
I refer to the s 24AB(2) notice sent on 1 March 2021.
As you did not respond to this notice within the 14 day time period your
request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) is now considered
withdrawn pursuant to s 27AB(7).
Kind regards,
Beth Cribb
Senior Legal Counsel
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[1][email address]
PLEASE NOTE
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged.
Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received
this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by
return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not
represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this
communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of
errors, virus, interception or interference.
Please consider the environment before printing this emailprinting this
email.
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1. mailto:[email address]
Dear Ms Cribb,
CSIRO ref: FOI 2021/8
Thank you for your letter of 1st March. I have considered the points raised in your email regarding the number of documents which have been identified as falling within the scope of my request.
I have therefore decided to amend the scope of my request for government information to the following:
a) Documents relating to any invoices issued by the CSIRO to the Great Barrier Reef
Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
b) Documents relating to the receipt of monies transferred from the Great Barrier Reef
Foundation to CSIRO in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020.
To assist the CSIRO in the processing of my request, I would regard a list summarising the following items for each invoice as satisfying my request for item a), namely:
i) invoice date
ii) invoice number
iii) invoice amount and
iv) a brief summary of services and or materials provided by CSIRO.
If this can be answered as informal request, please do so.
Otherwise, please proceed with this as a formal request under the Freedom of Information principles & framework, i.e. the Freedom of Information Act 1982 & other associated guidelines and regulations.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Smith
Dear Mr Smith
Please refer to the attached correspondence acknowledging receipt of your freedom of information request.
Kind regards
Karen
Karen Robinson
FOI Administrative Officer
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[email address] | +61 2 6276 6431
Black Mountain Science and Innovation Park
Clunies Ross Street Black Mountain ACT 2601
Postal Address: GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
www.csiro.au
My working hours are 9.30am to 3:00pm Monday to Thursday
PLEASE NOTE
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged. Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of errors, virus, interception or interference.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
Our ref: FOI2021/50
Dear Mr Smith
I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
(“FOI Act”) on 24 November 2021 identified as FOI 2021/50 .
As your request covers documents which contain information concerning the
business, commercial or financial affairs of an organisation, or a
person’s business or professional affairs CSIRO is required to consult
with the person or organisation concerned (under section 27 of the FOI
Act).
For this reason the period for processing your request has been extended
by 30 days in order to allow our agency time to consult with that person
or organisation (section 15(6) of the FOI Act). The processing period for
your request will now end on Monday, 24 January 2022, noting the 30 day
consultation period falls on Sunday, 23 January 2022.
The consultation mechanism under section 27 applies when we believe the
person or organisation concerned may wish to contend that the requested
documents are exempt because their release would disclose trade secrets or
commercially valuable information or may adversely affect their business
or financial affairs.
More information about exemptions under the FOI Act are available from the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website including:
[1]https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
Kind regards,
Kate Maloney (she/her)
Privacy Officer and Senior Legal Counsel
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[2][email address] | +61 2 6276 6158 | 0424 587 325
CSIRO Black Mountain
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged.
Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received
this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by
return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not
represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this
communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of
errors, virus, interception or interference.
References
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1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. mailto:[email address]
Dear Mr Smith
I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
(“FOI Act”) on 24 November 2021 identified as FOI 2021/50, whereby you
seek:
a) Documents relating to any invoices issued by the CSIRO to the Great
Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
b) Documents relating to the receipt of monies transferred from the Great
Barrier Reef Foundation to CSIRO in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June
2020.
In relation to part b of the above request, please note we have identified
approximately 165 emails, 10 invoices and 12 contracts that fall within
the scope of your request.
Can you please confirm:
o whether you are seeking access to all of the emails, invoices and
contracts as stated above; or
o whether you are seeking access only to the emails and/or invoices
and/or contracts that have been identified.
In light of the statutory timeframes, we look forward to your response by
10 January 2022.
Kind regards
Kate Maloney (she/her)
Privacy Officer and Senior Legal Counsel
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[1][email address] | +61 2 6276 6158 | 0424 587 325
CSIRO Black Mountain
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged.
Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received
this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by
return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not
represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this
communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of
errors, virus, interception or interference.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
Dear Mr Smith
I refer to our email of 23 December 2021 in relation to your request under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (“FOI Act”) on 24 November 2021
identified as FOI2021/50, whereby you seek:
a) Documents relating to any invoices issued by the CSIRO to the Great
Barrier Reef Foundation in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June 2020; and
b) Documents relating to the receipt of monies transferred from the Great
Barrier Reef Foundation to CSIRO in the period 1 July 2019 to 30th June
2020.
In our email of 23 December 2021, we sought confirmation from you as to
whether you are seeking access to all emails, invoices and contracts as
covered by part b of the above request.
In light of statutory timeframes, we asked for a response from you by 10
January 2022.
As you have not provided a response by 10 January 2022, we are proceeding
on the basis that you are seeking access only to invoices and contracts
that fall within the scope of part b of your request.
I confirm that you will receive a decision in relation to your request by
Monday, 24 January 2022.
Kind regards
Kate Maloney (she/her)
Privacy Officer and Senior Legal Counsel
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[1][email address] | +61 2 6276 6158 | 0424 587 325
CSIRO Black Mountain
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged.
Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received
this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by
return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not
represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this
communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of
errors, virus, interception or interference.
References
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1. mailto:[email address]
Dear Mr Smith
On behalf of Kate Maloney, please find attached Decision and Documents in
relation to your request.
Kind regards
Karen
Karen Robinson
FOI Administrative Officer
Enterprise Legal | CSIRO
[1][email address] | +61 2 6276 6431
Black Mountain Science and Innovation Park
Clunies Ross Street Black Mountain ACT 2601
Postal Address: GPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
[2]www.csiro.au
My working hours are 9.30am to 3:00pm Monday to Thursday
PLEASE NOTE
The information contained in this email may be confidential or privileged.
Any unauthorised use or disclosure is prohibited. If you have received
this email in error, please delete it immediately and notify the sender by
return email. Thank you. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO does not
represent, warrant and/or guarantee that the integrity of this
communication has been maintained or that the communication is free of
errors, virus, interception or interference.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.csiro.au/