Documents relating to the development of the Arts and Culture Strategy 2025-2030

The request was partially successful.

Dear City of Belmont,

I am requesting access under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA) to all documents relating to the development of the City of Belmont's Arts and Culture Strategy from January 2022 to the present.

This includes, but is not limited to:
- Draft and final versions of the Arts and Culture Strategy, including any consultant-prepared reports.

- Communication, engagement, or consultation plans associated with the strategy.

- Raw or processed data collected through Culture Counts or any other evaluation tools used at City-run events or during the strategy development.

- Internal meeting agendas, minutes, notes or working documents where the strategy was discussed.

- Correspondence (emails, letters, memos) between staff, consultants, and elected members relating to the development of the strategy.

- Presentation slides or supporting materials prepared for Information Forums, Councillor Briefings, workshops, or public engagement sessions.

- Community feedback summaries, consultation reports, survey results, or written submissions received as part of the strategy’s development.

- Project briefs, scoping documents, consultant proposals, or procurement documents relating to the strategy.

- The audio recording of the Agenda Briefing Forum at which the Arts and Culture Strategy was discussed.

I request both digital and hard copy documents, where available. I do not require any documents to be transcribed or printed. I am happy to receive all materials, including the Agenda Briefing Forum audio, in digital format. If any parts of documents are considered exempt, I request that the remainder be released under section 24 of the Act.

If possible, I would appreciate a schedule or index of the identified documents to assist in understanding the scope of materials located and any exemptions applied.
I am happy to consult further to refine the scope of this request if needed.

If any of the requested documents are readily available, I would appreciate access to those being provided as soon as practicable, even if the remainder require additional processing time.

Yours faithfully,

Matt Russell

Belmont, City of Belmont

2 Attachments

Thank you for your email.

Your information has been received and an Officer from the appropriate
department will endeavour to contact you within 10 working days.

If the matter is urgent, please call the City of Belmont on (08) 9477
7222.

 

[1]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [2][City of Belmont request email]
Web:      [3]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

 

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of
this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

References

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2. mailto:[City of Belmont request email]
3. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

Martin Panikulam, City of Belmont

1 Attachment

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Russell

Thank you for your email dated 21/05/2025 requesting documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 to access documents relating to the City of Belmont (the City) Arts and Culture Strategy 2025-2030.

As discussed on 26/05/2025, please provide your Australian address to validate the FOI application. Please provide your contact number also to facilitate further discussion if needed.

Please find attached the payment receipt of the FOI application fee of $30. Processing the application may attract further fees and charges.

A preliminary search of the Recordkeeping System has indicated that the scope of your application is considered to be quite large and would therefore be exceedingly time-consuming to deal with. To progress with the current scope, a substantial and unreasonable portion of the City's resources would need to be diverted away from other operations (FOI Act Section 20 (1)).

Hence, please reconsider your information requirements, and narrow the scope of the request to both suit your requirement and help the City to identify only the required documents.

Examples of how to reduce the scope are:
1. Specify a shorter date range (currently the date range is from January 2022 to the present)
2. Exclude any type of documents that you might not necessarily need.

Once we decide on a redefined and manageable scope, and a possible extension of timeframe to complete this FOI application (the legislated timeframe is 45 days following the date of a valid application), the City will send you a formal acknowledgement email and we can proceed with your FOI application.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Kind regards
Martin

Martin Panikulam
Archivist
Available Monday to Friday

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985
Email: [email address]
Phone: (08) 9477 7162
Web: http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

show quoted sections

Dear Martin Panikulam,

Thank you for your correspondence dated 27 May 2025 and for confirming receipt of the FOI application fee.

In response to your request, I confirm that I nominate this email address as my address in Australia for the purposes of receiving notices under section 12(1)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA).

This is consistent with common practice across WA local governments and guidance from the Office of the Information Commissioner, which accepts email addresses as a valid means of serving notices under the Act.

Should a contact number be necessary for clarification, I can be reached on number the City has on file for me. However, I request that all formal notices and correspondence be made via email for clarity and recordkeeping.

Regarding the scope of the request, I appreciate the City’s preliminary assessment and am open to refining it to ensure a manageable process while still accessing the core materials relevant to the strategy's development. I am happy to discuss narrowing the scope and would be grateful if the City could assist by:

- Indicating which document categories are most resource-intensive, and
- Providing a preliminary index or summary of document types located so far (if available), in line with the City’s obligations under section 20(2).

In the meantime, I am reviewing the scope with a view to refining the timeframe and excluding any lower-priority materials. I will wait to hear back before following up with a proposed revision.

Thank you again for your assistance, and I look forward to progressing this request cooperatively.

Yours sincerely,

Matt Russell

Martin Panikulam, City of Belmont

1 Attachment

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Russell

 

Thank you for your email dated 27 May 2025.

 

Please be advised that providing an email address as the address for your
application does not satisfy section 12(1)(c) of the Freedom of
Information Act 1992 WA. 

 

Please provide the following to validate your FOI Application to enable
the City to start formally processing your application:

 

 1. An Australian address.
 2. A reduced scope of the request by specifying only the documents that
you require (including by reference to a shorter timeframe) to satisfy
your information requirement as the current scope is too large to deal
with and would divert a substantial or unreasonable portion of the
City’s resources away from our other operations.

 

The City is unable to provide you a list or index of documents relating to
the subject as preparing such a list itself would take unreasonable amount
of time and it would divert unreasonable portion of the City’s resources
away from other operations.

 

Kind regards

Martin

 

Martin Panikulam

Archivist

Available Monday to Friday

 

[1]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [2][email address]
Phone:   (08) 9477 7162
Web:      [3]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

 

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

Dear Martin,

Thank you for your response to my FOI application dated 6 June 2025.

To assist the City in processing the request, I provide the following:

1. Australian Address for Correspondence:
PO Box 556
Cloverdale WA 6985

2. Revised and Narrowed Scope of Request:
I seek access to documents and recordings relating to the development and revision of the City of Belmont’s Arts and Culture Strategy 2025–2030, specifically:

- Draft versions of the Strategy created between 30 July 2023 - 30 April 2025, including any with tracked changes, annotations, or consultant feedback;
- Internal emails between City officers, consultants, and/or elected members discussing changes to the draft Strategy.
- Internal memos, briefing notes, or meeting notes relating to the draft.
- Consultant reports or community consultation summaries that influenced changes to the draft from July 2023 - December 2023.
- The audio recording of the Agenda Briefing Forum where the draft or final Strategy was discussed or presented on 20 May 2025.

If further narrowing is required, I would appreciate the City’s assistance in refining this request, in accordance with section 20(2) of the FOI Act (WA). Specifically, I would like answers to:

- Which parts of the request are generating the most documents?
- Whether there are specific date ranges, departments, or document types that would make the request more manageable?
- How many documents were identified in your preliminary search?

Please let me know if this revised scope is acceptable. If the City decides to refuse this application, I respectfully request that you provide a formal notice under section 20(4) of the Act, including the reasons for refusal, the findings on material questions of fact underlying those reasons, and the material on which those findings are based.

Kind regards,
Matt Russell

Martin Panikulam, City of Belmont

2 Attachments

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Russell

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your application received on
21/05/2025 seeking access to documents relating to the City of Belmont
(the City) Arts and Culture Strategy 2025-2030.

 

Your request has been registered and allocated the above reference number
which should be quoted in all future communications on this matter.

 

The content of the information requested is considered to be non-personal.
Payment of the application fee was received on 26/05/2025.

 

Reference is also made to your email dated 06/06/2025 providing your
Australian address to validate the FOI application. The statutory period
for processing your request will commence from the following day. Your
application will be processed within 45 days of this date as required by
the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the FOI Act), unless otherwise agreed
between the parties.

 

Thank you for your assistance in narrowing down the scope of the request.
We may still need to re-negotiate the scope and request a further
reduction to a manageable level, once we are aware of the extent of
documentation your request covers.

 

Once the documentation has been reviewed, I will forward to you a
preliminary estimate of Charges as per Section 17 (page 10) of the FOI
Act.

 

Please find attached the information regarding the schedule of fees and
charges for your perusal.

 

This [1]Link will direct you to the Information Commissioners website,
which provides information in relation to the Freedom to Access
information process.

 

Please feel free to contact me on 9477 7162 if you wish to discuss the
matter.

 

Kind regards

Martin

 

Martin Panikulam

Archivist

Available Monday to Friday

 

[2]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [3][email address]
Phone:   (08) 9477 7162
Web:      [4]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://foi.wa.gov.au/ThePublic
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

Lara Lynch, City of Belmont

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Russell

 

I refer to your access application made under the Freedom of Information
Act 1992 (the FOI Act), which was received by the City of Belmont on the
21/05/2025.

 

By your application, you seek access to the following documents:

o Draft versions of the Arts and Culture Strategy created between
30/07/2023 and 30/04/2025, inclusive of track changes annotations or
consultant feedback.
o Internal emails between City Officers, consultants and / or elected
members discussing changes to the draft strategy
o Internal memos, briefing notes or meeting notes relating to the draft
strategy
o Consultant reports or community consultation summaries that influenced
changes to the draft from 01/07/2023 to 31/12/2023.
o The audio recording of the Agenda Briefing Forum where the draft or
final strategy was discussed or presented on 20/05/2025.

 

Accordingly, a search of the City’s records has identified documents
within the scope of your request.  The purpose of this notice is to
provide you with an estimate of the charges for dealing with your
application and your acceptance to proceed with the processing of your
application. 

 

To assist you, please find the explanatory notes in this [1]link
concerning the charges payable under the FOI Act.

 

Estimate of Charges

 

Based on a representative sample of the requested documents, it is
estimated that the charges payable, in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Regulations 1993 (the FOI Regulations) are as follows:

 

Charge for staff time for dealing with the application:    

 

Charges for redaction and document creation, staff time  
11 @ $30 per hour = $330
Estimated charges = $330
Deposit 25% = $82.50

 

 

Please note that the above is a preliminary estimation only. Once the
detailed search has been carried out and processing of your application
has been completed, a Statement of Actual Charges will be issued and the
variance, if any, will be advised.

 

Advance Deposit

 

In accordance with section 18 of the FOI Act, the City requires an
advanced deposit of $82.50 being 25% of the estimated charges, to proceed
with the processing of your application.

 

Next Steps

 

If you wish to proceed with your access application, you must within 30
days of the date of this notification:

o Notify the City of your intention to proceed; and
o Pay the required deposit

 

Please note that if the City does not receive notice of your intention to
proceed and/or payment of the required deposit within 30 days after this
notification 25/07/2025, your application will be regarded as withdrawn
section 19(2)(b).

 

Payment can be made by credit card by phoning Martin Panikulam via 9477
7222.  Alternatively, payment by cash or cheque is accepted at the City of
Belmont Civic Centre. Cheques to be made payable to the City of Belmont
and forwarded to the following address:

 

FOI Officer

City of Belmont

LMB 379

CLOVERDALE WA 6105

 

Rights of Review

 

If you are not satisfied with this decision to impose a charge, or the
requirement to pay a deposit, you have a right to apply for an internal
review.

 

An application for internal review may be lodged with the City within 30
days after being given this written notice of decision, and must:

 

o Be in writing
o Provide particulars of the decision to be reviewed; and
o Give an address in Australia

 

There is no lodgement fee for an application for internal review and there
are no charges for dealing with an internal review request.

 

If an application for internal review is received, you will be advised of
the outcome within 15 days of receipt of your application for internal
review.

 

Under section 19(2)(a) of the FOI Act, the 45-day time limit for
processing your request will be suspended from the date of receipt of this
notification and it will resume on the day you notify the City of your
intention to proceed with the application and payment of deposit is
received.

 

If you would like to discuss alternatives for changing your application or
reducing the anticipated charges, or if you have any questions, please do
not hesitate to contact me Lara Lynch 9477 7222.

 

 

Regards

 

Lara Lynch

Coordinator Records and FOI – Governance
Available Monday to Friday

[2]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [3][email address]  
Phone:   (08) 9477 7222
Web:      [4]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

 

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of
this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

References

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1. https://www.oic.wa.gov.au/Materials/ForT...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

Dear Lara,

Thank you for your email.

I confirm that I have now paid the deposit of $82.50 via phone to Martin as requested, and I would like the processing of my application to proceed.

I also note that I reserve my right to seek review of the Statement of Charges if required, once it is issued.

Yours sincerely,

Matt Russell

Lara Lynch, City of Belmont

Hello Mr Russell

Thanks for your speedy response, I will continue processing your application.

Regards

Lara Lynch
Coordinator Records and FOI - Governance
Available Monday to Friday

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985
Email: [email address]
Phone: (08) 9477 7222
Web: http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

show quoted sections

Martin Panikulam, City of Belmont

2 Attachments

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Russell

 

Thank you for paying the deposit of $82.50 in relation to your Freedom of
Information application to access documents relating to development of the
City of Belmont Arts and Culture Strategy 2025-2030

 

Please find attached the receipt of your deposit payment.

 

We will now proceed with your FOI application and will keep you informed
of the progress.

 

Please contact me if you have any questions in this regard.

 

Kind regards

Martin

 

Martin Panikulam

Archivist

Available Monday to Friday

 

[1]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [2][email address]
Phone:   (08) 9477 7162
Web:      [3]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

 

References

Visible links
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

Lara Lynch, City of Belmont

3 Attachments

Dear Mr Russell

 

I refer to your Freedom of Information application dated 21/05/2025
(validated 06/06/2025) seeking access to documents held by the City.

 

The decision has been made in accordance with the Freedom of Information
Act 1992 (The Act) about access to documents meeting the terms of your
request.

 

Please find attached the Notice of Decision in relation to your request.

 

Processing of your request has been completed; a total charge of $330.00
has been assessed under the Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges)
Regulations as follows:

 

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Staff resources and time for dealing with application |11 hrs @ |$330.00|
|(including decision making, editing and administrative|$30.00/hr| |
|duties) | | |
|----------------------------------------------------------------+-------|
|Less deposit |$82.50 |
|----------------------------------------------------------------+-------|
|Balance amount due |$247.50|
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Following payment of the outstanding amount of $247.50 the Schedule of
Documents (Attachment 2) and the documents will be forwarded to you by
email. 

 

Payment by credit card can be made by phoning the City’s FOI Officer on 08
9477 7162. Alternatively, cash or cheque is accepted at the City’s Civic
Centre at 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, cheques made payable to the City
of Belmont can be forwarded to the following postal address:

FOI Officer

City of Belmont

LMB 379

CLOVERDALE WA 6105

 

To assist the City in processing your payment promptly, please quote the
FOI reference number 56/2024-25/08.

 

The decision about access to documents concerning your request is subject
to review in accordance with sections 39, 40, 65 and 66 of the Act.  I am
providing information about your rights of review and appeal at the end of
the Notice of Decision which is attached herewith.

 

Please note that after receipt of the Notice of Decision your review
rights only exist for a thirty-day period, after which a review of the
decision will not be possible.

 

Should you have any further queries in relation to this matter, please
contact the City’s FOI Officer, Martin Panikulam in the first instance by
telephone on 9477 7162 or by email at
[1][email address] for assistance with your request.

 

Regards

 

Lara Lynch

Coordinator Records and FOI – Governance
Available Monday to Friday

[2]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [3][email address]  
Phone:   (08) 9477 7229
Web:      [4]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

 

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of
this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

Lara Lynch, City of Belmont

3 Attachments

Dear Mr Russell

 

Thank you for payment of $247.50 received in relation to charges for your
Freedom of Information application.

 

Please find within link [1]​Folder icon[2] Documents - FOI 2024 25 08 the
receipt for payment, Schedule of Documents and copies of the documents
being released. 

 

Should you have any further queries in relation to this matter or if there
are any issues with receiving or opening any of the documents please
contact me either by telephone on 9477 7229 or by reply email.

 

Regards

 

Lara Lynch

Coordinator Records and FOI – Governance
Available Monday to Friday

[3]A logo with text on it Description automatically generated

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [4][email address]  
Phone:   (08) 9477 7229
Web:      [5]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

 

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of
this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

 

DISCLAIMER:

This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended
recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the
e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any
way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This
organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or
loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

 

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5. http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

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Dear Lara,

I am writing to request an internal review of the decision made on 8 July 2025 by the City of Belmont in response to my Freedom of Information application (FOI 56/2024-25/08).

My review request is limited to the following three areas:

1. Refusal to Deal with Section (b) – s. 20(1) FOI Act
The City declined to deal with part (b) of my application—“Internal emails between City officers, consultants, and/or elected members discussing changes to the draft Strategy”—on the basis that there were “thousands of possible documents” and processing them would involve a substantial and unreasonable diversion of resources.
However, I was not provided with any specific assistance to further narrow this part of the scope, as required under section 20(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA). There was no indication of:

- The number of people included in the email search,
- The relevant date range(s) that triggered the volume concern, or
- Suggestions for narrowing by staff member, timeframe, or keyword.

I am willing to work with the City to refine this portion of the application. However, I request that as part of this review, the City:
a) Provides an estimate of the number of staff or people whose email accounts were searched, and
b) Indicates the approximate date range or search parameters that produced the “thousands” figure.
This information is necessary for me to meaningfully narrow the scope.

2. Public Interest Considerations
The City’s reasoning under Clause 3(1) and Clause 4(3) acknowledges a limited public interest in access, such as the applicant’s right of access and potential utility of the information.
However, the decision does not appear to address the broader public interest in transparent and accountable decision-making by local government. The documents relate to the development of a public-facing Arts and Culture Strategy and community consultation. The public has a right to understand how such strategic decisions are formed, particularly where community engagement and public resources are involved.

I request that the public interest in transparency, accountability, and community participation in governance be properly considered and weighed in the application of exemptions.

3. Redaction of Opinions
I am concerned that some material may have been redacted under Clause 3(1) even where the content reflects the opinions of public officers, elected members, or consultants acting in their professional capacity.
Under Clause 3(3) of Schedule 1, such material is not exempt.

I accept the redaction of personal contact details or identifiers, but request that the City review whether any redactions include:

- Opinions or advice given as part of official duties,
- Internal commentary on the Strategy by officers or consultants, or
- Community feedback where the identity is redacted, but the opinion should remain.

If these types of content have been withheld, I ask that the relevant documents be reissued in edited form.

I wish to reserve the right to raise further grounds for review with the Office of the Information Commissioner if necessary. At this stage, I am seeking to resolve key concerns directly with the City in good faith.
Thank you for your consideration of this internal review request. I look forward to receiving a response within the required timeframe of 15 days.

Yours faithfully,
Matt Russell

Belmont, City of Belmont

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Thank you for your email.

Your information has been received and an Officer from the appropriate
department will endeavour to contact you within 10 working days.

If the matter is urgent, please call the City of Belmont on (08) 9477
7222.

 

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City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [2][City of Belmont request email]
Web:      [3]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

 

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Lara Lynch, City of Belmont

Dear Mr Russell

Thank you for your email of 5 August 2025.

I note your email subject line indicates that you are requesting an Internal Review, yet the content of your email indicates that you are requesting answers to questions.

An internal review is applied for when an applicant is dissatisfied with the decision regarding an access request. Through an internal review the city may confirm, vary or overturn the initial decision, answering queries regarding an access application does not fall under an internal review.

Could you please confirm whether you would like us to proceed either with an:
• Internal review of the initial decision, or
• Answer the three questions you have posed in your email outside of the internal review process?

Regards

Lara Lynch
Coordinator Records and FOI – Governance
Available Monday to Friday

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985
Email: [email address]
Phone: (08) 9477 7229 | 0405 441 839
Web: http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Lynch,

I would like to proceed with an internal review of the initial decision.

Regards,
Matt Russell

Lara Lynch, City of Belmont

Dear Mr Russell

Please note that your request for an internal review of the City's Notice of Decision for 56/2024-25/08, request for documents connected to the Arts and Culture Strategy development has been received and referred to the City's reviewer, Director Corporate and Governance, Mr Stuart Downing.

The internal review period has commenced and will be completed within 15 days of receipt of the review request. You will be advised of the outcome of this review on or prior to 20 August 2025.

Please contact me if you have questions in this regard.

Regards

Lara Lynch
Coordinator Records and FOI - Governance
Available Monday to Friday

City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985
Email: [email address]
Phone: (08) 9477 7229 | 0405 441 839
Web: http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/

We acknowledge the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Owners of this land and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is private and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise us by return e-mail immediately, and delete the e-mail and any attachments without using or disclosing the contents in any way. You should scan this e-mail and any attachments for viruses. This organisation accepts no liability for any direct or indirect damage or loss resulting from the use of any attachments to this e-mail.

show quoted sections

Stuart Downing, City of Belmont

3 Attachments

Dear Mr Russell

 

I refer to your email of 5 August 2025 requesting the City to conduct an
Internal Review of the City’s decision to:

o use clause 3(1) personal information to redact information from
documents released under the FOI process,
o the use of the public interest test, and
o not further refining the agreed scope once further documents were
located. 

 

I refer also to the email dated 8 July 2025 attaching the City’s Notice of
Decision dated 8 July 2025.

 

I wish to advise you that as the Decision Maker of this internal review, I
have decided to uphold the initial decision and refuse any further access
to the document(s).

 

Please find attached the Internal Review Notice of Decision for your
reference.

 

Regards

 

 

 

 

Stuart Downing

Director, Corporate and Governance

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City of Belmont, 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale, WA 6105
Postal address: Locked Bag 379, Cloverdale WA 6985

Email:    [2][email address]
Phone:   (08) 9477 7230 | 0410 089 450
Web:      [3]www.belmont.wa.gov.au

 

 

DISCLAIMER:

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