Emails by staff members of tminus accelerator
To whom it may concern,
I am rephrasing my earlier query.
I am making this query under the freedom of information act.
I am requesting department emails written by [Company Name Hidden] (department contractor) staff members during delivery of the incubator support grant program.
I am only interested in emails written during the time period starting on 31/10/19 and ending on 11/12/19.
Thanks,
Alby P.
Alby
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your Freedom of
Information request received on 26 August 2020.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
Seeing as there are too many emails to process, I would like to change my request to add specifics.
* Emails by staff members contracted through [Company Name Hidden].
* From 31 October 2019 to 1 January 2020.
* Addressed "to" (not just copying with "cc") incubator support initiative program management officers (managers / assistant managers / department officers but not to other regional incubator facilitators).
* Including emails of any subject matter.
* Only excluding those emails that are solely related to grant applicants that are not mentioned in regional incubator facilitator declarations of interests at the EPC meeting on 11 December 2019.
Thanks,
Alby P.
Dear Alby
I refer to your correspondence of 3 September 2020 (attached).
Your revised scope has been forwarded to the line area for consideration.
I anticipate I will have more information for you by the end of this week.
In accordance with section 24AB(5) of the FOI Act, the consultation period
is extended until such time that both parties have reach an agreement on
the revised scope.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Alby
I refer to your email of 3 September 2020 (below).
After consultation with the line area, I am able to advise you that the information you have provided has not sufficiently assisted in reducing the size of your request, in particular in relation to the search time required.
Whilst you have provided more details regarding the emails you are seeking, we would still need to search the same repositories for any relevant documents. You have also increased the time period of when the emails were sent. As such, your revisions have not reduced the amount of time estimated to search and identify documents in order to begin processing your request.
Further, we ask if you could please clarify the last item regarding which emails you intend to exclude.
Alternatively, are you able to describe the information you are looking for? For example, a particular event or occurrence, or a specific piece of information sent from the department contractor staff. If you are able to provide this information, the department will be in a better position to assist you with your request.
I would be grateful for your response at your earliest convenience but no later than 16 September 2020.
In accordance with section 24AB(5) of the FOI Act, the consultation period is extended until such time that both parties have reach an agreement on the revised scope.
Regards
Heather
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Heather,
I think it is best that I do as you suggest so I will describe the information more generally.
* Noting 'DOIs Declared by RIFs' recorded at these committee meetings ( https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/defaul... and https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/6... ).
* Noting that incubators are taken to 'include accelerators' in the guidelines used to assess grant applications at the meetings ( https://www.business.gov.au/-/media/Gran... ).
* Noting that RIFs appear to be in incubator/accelerator business - examples include ISI grant recipients...
Business in Bare Feet/[Name Hidden] - ( https://agfrontier.com.au/team/ )
Brad Twynham Consulting/Brad Twynham - https://begavalleyinnovationhub.com.au/e...
We Are Arising/[Name Hidden] - https://blog.spacecubed.com/for-entrepre...
[Company Name Hidden]/[Name Hidden] - https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/d...
* Noting (the obvious) reasons this is inappropriate ( https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/q... ).
I am trying to find out if it is common knowledge among department staff that the incubator facilitators hired for public duty are actually incubator facilitators in private business too.
To put it bluntly, does anyone at the department realise that the contractors who are supposed to help ISI applicants are either direct competitors or associates of ISI applicants?
Since an FOI application cannot come in the form of a question, I would like to see all RIF DOIs from 1 September 2019 until 20 March 2020.
The date range provided will capture only a handful of meetings (inc. any DOIs outside meetings) however this is enough data to be able to arrive at a conclusion.
Please do not redact any disclosures as a matter of public interest and since RIF businesses are already openly advertising services online.
Thanks,
Alby P.
Dear Alby
I refer to your correspondence of 11 September 2020 (attached).
Thank you for providing additional information. Your correspondence has
been forwarded to the line area for consideration. I anticipate I will
have more information for you by the end of next week.
Please be advised the line area and the FOI team is currently experiencing
a high volume of requests and both teams are presently operating with
limited resources. Your patience during this time is appreciated.
In accordance with section 24AB(5) of the FOI Act, the consultation period
is extended until such time that both parties have reach an agreement on
the revised scope.
Kind regards
Heather
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Freedom of Information,
I do not agree to an extension in line with 24AB(5). Please provide notice that you have accepted the request as clearly framed.
Thanks,
Alby P.
Dear Alby
We confirm you do not agree to extend the consultation period.
As such, the legislated timeframe will restart as of the day you submitted your latest revision, being 11 September 2020.
Currently, a decision is due to you by 3 October 2020 however, this may be extended if charges are issued and/or if third party consultation is required. You will be notified if either of these occur.
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Alby
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request of 26
August 2020.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Department of Industry, Innovation and Science,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Industry, Innovation and Science's handling of my FOI request.
The timeframe of my DOI request spans 3 EPC committee meetings with RIF DOIs spanning 1 page each. That amounts to 3 pages. I agree to drop the email DOIs from my request. Please release the few RIF DOI pages from the EPC meetings in full.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/e...
Thanks,
Alby P.
Dear Alby
I refer to your email below of 24 September 2020.
Can you please clarify if you are:
-- seeking an internal review of the decision provided to you on 24 September 2020; or
-- submitting a new FOI request for DOIs in EPC meeting minutes from 1 September 2019 until 20 March 2020.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Freedom of Information,
Please treat my email on 24th Sep as a request for a decision review.
If the department is refusing to reduce the request in its review so that it can approve a release, then also treat this email on 25th Sep as an additional FOI request asking for RIF DOI documents from EPC meetings within the same timeframe and for the same reasons of public interest - I'm happy to create a new case on Right to Know website so please let me know.
Thanks,
Alby P.
Dear Alby
Thank you for your prompt response.
It is still not clear what you are requesting. You have stated " If the department is refusing to reduce the request in its review so that it can approve a release.." but the scope cannot be changed or reduced for internal review. In accordance with s54 of the FOI Act and Part 9.1 of the FOI Guidelines, the FOI applicant "may request the agency to review its original decision and make a fresh decision; the internal review can extend to a decision to refuse access either wholly or in part, or to a decision on FOI charges". Therefore, an internal review decision is made based on the scope of the original decision.
If you are wanting the department to re-assess the decision for FOI 66879, you will need to submit an internal review. By submitting an internal review, you are asking the department to review its decision to refuse access on the basis that the work involved would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the department from its other operations.
If you are looking to reduce the scope, you will need to submit a new FOI request. However, you may be interested to know that a request for DOI from EPC meetings has already been finalised here: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/d...
Please confirm if you are submitting an internal review or a new FOI request.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources | www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
Dear Freedom of Information,
Sorry I wasn't clear.
I wish to proceed with the internal review as I understand now that the request cannot be changed.
Thanks,
Alby P.
Dear Alby
This email is to confirm receipt of your internal review request received
25 September 2020 (attached).
A different decision maker will be appointed for your FOI matter.
The current due date for the internal review decision is on Sunday 25
October 2020. In accordance with FOI Guidelines 3.141 as the due date for
the decision falls on the weekend, the due date will be the next business
day, being Monday 26 October 2020.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Dear Alby
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your internal review
request of 25 September 2020.
Should you have any queries regarding this matter, please contact the FOI
team.
Regards
FOI Team
Legal, Audit and Assurance | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013, Canberra ACT 2601
Alby P. left an annotation ()
For correctness sake, regarding "exampes include ISI grant recipients" above, meaning apparently funded by proceeds from ISI (or other department) funds for incubator work on behalf of grant/fund recipients.