Emails requesting amendments to minutes
Dear Australian National University,
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), I request access to all emails between current/former ANU Council members, and the Chancellor or the University Governance Office regarding minutes, from 1 January 2024 to the date of processing this request.
Yours faithfully,
Tom Waters
Good afternoon
On 14 August 2025, the Australian National University (the University)
received your request for access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).
The University has taken your request to be as follows:
‘I request access to all emails between current/former ANU Council
members, and the Chancellor or the University Governance Office regarding
minutes, from 1 January 2024 to the date of processing this request.’
Your request has been assigned the case number 202500193.
Processing Timeframe
The statutory time frame for processing your request is 30 calendar days
from day after the date your request was received by the University. You
should therefore expect a decision from us by 13 September 2025.
This period of 30 days may be extended if we need to consult third
parties, impose a charge or for other reasons. We will advise you in
writing if this happens.
We will contact you using the email address you provided. Please advise if
you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact. If you have
any questions regarding your request, please feel free to contact the FOI
Team via the functional email [1][ANU request email].
The FOI Team’s workload is currently at very high levels due the
unprecedented volume of FOI requests.
We are using our best endeavors to process all requests expeditiously
however there may be some slippage due to the current workload. We will
keep in touch with you and advise if there are any significant delays,
and, will, if necessary, seek extensions as permitted by the Act.
Yours sincerely
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [2][ANU request email]
Web: [3]https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider
Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[ANU request email]
2. mailto:[ANU request email]
mailto:[ANU request email]
3. https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
Dear Tom Waters,
We refer to the below email and the attached Notice of Practical Refusal
issued to you in 2 October 2025.
In the attached correspondence, you were advised that you had 14 days to
revise the scope of your request to a more manageable form in order to
remove the reasons for the practical refusal.
As no further advice has been received from you, within the specified time
frame, your request is now deemed to have been withdrawn.
Kind Regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [1][ANU request email]
Web: [2]https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider
Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
From: Freedom of Information
Sent: Thursday, 2 October 2025 2:22 PM
To: [email address]
Subject: FOI Request- 202500193- Notice of Practical Refusal
Dear Tom Waters,
Please find attached, correspondence regarding your request.
Kind regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [3][ANU request email]
Web: [4]https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider
Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[ANU request email]
mailto:[ANU request email]
2. https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
3. mailto:[ANU request email]
mailto:[ANU request email]
4. https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
Dear Freedom of Information,
In your email of 17 October, you referenced a "Notice of Practical Refusal issued to you in 2 October 2025". I received no such correspondence from you on 2 October.
A full record of correspondence between you and this email address is available publicly via this link: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/e...
I would be happy to revise the scope of my request, but could you please provide me with 14 days within which to do this?
Yours sincerely,
Tom Waters
Dear Tom Waters,
Thank you for your email.
Regarding your email below, It would appear the email of 2 October 2025 was inadvertently sent to your Right to Know email for your FOI 202500194 case.
Although, the email was sent to your 202500194 in error, you would still have been able to view the email advising you of the Notice of Practical Refusal, which is clearly referenced on the Right to Know website under the FOI 202500193 reference number.
However, in the interest of fairness, we agree to give you further time to revise the scope of your request, but can only agree to 7 days.
If your request has not been sufficiently revised within that time, your request will be considered to be withdrawn.
Kind regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [ANU request email]
Web: https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Waters <[FOI #13492 email]>
Sent: Monday, 20 October 2025 8:24 PM
To: Freedom of Information <[ANU request email]>
Subject: Re: FW: FOI Request- 202500193- Notice of Practical Refusal
Dear Freedom of Information,
In your email of 17 October, you referenced a "Notice of Practical Refusal issued to you in 2 October 2025". I received no such correspondence from you on 2 October.
A full record of correspondence between you and this email address is available publicly via this link: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/e...
I would be happy to revise the scope of my request, but could you please provide me with 14 days within which to do this?
Yours sincerely,
Tom Waters
-----Original Message-----
Dear Tom Waters,
We refer to the below email and the attached Notice of Practical Refusal
issued to you in 2 October 2025.
In the attached correspondence, you were advised that you had 14 days to
revise the scope of your request to a more manageable form in order to
remove the reasons for the practical refusal.
As no further advice has been received from you, within the specified time
frame, your request is now deemed to have been withdrawn.
Kind Regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [1][ANU request email]
Web: [2]https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider
Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
From: Freedom of Information
Sent: Thursday, 2 October 2025 2:22 PM
To: [email address]
Subject: FOI Request- 202500193- Notice of Practical Refusal
Dear Tom Waters,
Please find attached, correspondence regarding your request.
Kind regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [3][ANU request email]
Web: [4]https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider
Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[ANU request email]
mailto:[ANU request email]
2. https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
3. mailto:[ANU request email]
mailto:[ANU request email]
4. https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #13492 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Freedom of Information,
Please narrow the request to all emails between current/former ANU Council members, and the Chancellor or the University Governance Office regarding requests to amend minutes, from 1 January 2024 to the date of processing this request.
Yours sincerely,
Tom Waters
Dear Tom Waters,
Thank you for your email.
Although, you have narrowed the scope of your request, the revised scope does not appear to differ from the original scope of your request.
Accordingly, the reasons for the practical refusal have not been removed.
You now have until the 11 November 2025, to further revise your request in order to remove the practical refusal reasons.
If the scope of your request had not been sufficiently revised by the date, your request will be deemed to have been withdrawn.
Kind regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [ANU request email]
Web: https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Waters <[FOI #13492 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 29 October 2025 8:48 PM
To: Freedom of Information <[ANU request email]>
Subject: RE: FW: FOI Request- 202500193- Notice of Practical Refusal
Dear Freedom of Information,
Please narrow the request to all emails between current/former ANU Council members, and the Chancellor or the University Governance Office regarding requests to amend minutes, from 1 January 2024 to the date of processing this request.
Yours sincerely,
Tom Waters
-----Original Message-----
Dear Tom Waters,
Thank you for your email.
Regarding your email below, It would appear the email of 2 October 2025 was inadvertently sent to your Right to Know email for your FOI 202500194 case.
Although, the email was sent to your 202500194 in error, you would still have been able to view the email advising you of the Notice of Practical Refusal, which is clearly referenced on the Right to Know website under the FOI 202500193 reference number.
However, in the interest of fairness, we agree to give you further time to revise the scope of your request, but can only agree to 7 days.
If your request has not been sufficiently revised within that time, your request will be considered to be withdrawn.
Kind regards
FOI Team
University Governance Office
The Australian National University
Email: [ANU request email]
Web: https://www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-inform...
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #13492 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Freedom of Information,
In your email of 4 Nov, you said, "the revised scope does not appear to differ from the original scope of your request." I am confused by this statement as the revised scope does in fact differ from the original scope of my request. I wanted to respond with a clarification of my revision to the request, and to please ask you to substantiate your claim that the new scope "does not appear to differ".
To clarify, my original request regarded "all emails ... regarding minutes." I understand that this request generated a large amount of relevant documents.
My revised request has a much narrower scope: "all emails ... regarding requests to amend minutes".
The revised scope differs significantly and would now exclude emails on topics including, for example: the sharing of draft minutes; announcements about the timing of minutes being shared with Council members; FOI requests of the minutes themselves; and requests for the publication of minutes. I would be surprised if there was a significant volume of emails concerning the specific topic of "requests to amend minutes." But can you please provide some clarification on the volume of emails relevant to revised scope?
Now that I have clarified the revised scope is indeed different from the original request, can you please confirm if and why further revision is still necessary?
Yours sincerely,
Tom Waters