Engagement with agencies on exemptions
Dear Office of the Australian Information Commissioner,
I request access to documents created in connection with, or in response to, enquiries from other Australian Government agencies, where:
1. The enquiry sought advice from the OAIC about possible ways to handle or respond to an FOI request; and
2. The agency making the enquiry expressed a view (either directly or implied) that it wished to redact, withhold or otherwise prevent information from being released under FOI
This request includes, but is not limited to:
- Correspondence (including emails and attachments) between OAIC officers and other agencies.
- Internal OAIC records discussing such inter-agency enquiries.
- File notes, meeting notes or minutes recording any discussion or consideration of those enquiries.
I request that this excludes:
- Documents created solely as part of an individual IC review.
- Any personal information of members of the public.
- Direct contact details of public servants, such as private phone numbers or email addresses not available through official contact channels.
- Duplicates of documents, provided that the final document contains all the parts of its duplicates.
I seek documents created during the period 1 January 2024 to the date this request is processed, and ask that they be provided in electronic form.
Yours faithfully,
A Pseudonym
Thank you for your email which has been received by the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
OAIC reference: FOIREQ25/00472
To A Pseudonym,
I refer to your request (below), for access to documents made to the
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under the Freedom
of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).
Scope of your request
Your FOI request was made in the following terms:
I request access to documents created in connection with, or in response
to, enquiries from other Australian Government agencies, where:
1. The enquiry sought advice from the OAIC about possible ways to handle
or respond to an FOI request; and 2. The agency making the enquiry
expressed a view (either directly or implied) that it wished to redact,
withhold or otherwise prevent information from being released under FOI
This request includes, but is not limited to:
o Correspondence (including emails and attachments) between OAIC
officers and other agencies.
o Internal OAIC records discussing such inter-agency enquiries.
o File notes, meeting notes or minutes recording any discussion or
consideration of those enquiries.
Timeframes for dealing with your request
Section 15 of the FOI Act requires the OAIC to process your request no
later than 30 days after the day we receive it. Your FOI request was
received by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
on 16 October 2025. The decision on your FOI request therefore falls due
on Saturday 15 November 2025.
Paragraph 3.141 of the Australian Information Commissioner Guidelines
states ‘If the last day for notifying a decision falls on a Saturday,
Sunday or a public holiday, the timeframe will expire on the first
business day following that day.’
Accordingly, the decision will be notified to you on the next working day
following the legislated due date, that being Monday 17 November 2025.
Section 15(6) of the FOI Act allows us a further 30 days in situations
where we need to consult with third parties about certain information,
such as business documents or documents affecting their personal privacy.
We will let you know if the timeframe for issuing you a decision is
extended for any reason, including where we need to consult a third party
during the processing of your matter.
If you do not receive a decision within 30 days, or advice that the
statutory timeframe has been extended, you can apply to the Information
Commissioner for review of what is called a ‘deemed decision’. For further
information, see [1]Apply for an Information Commissioner review | OAIC
(or visit [2]www.oaic.gov.au).
Disclosure Log
Documents released under the FOI Act may be published online on our
disclosure log, unless they contain personal or business information that
would be unreasonable to publish.
If you have any queries, please contact us by email or provide a phone
number and advise a convenient time for us to call you.
Regards,
[3][IMG] Charles
FOI and Administration Officer
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Sydney | GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
E [4][email address]
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[5]Subscribe to Information Matters
REF: FOIREQ25/00472
Dear A Pseudonym
Please see attached correspondence from the OAIC dated 31 October 2025
relating to your freedom of information request, FOIREQ25/00472.
Kind regards,
[1]O A I C logo Emma | FOI Officer
Governance, Risk and Compliance (FOI)
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001 | [2]oaic.gov.au
E: [3][email address]
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across Australia
and their continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We pay
our respect to First Nations people, cultures and Elders past and present.
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
2. https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
3. mailto:[email address]