FOI Delegations

Ben Fairless made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Social Services as part of a batch sent to 166 authorities

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was successful.

Dear Department of Social Services,

Under section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act, the principal officer or minister can make arrangements to give their decision making powers to others.

I'm hoping you can provide me with a copy of the current arrangements if possible.

If it helps, I'm happy for you to process this request under "administrative release" (https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...). This would reduce the cost and time required to make a formal decision.

That said, I understand sometimes you want the request to be formal. If you won't process it informally, please process my request for the document as a formal FOI Request.

Please note - While I volunteer for Right to Know, this request is made in a personal capacity and not on behalf of Right to Know.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Fairless

FOI, Department of Social Services

Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox of the
Australian Department of Social Services (the Department). Your email,
should it be a request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982, will be actioned by the DSS FOI Team.

If your email is for any other type of enquiry, you should direct it to
[1][email address]. It will not be actioned from this inbox.

GENERAL INFORMATION

If you are seeking general information about FOI, you may find the
following websites useful:

[2]http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...

[3]http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...

PROCESS

An FOI Officer has received your email and it will be actioned
accordingly. In the case of a valid FOI request, you can expect us to
provide you with an acknowledgment that the request has been received
within 14 days. We may contact you earlier if we need to discuss
particular aspects of your request.

REQUESTS OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS

Please note that if this message has been received outside our business
hours of 9am to 5pm (Eastern Standard Time), Monday to Friday or on
a public holiday, your request will be actioned on the next business day.

Kind regards

DSS FOI Team
Email: [4][Department of Social Services request email]

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]

FOI, Department of Social Services

Good morning Ben,

Thank you for your email, would you mind giving me a call to discuss your 3 requests related to the Department of Social Services and relevant Ministers to clarify the scope.

Kind regards

Teresa Rivers
Strategic Coordination Section
Government and Executive Services Branch
Department of Social Services
P: 02 6146 0565 | E: [email address]

DSS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.            

show quoted sections

FOI, Department of Social Services

Dear Mr Fairless

Freedom of Information Request No. 18/19-045.

I refer to your correspondence received by the Department of Social Services (the Department) on 14 November 2018, in which you requested access, under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to:

“Under section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act, the principal officer or minister can make arrangements to give their decision making powers to others.

I'm hoping you can provide me with a copy of the current arrangements if possible”.

Unless you advise otherwise, duplicate documents and the names, contact details and signatures of non-Senior Executive Service (SES) staff, as well as mobile phone numbers and signatures of SES staff, will be excluded from the scope of your request under s22(1)(b)(ii) of the FOI Act. If you do require these details, please inform us within five days of this email so that the decision maker can consider your request.

The statutory period for processing your request is 30-days commencing from the day after your request was received. Accordingly, the deadline for notifying you of the Department’s decision on access is 14 December 2018.

The Department will correspond with you by email in relation to your FOI request. Should you have any queries about this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me on 02 6146 0565. Alternatively, you may send queries via email to [Department of Social Services request email]

Kind regards

Teresa Rivers
Strategic Coordination Section
Government and Executive Services Branch
Department of Social Services
P: 02 6146 0565 | E: [email address]

DSS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.            

show quoted sections

FOI, Department of Social Services

2 Attachments

  • Attachment

    Department of Social Services FOI Authorisation Instrument.PDF.pdf

    581K Download View as HTML

  • Attachment

    Minister for Families and Social Services FOI Authorisation Instrument....pdf

    201K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Fairless,

 

Thank you for your request.

 

The Department of Social Services and the Minister for Families and Social
Services have decided to release the requested documents administratively
rather than through the formal Freedom of Information process.

 

Please find attached a copy of the Department of Social Services and
Minister for Families and Social Services instruments of delegation in
relation to FOI decision-making powers.

 

There are no instruments of delegation for the Assistant Minister for
Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, and the Assistant
Minister for Children and Families.

 

Your three requests are now considered closed.

 

Kind regards,

 

Dr Melanie Beacroft

Assistant Director, Freedom of Information and Portfolio Appointments

Strategic Coordination Section

Government and Executive Services Branch

Department of Social Services
P: 02 6146 0348 | E: [1][email address]

[2][Department of Social Services request email]

[3][email address]

 

The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
3. mailto:[email address]

FOI, Department of Social Services

2 Attachments

  • Attachment

    Department of Social Services FOI Authorisation Instrument.PDF.pdf

    581K Download View as HTML

  • Attachment

    Minister for Families and Social Services FOI Authorisation Instrument....pdf

    201K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Fairless,

 

Thank you for your request.

 

The Department of Social Services and the Minister for Families and Social
Services have decided to release the requested documents administratively
rather than through the formal Freedom of Information process.

 

Please find attached a copy of the Department of Social Services and
Minister for Families and Social Services instruments of delegation in
relation to FOI decision-making powers.

 

There are no instruments of delegation for the Assistant Minister for
Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, and the Assistant
Minister for Children and Families.

 

Your three requests are now considered closed.

 

Kind regards,

 

Dr Melanie Beacroft

Assistant Director, Freedom of Information and Portfolio Appointments

Strategic Coordination Section

Government and Executive Services Branch

Department of Social Services
P: 02 6146 0348 | E: [1][email address]

[2][Department of Social Services request email]

[3][email address]

 

The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
3. mailto:[email address]

FOI, Department of Social Services

2 Attachments

  • Attachment

    Department of Social Services FOI Authorisation Instrument.PDF.pdf

    581K Download View as HTML

  • Attachment

    Minister for Families and Social Services FOI Authorisation Instrument....pdf

    201K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Fairless,

 

Thank you for your request.

 

The Department of Social Services and the Minister for Families and Social
Services have decided to release the requested documents administratively
rather than through the formal Freedom of Information process.

 

Please find attached a copy of the Department of Social Services and
Minister for Families and Social Services instruments of delegation in
relation to FOI decision-making powers.

 

There are no instruments of delegation for the Assistant Minister for
Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, and the Assistant
Minister for Children and Families.

 

Your three requests are now considered closed.

 

Kind regards,

 

Dr Melanie Beacroft

Assistant Director, Freedom of Information and Portfolio Appointments

Strategic Coordination Section

Government and Executive Services Branch

Department of Social Services
P: 02 6146 0348 | E: [1][email address]

[2][Department of Social Services request email]

[3][email address]

 

The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]
3. mailto:[email address]