Dear Simon Disc,

 

Extension of time request

 

I am writing to you in regards to your Freedom of Information (FOI)
request.

 

You have requested access to the following documents:

 

‘a list of activities (defined but not limited to dinners, forums,
entertainment) organised by the office of the veteran family advocate
commissioner.

 

This should be broken down by groups (ie. by each individual visiting
delegations or forum), the cost involved, who funded and approved funding
and who attended.

 

This should also identify if the Minister was in attendance and who
covered the cost of the Minister’s attendance and/or involvement in each
activity.

 

This request is for any activity within the timeframe January 1 2023 -
July 28 2025’

 

We are currently in the process of retrieving and processing the documents
related to your request, therefore the Department is unlikely to be in a
position to provide you with a decision by the current due date of 5
September 2025. On this basis, we respectfully request an additional 30
day extension of time to process this request. The effect of the extension
would mean the new decision due date would be 6 October 2025. If we able
to process your request and provide you with a decision before this date,
we will do so.

 

If you agree with this extension of time, we would appreciate if you could
please respond to this email stating “I agree” by close of business 4
September 2025.

 

Kind regards,

 

Will (He/Him) | Information Access Officer

Position Number 62373495

Information Access Unit

Client and Information Access Branch

Ministerial, Communication & Engagement Division

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Tel 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)

[1][email address]

[2]www.dva.gov.au 

[3][IMG][4][IMG] [5][IMG][6][IMG]            

[7]Title: Flags - Description: 3 Australian flags in a row (from left to
right): the Australian National flag, the Australian Aboriginal flag and
the Torres Strait Islander flag.

[8]Title: DVA logo - Description: DVA standard signature block logo with
the Commonwealth Coat of Arms in the top left corner. The words
“Australian Government. Department of Veterans’ Affairs” are to the right
of the Coat of Arms and below are the words “To support those who serve or
have served in the defence of our nation and commemorate their service and
sacrifice”.

For what they have done, this we will do.

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dva.gov.au/
3. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
4. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
5. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
6. https://www.youtube.com/@DVATVAus/featured

Dear Simon Disc,

 

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act, received by the Information Access Unit (IAU) on 6 August
2025.

 

The current scope of your request is as follows:

 

‘…a list of activities (defined but not limited to dinners, forums,
entertainment) organised by the office of the veteran family advocate
commissioner.

 

This should be broken down by groups (ie. by each individual visiting
delegations or forum), the cost involved, who funded and approved funding
and who attended.

 

This should also identify if the Minister was in attendance and who
covered the cost of the Minister’s attendance and/or involvement in each
activity.

 

This request is for any activity within the timeframe January 1 2023 -
July 28 2025…’

 

I am seeking consultation under section 24AB of the FOI Act because your
scope, as it currently stands, is voluminous and is likely to attract a
practical refusal decision.

 

Voluminous:

 

I am seeking clarification on part of your scope. In particular,
where your scope refers to the language ‘activities’ and ‘organised’.

 

Additionally, the Office of Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner (OoVFAC)
has performed initial searches and advised that the date range is also too
broad.

 

To illustrate this, OoVFAC advises that the number of activities that may
fall within the current criteria is at least:

o 2023: approximately 664 activities
o 2024: approximately 535 activities
o 2025 (to 28 July): approximately 401 activities

 

Please note that the results of these initial searches are not exhaustive,
and that additional results may exist.

 

OoVFAC also seeks to confirm whether you are requesting:

o activities and events organised by the Veteran Family Advocate
Commissioner (and her office), or
o all activities and events the Commissioner attended, regardless of who
organised them.

 

Please also consider refining your request to specific documents from
specific areas within the Department with a more narrow date range. An
example of this would be:

 

‘…I request a list of [insert specific types of activities] [organised by
the [Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner (and her office) or all
activities and events the Commissioner attended, regardless of who
organised them] [on insert specific date(s) or [insert between the dates
[--/--/---- to --/--/----]…’

 

Please provide a response by return email by COB 12 September 2025 (14
days from the date of this notification)  in order for us to continue
processing your request.

 

Please get in touch if you have any questions regarding this process.

 

Please be aware that if you decline to refine the scope of your request,
your request may result in a practical refusal decision.

 

Kind regards,

 

Will (He/Him) | Information Access Officer

Position Number 62373495

Information Access Unit

Client and Information Access Branch

Ministerial Engagement & Communication Division

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Tel 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)

[1][email address]

[2]www.dva.gov.au 

[3][IMG][4][IMG] [5][IMG][6][IMG]            

[7]Title: Flags - Description: 3 Australian flags in a row (from left to
right): the Australian National flag, the Australian Aboriginal flag and
the Torres Strait Islander flag.

[8]Title: DVA logo - Description: DVA standard signature block logo with
the Commonwealth Coat of Arms in the top left corner. The words
“Australian Government. Department of Veterans’ Affairs” are to the right
of the Coat of Arms and below are the words “To support those who serve or
have served in the defence of our nation and commemorate their service and
sacrifice”.

For what they have done, this we will do.

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dva.gov.au/
3. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
4. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
5. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
6. https://www.youtube.com/@DVATVAus/featured