NDIS - Lawyers in Risk Roles/Functions

Malcom made this Freedom of Information request to National Disability Insurance Agency

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

National Disability Insurance Agency did not have the information requested.

Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,

Are there any lawyers working or seconded to the NDIA's Risk Department or providing routine/regular advice to the NDIS' risk department, branch or function? If so, how many lawyers have been working in the risk department over the past 4 years at the NDIA?

Understandably, it would be concerning if NDIA FOI requests about 'risk' where artificially/conveniently withheld or filtered on the grounds of 'legal privilege'. This FOI response and assurance will go a long way to elevated such concerns.

Yours faithfully,

Malcom

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

Hello and thank you for writing to the FOI inbox.

 

Please be advised that during the upcoming holiday period, the NDIA
offices will be closed from Friday 24 December 2021 until Tuesday 4
January 2022.

 

As such, if you make an FOI request that falls due during this period, we
will be unable to process it by the relevant deadline. Our FOI officers
will be in touch to discuss a short extension of time with you to allow
for processing as quickly as possible.

 

If we receive an FOI request from you during the period of shut down,
noted above, our staff will not be able to commence processing the matter
or respond to any queries until Tuesday 4 January 2022.

 

If you are requesting your personal documents only, please consider
submitting your request through [1][email address] or
through our [2]Participant Information Access (PIA) web-form.

 

Kind regards 

 

NDIA FOI Team
Email: [3][email address]

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
3. mailto:[email address]

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

1 Attachment

Dear Malcom

 

Freedom of Information Request: Acknowledgement

Thank you for your request of 8 February 2022, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for copies of documents held by the
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

 

Scope of your request

You have requested access to the following documents:

 

“… Are there any lawyers working or seconded to the NDIA's Risk Department
or providing routine/regular advice to the NDIS' risk department, branch
or function? If so, how many lawyers have been working in the risk
department over the past 4 years at the NDIA? ...”

 

Unless you advise otherwise, we will take it that you agree to the names
and contact details of NDIA staff being excluded from the scope of your
request (that is, the information will be treated as irrelevant).

 

Processing timeframes

A 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from 9
February 2022, in accordance with section 15(2A)(c) of the FOI Act. You
should, therefore, expect a decision from us by 10 March 2022.

 

This period may be extended if we need to consult with third parties or
for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

 

Charges

We may apply a processing charge to your request and will advise you as
soon as practicable if a charge is payable.

 

Disclosure Log

Information released under the FOI Act may be published on the NDIA’s
disclosure log located on our website, subject to certain exceptions.

If you have any concerns about the publication of information you have
requested, please contact us.

 

Further help

Please contact us at [1][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or need
help.

We will contact you using the email address you provided. Please advise if
you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch

Government Division

National Disability Insurance Agency

E: [2][NDIA request email]

 

[3]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.

 

 

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Dear foi,

Sure.

Yours sincerely,

Malcom

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

Thank you for your email to the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA) Freedom of Information (FOI) team.  

 

If your email relates to an FOI application made under the Commonwealth
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Agency will respond to you
as soon as practicable. 

 

This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The Agency
is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this email
address. Any correspondence received that is not an information access
request will not be responded to or forwarded.  

 

If you are seeking to access your personal documents, please consider
submitting your request through our [1]Participant Information Access
(PIA) web-form, which will allow the matter to be processed
administratively. 

 

Should you have a query unrelated to FOI, please contact us by emailing at
[2][email address] or via webchat at [3]NDIA Web Chat (ndis.gov.au).
Alternatively you can also contact us by phoning 1800 800 110. 

 

If you have any questions about making an FOI request, or to enquire about
a current FOI request, please email us with your phone number and a
preferred time for us to call you, and an FOI Decision Maker will call you
back. 

 

Kind regards 

 

Freedom of Information team 

Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch  

Government  

National Disability Insurance Agency 

Email: [4][NDIA request email]  

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References

Visible links
1. https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
4. mailto:[NDIA request email]

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

2 Attachments

Dear Malcom

 

Thank you for your request for information.

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request.  If you
require these in a different format, please let us know.

 

Please contact us at [1][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or
require help.

 

Thank you.

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch

Government Division

National Disability Insurance Agency

 

[2]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency

The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians 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 past, present
and emerging.

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[NDIA request email]

Dear foi,

Thank you for the update and response. Just confirming, this is inclusive of the NDIS' former Chief Risk Officer, Mr Paul O'Connor, seemingly a lawyer?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-o-conno...

Yours sincerely,

Malcom

foi, National Disability Insurance Agency

Dear Malcom

I can confirm that the decision provided by the FOI team addressed the full scope of your request. If you wish to seek an internal review of the decision please submit in writing within 30 days following receipt of the decision.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information Officer
Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch
Government Division
National Disability Insurance Agency

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