Good morning Remy,

On 12 October 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:

“… any and all documents held by the Australian National University that relate to:

- Papers or presentations prepared by, or on behalf of, the Provost/IVC, provided to the ANU Audit, Finance and Risk Committee for the September 2025 meeting.

- Papers or presentations prepared by, or on behalf of, the Provost/IVC, provided to the ANU council for the October 2025 meeting.”

Your request has been assigned the case number 202500263.

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 11 November 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 [ANU request email].

The FOI Team’s workload is currently at very high levels due to the unprecedented volume of FOI requests.

We are using our best endeavours 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: [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

show quoted sections

Good evening Remy,

I refer to your request in the below thread for access to documents regarding papers or presentation to the ANU committees in September and October 2025, which you made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) received by the University on 12 October 2025.

Update on your request

- Your request is receiving attention and a decision will be provided to you as soon as possible.
- 26 documents have been found in relation to your request and are being processed.
- They have been collected, converted and are ready for review by subject matter experts and FOI officers.

Reasons for seeking an extension

Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing delays regarding your request and we will be unable to provide you with a response by the current decision date of 11 November 2025.

Delays are being experienced due to the absences of key FOI staff causing delays in the processing of your FOI request – specifically, at least two key staff who are able to conduct and complete searches for the information have been away for a week (returning next week). Beyond their return, any information they may find would still need to be processed and considered.

There also likely to be further delays due to the FOI team dealing with a number of complex FOI requests with minimal staff.

Do you agree to an extension?

Accordingly, the University is seeking an extension of time of 30 days in accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.

If you agree to the extension, the University would be required to provide you with a decision notice by no later than COB 11 December 2025.

Your earliest response would be appreciated as we are required to notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) of any extension agreed.

Please also be aware that the due date provided in the below email from us to you is incorrect: the current deadline for this case is 11 November 2025.

Yours sincerely,

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

show quoted sections

Dear Remy,

Just a follow-up on our email to you below - do you agree to an extension on your request?

You are welcome to agree to a further extension of up to 30 days under s 15AA of the FOI Act until Thursday 11 December 2025. This extension (only upon agreement with you) would allow us to complete any final actions and considerations on the case and provide you with a comprehensive decision within statutory timeframes.

If you do agree, we will notify the OAIC as required. If you do not agree, that’s fine – we will continue processing your request and issue a decision as soon as practicable – just know that our decision will be technically late / a deemed refusal. We will let you know your review rights, if that's the case.

In short, your request is being processed regardless – whether you agree to an extension or not.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please contact us by way of reply email.

Our apologies for the delay in decision and any inconvenience this causes you.

Yours sincerely,

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

show quoted sections

Acknowledged with thanks, Remy.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding as we work to complete your cases.

Yours sincerely,

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

show quoted sections

Dear Remy,

Firstly, our apologies for the delay in response to your FOI request. Acknowledging that you also have several other FOI requests with the University at the moment, please take this email to relate to all of your active cases that you are waiting on a response for.

We have formally notified the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) of this and other delays we are experiencing.

The University has provided the OAIC with an action plan outlining measures we are taking to address these challenges, including:

• Publishing notices on our websites and FOI request form to inform applicants of current delays
• Recruiting additional resources to increase capacity
• Implementing process improvements to ensure processes are fit for purpose given a significant increase in FOI requests this year.

The FOI Commissioner has acknowledged these proactive steps, and while these measures will take time to reduce processing times, we remain committed to fulfilling all FOI requests.

You are entitled to raise any matter regarding a delay with the OAIC at any time (your review rights are pasted below our signature). In the meantime, we will continue to progress your request and provide updates as it moves forward. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this period.

To manage your expectations around response times at the moment:

FOI Team Volumes & University Christmas Shutdown Period

Volumes

To manage your expectations, the FOI Team’s workload is currently at very high levels due to the unprecedented volume of FOI requests.

We are using our best endeavours to process all requests expeditiously however there may be some slippage due to the current workload.

University Christmas Shutdown Period

Over the Christmas and New Year 2025-2026 period, the University will be shut down from Thursday 25 December 2025, re-opening on Monday 5 January 2026.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please contact us by way of reply email.

Again, our sincere apologies for the delays, and the impact these delays have on you.

Wishing you a restful Christmas and New Year break, and will keep in touch with you at the beginning of next year,

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

Your review rights

If you are dissatisfied with the technical deemed access refusal, you may apply for internal review or Information Commissioner review of the decision. We encourage you to seek internal review as a first step as it may provide a more rapid resolution of your concerns.

Application for Internal Review of Decision

Section 54A of the Act, gives you the right to apply for an internal review of any decision – including deemed access refusals.
It must be made in writing within 30 days of receipt of the decision; no particular form is required but it is desirable to set out in the application the grounds on which you consider the decision should be reviewed.
The application should be addressed to Freedom of Information at [ANU request email].

Application for Information Commissioner Review of decision

Under section 54L of the FOI Act, you may apply to the Australian Information Commissioner to review any decision – including deemed access refusals. An application must be made in writing within 60 days of the date of this email, and be lodged in one of the following ways:
Form: either online form or downloadable form available at https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
Email: [ANU request email]
Post: Director of FOI Dispute Resolution, GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001
More information is available on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...

show quoted sections