PM&C request return of file titled "Review Australian Honours & Awards. Response - proposed humanitarian overseas service medal
Dear National Archives,
PM&C requested from Archives a file titled:
“Review of Australian Honours and Awards - Response - proposed Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal”.
The file was sent to PM&C on 25 October 2019.
We seek the documents/email/electronic requests with which PM&C requested the file’s return from Archives.
Yours faithfully,
Trav S
OFFICIAL
Dear Trav S
Thank you for your FOI request to the National Archives of Australia.
I acknowledge receipt of your email, and advise that we have allocated to the appropriate business area for their attention.
We will be in touch if we have any questions.
Kind regards
FOI Officer
Corporate Governance
t +61 2 6212 3600 m
e [NAA request email]
Kings Avenue, Parkes ACT 2600
PO Box 4924 Kingston ACT 2604 | naa.gov.au
OFFICIAL
OFFICIAL
Dear Trav S
Please find enclosed a decision in relation to your FOI request (FOI134)
including:
· Decision letter and
· Four documents released in part.
Please contact [1][NAA request email] if you have any questions relating to
this FOI decision.
Kind regards
Helen
Helen Athanasiadis
Manager – Integrity (Legal Policy and Compliance)
Corporate Governance & Risk
[2]NAA t +61 2 6212 3600
National e
Archives [3][NAA request email]
of Kings Avenue,
Australia Parkes ACT 2600
logo PO Box 4924
Kingston ACT 2604
| naa.gov.au
Murrulangalang
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this
land and celebrate their
ongoing culture and contribution to society.
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[NAA request email]
3. mailto:[NAA request email]
Dear Helen,
Thank for this, can I ask that the conditional s47F(1) exemptions be removed.
Full disclosure will promote the Freedom of Information Act’s objectives and I’d be grateful if you can consider the following.
Section 47F conditionally exempts information where disclosure would involve unreasonable disclosure of personal information. However what is considered unreasonable or reasonable depends on the circumstances.
Freedom of Information Act Guidelines state "the information needs to convey or say something about a person, rather than just identify them”. The mere mention of a persons name doesn’t necessarily reveal personal information about them.
In this case the redacted information is merely Commonwealth Government email addresses. The information does not say anything about that person and as such it may not be considered personal information.
Freedom of Information Guidelines states “documents held by agencies often include a public servants name, work email address, position or title … Where public servants personal information is included in a document because of their usual duties it would not be unreasonable to disclose unless special circumstances existed”.
Disclosing the redacted information can only reveal that public servants were performing their public duties. The decision didn’t identify any special circumstances that would apparently warrant non-disclosure in this case. SES public servants emails are not normally redacted without reasonable explanation.
Thanks for your time, please let me know if you need further information.
Kind regards
Trav S
OFFICIAL
Hello Trav S
Please see below the response from Helen.
Kind regards
Kamron
Good morning Trav S
Thank you for your response below. We have received your request for
internal review on 1 September 2020 and we will provide a response within
30 days.
Please ensure that you respond to National Archives' FOI email only - I
have been absent for several days and I've just returned to the office.
Responding to the FOI email address ensures that your matter is actioned
promptly in the event of staff absences/leave.
Kind Regards
Helen
OFFICIAL
OFFICIAL
Dear Trav S
I refer to your request for internal review of a Freedom of Information (FOI) decision made by the National Archives of Australia on 1 September 2020 (FOI 134). Particularly, you have requested that the conditionally exempt material (under s 47F of the FOI Act) be removed and the documents be released in full.
While I note you state that full disclosure will promote the FOI Act's objectives, you have also noted that "SES public servants emails are not normally redacted without reasonable explanation".
I can advise that the names and contact information removed under s 47F(1) of the FOI Act in the original decision are of non-SES staff.
As such, I would be grateful if you could clarify whether you are seeking disclosure of SES public servant details only, or if your request for internal review is for the full disclosure and release of all information exempted in the original decision.
We seek a response by Tuesday 22 September 2020 please. If we do not receive a response by this date, we will assume your request for internal review is seeking full release irrespective of the position of staff concerned, and will proceed on this basis.
Please contact [NAA request email] should you have any questions.
Regards
Farnham Seyedi
Assistant Director
Corporate Governance
t +61 2 6212 3600
e [NAA request email]
Kings Avenue, Parkes ACT 2600
PO Box 4924 Kingston ACT 2604 | naa.gov.au
Murrulangalang
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this land and celebrate their ongoing culture and contribution to society.
OFFICIAL
Dear Farnham Seyedi-Isfahani,
Thanks for following up.
Please discontinue my internal review decision, we no longer require the information .
Thanks for your time and patience.
Yours sincerely,
Trav S
OFFICIAL
Dear Trav S
Thank you for your response. I note as per your response you have withdrawn your request for internal review. As such your application for internal review has now been closed.
Please contact [NAA request email] should you have any questions.
Regards
Farnham Seyedi
Assistant Director
Corporate Governance
t +61 2 6212 3600
e [NAA request email]
Kings Avenue, Parkes ACT 2600
PO Box 4924 Kingston ACT 2604 | naa.gov.au
Murrulangalang
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this land and celebrate their
ongoing culture and contribution to society.
OFFICIAL