OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

 

 

Dear Mr Betts

 

Thank you for your email of 16 October 2025 requesting access to documents
held by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications, Sport and the Arts (the Department) under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

You have requested access to:

 

Document(s) you rely upon to deem the Tesla Self Driving cars safe for
Australian road use.
Any internal emails that may rise concerns of safety of these vehicles.
Who (the individual) authorised these vehicles for Australian road use.

 

Your request has been allocated the reference number FOI 26-128. Could you
please ensure that you quote this reference number in all future
correspondence with the Department.

 

Timeframes

The statutory due date for you to receive a decision on your request is 17
November 2025. This date may be extended in certain circumstances, and in
the event that this occurs, the Department will notify you.  Where the due
date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the timeframe will
expire on the next working day.

 

Other information

Please note that the Department considers the following information
outside the scope of your request unless you specifically request it:

o personal information of third-party individuals; including public
servants below the SES level and all email addresses, signatures and
direct telephone numbers
o any duplicates and drafts of final versions of documents captured by
your request
o any correspondence sent directly to or from you.

 

The Department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to the documents in accordance with the Freedom of Information
(Charges) Regulations. You will be notified separately if the Department
decides to impose a charge. There is no charge for documents that contain
your own personal information.

 

Where documents are released to you under the FOI Act in response to your
request, the Department must publish those documents on its FOI Disclosure
Log within 10 business days of their release to you, unless they contain
personal information or business affairs information that would be
unreasonable to publish. Further information regarding the Department’s
FOI Disclosure Log can be found [1]here.

 

Should you have any questions relating to your request, please do not
hesitate to contact the FOI Section via email to
 [2][email address]

 

Kind regards

FOI Coordinator

Freedom of Information Section • Enabling Services Division

P 02 6136 8114

E [3][Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]

GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications, Sport and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS  •  ENRICHING COMMUNITIES  •  EMPOWERING REGIONS

[4]infrastructure.gov.au                [5][IMG]

 

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on
which we meet, work and live.

I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters
and communities.

I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders.

 

OFFICIAL

 

OFFICIAL

References

Visible links
1. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/about-...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]
4. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
5. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...

OFFICIAL

Good afternoon Mr Betts

 

On 16 October 2025, you requested access to documents held by the
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications and the Arts (the Department) under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).  The current due date for your request
is: Saturday, 15 November 2025.

 

We have completed document search and retrieval and are working to
finalise a decision on your request as soon as possible. However, due to
competing priorities for the relevant decision maker, the Department
requires additional time to be able to finalise this decision.

 

Section 15AA of the FOI Act enables the Department to seek your agreement
to an extension of up to 30 days. At this point, we are requesting a
13-day extension.

 

If you agree to this extension, the due date for a decision to be provided
to you will become Friday, 28 November 2025.

 

If you do not agree, we will need to consider seeking an extension from
the [1]Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

 

To assist us with the management of your request, we are requesting a
response from you by Monday, 17 November 2025.

 

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via
email at [2][email address].

 

Kind regards

 

FOI Coordinator

Freedom of Information Section • Enabling Services Division

[3][Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]

P +61 2 6136 8114
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601

 

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications, Sport and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS  •  ENRICHING COMMUNITIES  •  EMPOWERING REGIONS

[4]infrastructure.gov.au                [5][IMG]

 

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on which we meet,
work and live.

I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters
and communities.

I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people.

 

OFFICIAL

From: FOI <[email address]>
Sent: Friday, 24 October 2025 11:51 AM
To: [FOI #13876 email]
Subject: FOI 26-128 – Acknowledgement of Request [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

OFFICIAL

 

OFFICIAL

 

 

Dear Mr Betts

 

Thank you for your email of 16 October 2025 requesting access to documents
held by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications, Sport and the Arts (the Department) under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

You have requested access to:

 

Document(s) you rely upon to deem the Tesla Self Driving cars safe for
Australian road use.
Any internal emails that may rise concerns of safety of these vehicles.
Who (the individual) authorised these vehicles for Australian road use.

 

Your request has been allocated the reference number FOI 26-128. Could you
please ensure that you quote this reference number in all future
correspondence with the Department.

 

Timeframes

The statutory due date for you to receive a decision on your request is 17
November 2025. This date may be extended in certain circumstances, and in
the event that this occurs, the Department will notify you.  Where the due
date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the timeframe will
expire on the next working day.

 

Other information

Please note that the Department considers the following information
outside the scope of your request unless you specifically request it:

• personal information of third-party individuals; including public
servants below the SES level and all email addresses, signatures and
direct telephone numbers
• any duplicates and drafts of final versions of documents captured by
your request
• any correspondence sent directly to or from you.

 

The Department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to the documents in accordance with the Freedom of Information
(Charges) Regulations. You will be notified separately if the Department
decides to impose a charge. There is no charge for documents that contain
your own personal information.

 

Where documents are released to you under the FOI Act in response to your
request, the Department must publish those documents on its FOI Disclosure
Log within 10 business days of their release to you, unless they contain
personal information or business affairs information that would be
unreasonable to publish. Further information regarding the Department’s
FOI Disclosure Log can be found [6]here.

 

Should you have any questions relating to your request, please do not
hesitate to contact the FOI Section via email to
 [7][email address]

 

Kind regards

FOI Coordinator

Freedom of Information Section • Enabling Services Division

P 02 6136 8114

E [8][Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]

GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications, Sport and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS  •  ENRICHING COMMUNITIES  •  EMPOWERING REGIONS

[9]infrastructure.gov.au                [10][IMG]

 

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on
which we meet, work and live.

I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters
and communities.

I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders.

 

 

OFFICIAL

 

 

OFFICIAL

References

Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]
4. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
5. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/depart...
6. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/about-...
7. mailto:[email address]
8. mailto:[Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]
9. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
10. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...