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Our reference: FOI 24/25-0731 
GPO Box 700 
Canberra   ACT   2601 
1800 800 110 
17 January 2025 
 
ndis.gov.au 
 
 
 
Bob Buckley 
 
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 
Dear Bob Buckley 
 
Freedom of Information request - Notification of Decision 
 
Thank you for your correspondence of 5 November 2024, seeking access under the 
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to documents held by the National Disability 
Insurance Agency (NDIA). 
 
The purpose of this letter is to notify you of my decision on your application.  
 
Scope of your request  
 
You requested access to the following documents: 
 
“…The document at link 
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttoknow.
org.au%2Frequest%2F11735%2Fresponse%2F37101%2Fattach%2F6%2FFOI%25202
4.25%25200080%2520Decision%2520Notice%2520of%2520Decision.pdf&data=05%7C
02%7Cfoi%40ndis.gov.au%7Cde54526920bd42ec34e408dcfd0dc160%7Ccd778b65752
d454a87cfb9990fe58993%7C0%7C0%7C638663482908055288%7CUnknown%7CTWF
pbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIk
FOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vLpHoGC7zBokP
cLiR1oxJULRIzLM70k59ZNSH3ON%2FXE%3D&reserved=0 
 
said "The Legal Practice and Capability Branch confirmed that this guide is due to be 
reviewed 12 months from September 2023." The "this guide" referred to is the  NDIA’s 
AAT Case Management Guide for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Previously, 
revealed in FOI 23/24-0029 - 
see  https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fa4.org.au%2
Fnode%2F2567&data=05%7C02%7Cfoi%40ndis.gov.au%7Cde54526920bd42ec34e408
dcfd0dc160%7Ccd778b65752d454a87cfb9990fe58993%7C0%7C0%7C6386634829080
70978%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuM
DAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C
%7C&sdata=Vu7rABts2NVNw5lknkgCuNoJvpHKAQuYPd8hPS3SdB4%3D&reserved=0 
 
I here request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, all information and 
records: 
 
1. relating to the responsibility for any review of the document, specifically the NDIA’s 
AAT Case Management Guide for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), being transferred 
to or residing in the NDIA's Legal Practice and Capability Branch, and 
 
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2. the conduct of or progress towards the scheduled review in "12 months from 
September 2023.” 
 
The purpose of this letter is to notify you of my decision on your application.  
 
Extension of time 
On 16 November 2024, you agreed to a 15-day extension of time under section 15AA of the 
FOI Act, making 20 December 2024 the new date to provide you with a decision on access. I 
apologise that we did not meet this deadline. We have been experiencing processing delays 
and were not able to provide you with our decision by the due date.  
 
Consequently, we are deemed to have refused your application under section 15AC of the 
FOI Act. Therefore, internal review of this decision is not an option. However, your right to 
apply for an external review with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner 
remains protected. Please see Attachment B for more information about your rights of 
review. 
 
Search efforts   
I have made enquiries with relevant NDIA staff in Legal Practice and Capability Branch. 
They have conducted searches and advised they did not locate any documents relevant to 
the scope of your request. 
 
Decision on access to documents 
I am authorised to make decisions under section 23(1) of the FOI Act. Pursuant to section 
24A of the FOI Act, I have decided to refuse access to the information you have requested 
on the basis that the documents do not exist or cannot be located.  
 
In reaching my decision, I took the following into account: 
  your correspondence outlining the scope of your request  
  the FOI Act 
  the FOI Guidelines published under section 93A of the FOI Act  
  consultation with relevant officers of the NDIA and  
  the NDIA’s operating environment and functions. 
 
The reasons for my decision are set out in Attachment A of this decision letter. 
 
Rights of review 
Your rights to seek a review of my decision, or lodge a complaint, are set out at 
Attachment B. 
 
If you have any enquiries about this matter, please contact me by email at xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Ramya (RMO 260) 
Senior Freedom of Information Officer 
Complaints Management & FOI Branch 
General Counsel Division 
 
 
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Attachment A 
 
Statement of Reasons 
FOI Application FOI 24/25-0731 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
 
Refused information 
I have refused access to the information you requested under section 24A of the FOI Act on 
the basis that documents containing such information are unlocatable or do not exist. 
 
Relevant law 
Under the FOI Act, a person has a right to be given access to documents of an agency. 
However, the right of access is subject to limitations, including grounds for refusal of access. 
Section 24A of the FOI Act states that an agency may refuse a request for access to a 
document if all reasonable steps have been taken to find the document and the agency is 
satisfied that the document cannot be found or does not exist.   
 
Searches for documents 
After reviewing the scope of your FOI application, I identified the need to make enquiries with 
the NDIA’s Legal Practice and Capability Branch for documents relevant to the scope of your 
request. 
 
The NDIA’s Chief Counsel Division is responsible for leading the review of the AAT Case 
Management Guide for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). 
 
Following the enactment of the NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No 1) 
Act 2024, the work program of the division will be focused on new guidance material and 
revisions to existing material.   
 
It is expected that the review of the NDIA’s AAT Case Management Guide for Applied 
Behaviour Analysis (ABA) will occur in 2025.  
 
As such there are no documents pertaining to NDIA’s AAT Case Management Guide for 
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and its review, that can be provided at this point. 
  
Conclusion  
Based on the information I have received from NDIA’s Legal Practice and Capability Branch, 
I consider there are reasonable grounds to be satisfied that documents containing the 
information you seek do not exist. I have therefore decided to refuse access to the 
information under section 24A(1) of the FOI Act on the basis that the information does not 
exist. 
 
 
 
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Attachment B 
 
Your review rights  
 
 
Review by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner 
The FOI Act also gives you the right to apply to the Office of the Australian Information 
Commissioner (OAIC) to seek a review of this decision. 
 
If you wish to have the decision reviewed by the OAIC, you may apply for review within 60 
days of receiving this letter.  
 
You can apply to the OAIC for review in the following ways: 
 
Online: 
www.oaic.gov.au  
Post:  
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001 
Email: 
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx 
Phone: 
1300 363 992 (local call charge) 
 
Complaints to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the 
Commonwealth Ombudsman 
You may complain to either the Commonwealth Ombudsman or the OAIC about actions the 
NDIA took in relation to your request. The Ombudsman will consult with the OAIC before 
investigating a complaint about the handling of an FOI request. 
 
You can make a complaint to the OAIC using the contact details identified above, or to the 
Ombudsman by: 
 
Phone: 
1300 362 072 (local call charge) 
Email:  
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx  
 
Your complaint should set out the grounds on which you consider the OAIC or the 
Ombudsman should investigate the NDIA’s handling of your FOI request. 
 
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