FOI Reference: 11874
File Reference: 24/42219
22 Jan 2025
Nosey Rosey
Right to Know
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Nosey Rosey
RE: Freedom of Information Request I refer to your request received by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the
department) on 14 December 2024 for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to:
I am seeking documents held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
concerning broad or systematic data-sharing arrangements involving personal information
originating from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). Specifically, this includes:
Formal Agreements
Memoranda of understanding (MOUs), service-level agreements (SLAs), or other documents
formalising the sharing of DVA client data with DFAT.
Governance Documents
Policies, procedures, or guidelines that detail how DFAT handles, stores, or uses personal
information received from DVA.
Privacy and Ethical Deliberations
Any privacy impact assessments, internal reviews, or records discussing the ethical, legal, or
privacy implications of handling DVA client data.
Intended Uses and Applications
Documents such as internal strategy papers, project proposals, or reports that explain why
DVA client data was accessed or shared and its intended outcomes.
Exclusions
To streamline processing, I exclude:
R G Casey Building John McEwen Cres Barton 0221
DFAT.GOV.AU
T
+61 2 6261 1111
@DFAT
Individual complaint files or case-specific records involving veterans.
Any information solely related to Centrelink Confirmation eServices (CCeS).
I am writing to provide you with a decision about your request.
Decision I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in relation to
FOI requests and have been appointed as the decision-maker on your request.
Thorough searches conducted by the Australian Consulate in Canakkale, Turkey and the
Australian Embassy in Turkey found no documents matching the description of the
documents you requested.
In accordance with section 24A(1) of the FOI Act, your request for access to documents is
refused as all reasonable steps have been taken to find the documents and I am satisfied
that the documents do not exist.
Sections of the FOI Act referenced in my decision letter can be found online at
www.legislation.gov.au.
Review rights Information about your review rights is set out in the
Attachment for your reference.
Contact Should you have any queries regarding this decision please contact the Freedom of
Information Section by email: xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Joseph McNamara
a/g Director
Freedom of Information Section
REVIEW AND COMPLAINT OPTIONS
Further information on applying for an IC
review is available on Office of the
If you consider the department made the
Australian Information Commissioner's
wrong decision, please request a review.
(OAIC) website.i
If you are dissatisfied with the way your
Third party review rights
request was processed, please make a
complaint.
Third parties who were consulted by the
department are entitled to seek an
REVIEW
internal review of the department's
How to seek a review of this decision
decision to grant access to a document.
Internal review by the department
Further information about third party
review rights is available on OAIC's
You may apply for internal review of the
website.ii
decision (section 54 of the FOI Act). The
internal review application must be made
You may also apply for an external review
within 30 calendar days from the day you
by the IC (section 54L of the FOI Act). To
receive this notice. Where possible, please
do this, you must make your application
attach reasons why you believe review of
within 30 calendar days from the day you
the decision is necessary.
receive this notice.
A new decision maker, who was not
COMPLAINT
involved in the initial decision, will review
How to make a complaint about process
your request, and make a new decision
within 30 calendar days.
Complaint to the department
Any request for internal review should be
If you wish to make a complaint about
directed via email to xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or
how your FOI request was processed by
addressed to:
the department, we welcome you sending
an email with the details of your
Freedom of Information Section
complaint to the department in the first
Department of Foreign Affairs and
instance via xxx@xxxx.xxx.xx.
Trade
R G Casey Building
Complaint to the IC
John McEwen Crescent
Barton ACT 0221
You may also make a complaint to the IC
about the Department's actions in relation
External review by the Information
to this decision (section 70 of the FOI
Commissioner (IC)
Act).
You may apply to the Australian
Further information about how to make a
Information Commissioner to review this
complaint is available on OAIC's
decision (section 54L of the FOI Act). To
website.iii
do this, you must contact the IC within 60
calendar days from the day you receive
this notice.
R G Casey Building John McEwen Cres Barton 0221
DFAT.GOV.AU
T
+61 2 6261 1111
@DFAT
