15 July 2024
Alex Cambridge
BY EMAIL: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 24/06/01190
File Number: FA24/06/01190
Dear Alex Cambridge
Freedom of Information (FOI) request
On 25 June 2024, the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) received a request for
access to information under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).
1
Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:
1. The number of on-hand (ie ongoing and not finalised) investigations into suspected breaches
of the APS Code of Conduct as of 25 June 2024
2. The average processing time of investigations into suspected breaches of the APS Code of
Conduct finalised since 1 July 2023.
On 1 July 2024 you agreed to revise the scope of your request to the following:
1. The number of open investigations into suspected breaches of the APS Code of Conduct
being conducted by Integrity Investigations Section as of 25 June 2024, where the subject of
the investigation has been notified they are under such investigation. I am not seeking any
details about such investigations, simply the number of investigations ongoing at the specified
date.
2. The average processing time of investigations into suspected breaches of the APS Code of
Conduct that were undertaken by Integrity Investigations Section and that were finalised since
1 January 2024. By processing time I refer to time that elapsed between the subject of the
investigation being notified they were under such an investigation, and when the matter was
closed.
808 Bourke Street
• Telephone: • www.homeaffairs.gov.au
2
Authority to make decision
I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the FOI Act to make decisions in respect of
requests to access document or to amend or annotate records.
3
Relevant material
In reaching my decision I referred to the following:
• the terms of your request
• the document relevant to the request
• the FOI Act
• Guidelines published by the Office of the Information Commissioner under section 93A
of the FOI Act (the FOI Guidelines)
• advice from Departmental officers with responsibility for matters relating to the
document to which you sought access.
4
Document in scope of request
In accordance with section 17 of the FOI Act, the Department has used its computer system to
produce one document that contains information that falls within the scope of your request. The
data produced in the document existed in the possession of the Department on 25 June 2024
when your FOI request was received.
5
Decision
The decision in relation to the document in the possession of the Department which fall within
the scope of your request is as follows:
• Release one document in full.
6
Legislation
A copy of the FOI Act is available at https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562. If you
are unable to access the legislation through this website, please contact our office for a copy.
7
Your review rights
If you disagree with this decision, you have the right to apply for either an internal review or an
Information Commissioner review of the decision.
Internal review
If you want the Department to review this decision, you must make your internal review request
within 30 days of being notified of this decision.
When making your internal review request, please provide the Department with the reasons why
you consider this decision should be changed.
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You can send your internal review request to:
Email: xxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Or
Postal mail:
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs
GPO Box 241 MELBOURNE VIC 3001
The internal review wil be carried out by an officer who is more senior than the original decision
maker. The Department must make its decision on the review within 30 days of receiving your
request for internal review.
Information Commissioner review
If you want the Australian Information Commissioner to review this decision, you must make
your request to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) within 60 days of
being notified of this decision. You can find more information about Information Commissioner
reviews on the OAIC website.
You can apply for an Information Commissioner review using the Information Commissioner
review application form on the OAIC website.
8
Making a complaint
You may make a complaint to the Australian Information Commissioner if you have concerns
about how the Department has handled your request under the FOI Act. This is a separate
process to the process of requesting a review of the decision as indicated above.
You can make an FOI complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
(OAIC) at: FOI Complaint Form on the OAIC website.
9
Contacting the FOI Section
Should you wish to discuss this decision, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Section at
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Yours sincerely
Melissa Kay
Position number 60037742
Authorised Decision Maker
Department of Home Affairs
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