Dear Grace,

In terms of the FOI Act 1982 I confirm receipt of your request below and advise that processing of it commenced on 8 March 2024.

Please be advised that, consistent with the provisions of the Information Publication Scheme, the Bank’s policy is to release all documents provided to applicants under the FOI Act 1982 on the Bank’s FOI disclosure log close to the same time they are provided to the applicant. The publication of any FOI related documents on our website will also be notified to the Bank’s RSS feed subscriber list.

Also please note that in the current environment, we intend to redact (in terms of section 22) the names and/or identifying material of junior officers (below Deputy Head of Department level) and email and phone contact details for all staff from any documents designated for release in relation to your request. If you have any issues with this intention, please let me know.

Yours sincerely

Phil Lomas | FOI Officer
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 65 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
p: +61 2 9551 9744 | e: [RBA request email] | w: http://www.rba.gov.au/

show quoted sections

Dear Grace,

I refer to your recent request seeking ‘invite list and attendance of
people at the RBA's Academic Panel and Private sector economist panels for
2023’.

I advise that we have identified 5 documents relevant to your request and
detail them below:

1 – 2023-04-01 – Academic Panel – April 2023.pdf
2 – 2023-05-17 – Private-sector economists panel – 17 May 2023 – Invite
List.pdf
3 – 2023-05-17 – Private-sector economists panel – 17 May 2023 – Final
Attendees List.pdf
4 – 2023-12-13 – Private-sector economists panel – 13 Dec 2023 – Invite
List.pdf
5 – 2023-12-13 – Private-sector economists panel – 13 Dec 2023 – Final
Attendees List.pdf

They are released to you with redactions made in terms of section [1]47F
(personal privacy) to remove material if not removed would involve the
unreasonable disclosure of personal information. The personal information
removed are contact details for people included in each document. We have
also redacted names of people that are on the attendance list but were
unable to attend on the day.
As section 47F is a public interest conditional exemption, I must consider
the public interest factors in favour of disclosure and whether factors
favouring access to the document would do any of the following from
[2]S11B:

(a)  promote the objects of this Act (including all the matters set out in
sections 3 and 3A (revealing names of people who were invited but did not
attend a function hosted by the Bank would not do this);
(b)  inform debate on a matter of public importance (revealing names of
people who were invited but did not attend a function hosted by the Bank
would not do this);
(c)  promote effective oversight of public expenditure (the personal
details of people in the lists does not concern public expenditure); or
(d)  allow a person to access his or her own [3]personal information
(disclosure would not do this).

                           
I have taken these factors into account and have considered whether
disclosure of the personal information as detailed above would, on
balance, be contrary to the public interest. It is my view that the
factors favouring access in S11B (as well as any other factors) do not
outweigh my view that disclosure is not appropriate, and therefore
disclosure would not be in the public interest. Accordingly, in my view,
denial of access to the information is appropriate in terms of section 47F
and the public interest test in section [4]11(A)(5).
Please see enclosed a pdf containing the documents for release to you.

In terms of the FOI Act, I advise that you have rights to review of my
decision if you are dissatisfied with it. You may apply as detailed below
for review of my decision.

Internal review

Under section 54 of the FOI Act, you may apply in writing to the Reserve
Bank of Australia for an internal review of my decision. The internal
review application must be made within 30 days of the date of this email,
and be lodged in one of the following ways:

email: [5][RBA request email]

post: Attn FOI Officer, SD, Reserve Bank of Australia, GPO Box 3947,
Sydney NSW 2001

Where possible, please attach reasons why you believe review of the
decision is necessary. The internal review will be carried out by another
officer within 30 days of receipt of it.

Information Commissioner review

Under section 54L of the FOI Act, you may apply to the Australian
Information Commissioner to review my decision. An application for review
by the Information Commissioner must be made in writing within 60 days of
the date of this email, and be lodged in one of the following ways:

online:
[6]https://forms.business.gov.au/smartforms...

email: [7][email address]

Yours sincerely

David Norman | Acting Secretary
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 8 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000
p: +61 2 9551 9744 | e: [8][RBA request email] | w: [9]www.rba.gov.au

show quoted sections