All Development Applications Including a Conflict of Interest 2011-2021 and statistics summaries.
Dear ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate,
I am seeking copies of all Development Application lodgment forms (or electronic equivalent) that include a declared conflict of interest for the period 2011 -2021 inclusive.
I also request any document that tabulates/ summarises the number of Development Applications lodged with a conflict of interest for each year 2011-2021 (or if not available any document that otherwise summarises this number over any other time period).
Yours faithfully,
R Williams
Dear R Williams
FOI 21/114398 - Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Application
I refer to your application (attached) for access to information under the
Freedom of Information Act 2016 (the Act), received by the Environment,
Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) on 5 November
2021.
Specifically you are seeking:
o copies of all Development Application lodgement forms (or electronic
equivalent) that include a declared conflict of interest for the
period 2011 -2021 inclusive
o any document that tabulates/summarises the number of Development
Applications lodged with a conflict of interest for each year
2011-2021 (or if not available any document that otherwise summarises
this number over any other time period).
Decision
In accordance with section 40 of the FOI Act, the standard processing time
requires that a decision on access to documents must be made within 20
working days of receipt, being on or by 3 December 2021.
Please note: Freedom of Information application timeframes are likely to
be impacted by COVID-19, and whilst are continuing to work to meet
statutory timeframes, this may not be possible in all instances. We are
committed to working with you and responding as best we can under the
current circumstances. We thank you for your patience and understanding
during this time.
Third Party Consultation
In processing your application, consultation with relevant third parties
may be required. In line with the Act, if third party consultation is
required, the due date may be extended by 15 working days. If this is the
case, you will be notified and advised of a revised decision due date.
Charges
Please be aware that processing charges may be payable in relation to your
request. Should you be liable to pay a processing charge, you will be
notified in writing of the preliminary assessment and given an opportunity
to make an application that the charge should be remitted in whole or in
part. Alternatively, you may wish to revise the scope of your request. A
specific request of narrow scope may reduce the time required to process
your application and the likelihood of fees applying.
Open Access Information
The Act requires that details regarding your request such as your
application, decision notices, and information released to you, must be
recorded in the agency disclosure log and made publicly available; the
disclosure log is published on
[1]https://www.environment.act.gov.au/about....
The identity of applicants is not disclosed. If you have any concerns
about the information released to you being published, please let us know.
Please contact me if you have any queries in relation to the processing of
your request.
Regards
Rachel U’Ren (she/her) | Information Governance Officer
Phone: (02) 6207 2543| Email: [2][ACT-EPD request email]
Information Governance | Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development
Directorate | ACT Government
Level 5, Scarlet Robin, 480 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson | GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601 [3]www.environment.act.gov.au |
[4]www.planning.act.gov.au
Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
References
Visible links
1. https://www.environment.act.gov.au/about...
2. mailto:[ACT-EPD request email]
3. http://www.environment.act.gov.au/
4. http://www.planning.act.gov.au/
Dear R Williams,
I am writing to seek an extension of time under Section 41 of the Freedom of information Act 2016 to finalise your application.
We request an additional 10 working days, making the decision due on or by date 17 December 2021.
Our team and Freedom of Information application timeframes are currently impacted by COVID-19 working arrangement, and whilst we are continuing to work to meet statutory timeframes, this may not be possible in all instances. We are committed to working with you and responding as best we can under the current circumstances. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
Should you have any queries in relation to the processing of your request please contact me at [ACT-EPD request email]
Rachel U'Ren (she/her) | Information Governance Officer
Phone: (02) 6207 2543| Email: [ACT-EPD request email]
Information Governance | Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate | ACT Government
Level 5, Scarlet Robin, 480 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson | GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601 www.environment.act.gov.au | www.planning.act.gov.au
Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Dear R Williams,
FOI 21/114398 – Development Applications including a Conflict of Interest
2011-2021 and statistics summaries
I refer to your application (below) received by the Environment, Planning
and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) on 5 November 2021, in
which you sought access to information under the Freedom of Information
Act 2016.
Specifically you are seeking:
1. copies of all Development Application lodgement forms (or electronic
equivalent) that include a declared conflict of interest for the
period 2011 -2021 inclusive
2. any document that tabulates/summarises the number of Development
Applications lodged with a conflict of interest for each year
2011-2021 (or if not available any document that otherwise summarises
this number over any other time period).
In relation to point 1 of your application, Development Application (DA)
lodgement forms are public register associated documents under the
Planning and Development Act 2007 and do no not require an FOI
application. We can provide the DA lodgement forms to you directly as an
informal release of information.
In relation to point 2 of your application, EPSDD has not identified any
information or document that summarises the number of applications lodged
with a conflict of interest declaration.
Please advise if you wish to withdraw your access application. Once that
is received we will provide the Development Application forms requested.
If you wish to continue this as an FOI application, we request an
extension until Monday 10 January 2022.
Thank you
Rachel U’Ren (she/her) | Information Governance Officer
Phone: (02) 6207 2543| Email: [email address]
Information Governance | Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development
Directorate | ACT Government
Level 5, Scarlet Robin, 480 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson | GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601 [1]www.environment.act.gov.au |
[2]www.planning.act.gov.au
Working days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
OFFICIAL
Dear R Williams,
Freedom of Information Decision - FOI-21/114398-DA Conflict of Interest
Declaration 2011-21
Please find attached the decision letter in relation to your Freedom of
Information application.
Please contact our team in order to arrange download access for the
documents to be released informally as due to the size and number of
documents it is not practical to provide these by email.
The FOI application and decision letter will be published on the [1]EPSDD
Disclosure Log in the next 3 to 10 working days, your personal details
will not be published.
The EPSDD FOI team can be contacted on (02) 6207 1923 or
[2][email address]
Kind Regards
Angelina Aloisi | Information Governance Officer
Information Governance
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate | ACT
Government
Phone: 02 6207 7912 | Email: [3][email address]
Level 5, 480 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson | GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601|
[4]www.environment.act.gov.au | [5]www.planning.act.gov.au
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References
Visible links
1. https://www.environment.act.gov.au/about...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.environment.act.gov.au/
5. http://www.environment.act.gov.au/
Dear EPSDFOI,
Thank you for your correspondence in relation to our FOI request.
I am sure we all appreciate the impact that COVID situations have on the timing of responses from all sides.
With regards to point 1, it may be of interest that it was the holder of the public register for these documents that indicated that while they did not have a way to classify such applications as being lodged with or without a conflict of interest acknowledgement (which, given that they are required to be done electronically seems a bit of an oversight), that such applications would be flagged and tracked once passed through to EPSDD.
The flagging of such records would be expected create a number of documents identifying such DAs, particularly in a governance/auditing/fraud control area.
To assist with identifying such records, if you could provide copies of any policies or better still any process documents detailing how such matters are to be handled internally, we can assist with identifying the relevant records so as to reduce the internal workload involved with processing this request.
With regard to the upload of relevant documents can you please advise of the approximate size of the download and appropriate arrangements will be made.
Yours sincerely,
R Williams
Good afternoon,
I refer to the previously emailed decision letter in regard to your application. The documents requested have been uploaded to the EPSDD Disclosure Log and are available via this link https://www.environment.act.gov.au/about... .
If you have any additional questions please don't hesitate to contact [email address].
Kind regards,
Ruth Alvarenga (she/her)
Assistant Director | Information Governance
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate | ACT Government