Thank you for your email addressed to the Freedom of Information (FOI)
Section in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

We have received your email and it will be actioned accordingly.

If this message has been received outside business operating hours 09.00
to 17.00 (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) Monday to Friday, your request
will be actioned on the next business day.

For further information on FOI in DIAC and how to request access to or to
amend information held by DIAC, please [1]visit our website.

To access our disclosure log of information released under FOI by DIAC
[2]click here.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information
Department of Immigration and Citizenship

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.immi.gov.au/about/foi/foi.htm
2. http://www.immi.gov.au/about/foi/foi-dis...

Dear Mr Wilson

Please see attached acknowledgement of your recent FOI Request.  

(See attached file: FA130400129.pdf)

Yours sincerely

Marianne Nolte-Crimp
FOI & Privacy Policy Section
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6264 1757
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Our references: FA 13/04/00129; ADF2013/9811

Good morning Mr Wilson

I refer to your request for access to documents relating to:

      I write requesting information under the Freedom of Information
 Act.
     
     I would like to access any reports on the number of emails received
 by the department and its predecessor department DIMIA, from the public
from 2000 onwards.
     
     I am looking for quantitative summaries of emails on an annual basis
over that period, although quarterly or monthly would also be welcome.
     
     An example of a government agency having done this can be found here,
where DPS compiled this information for me
     
   
 [1]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/v...
     
     But any form in which you have the information will be welcome.
     
     For your information, this will assist with my academic research
about public communication.

The current due date for your request is 25 April 2013. 

However, due to the number of requests currently being processed by our
office, we will not be able to finalise your request by the original due
date. The delays by DIAC have been investigated by the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner in a recent 'own motion'
investigation. A copy of the report can be read
here [2]http://www.oaic.gov.au/publications/repo...

Therefore, DIAC seeks your agreement (under s.15AA of the Act) to extend
the timeframe for processing this request by 30 days. This would make the
due date for your request  25 May 2013.

It would assist DIAC managing its caseload if you could provide a response
to this request by close of business Tuesday, 9 Apruil 2013.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss.

Yours sincerely

Madi Stanford
Helpdesk Officer
FOI & Privacy Policy Section
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6198 7525
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/v...
2. http://www.oaic.gov.au/publications/repo...

Thank you for your email addressed to the Freedom of Information (FOI)
Section in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

We have received your email and it will be actioned accordingly.

If this message has been received outside business operating hours 09.00
to 17.00 (Australian Eastern Standard Time) Monday to Friday, your request
will be actioned on the next business day.

For further information on FOI in DIAC and how to request access to or to
amend information held by DIAC, please [1]visit our website.

To access our disclosure log of information released under FOI by DIAC
[2]click here.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information
Department of Immigration and Citizenship

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.immi.gov.au/about/foi/foi.htm
2. http://www.immi.gov.au/about/foi/foi-dis...

Dear Dr Wilson

Please see attached acknowledgement of your recent FOI Request.  

(See attached file: FA 13 04 00302.pdf)

Yours sincerely

Madi Stanford
Helpdesk Officer
FOI & Privacy Policy Section
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6198 7525
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Our references: FA 13/04/00302 ; ADF2013/10250

Good afternoon Dr Wilson

I refer to your request for access to documents relating to:

Original Scope:

"I would like to get data on the volume of electronic mail to the
minister's office from 2000 through 2012.
       
I would like to see any reports, records of traffic or communications that
show how much data the minister's email address is receiving across that
period."

Clarified scope as of 09/04/2013:

"I am primarily interested in emails from members of the public to
ministerial addresses. If it is possible to disambiguate this from
internal traffic, I am very happy to have those figures specifically.
     
I am interested in all ministers connected with the department in the time
period mentioned (2000 through 2012). So
     
     Philip Ruddock
     Amanda Vanstone
     Kevin Andrews
     Chris Evans
     Chris Bowen
     Brendan O'Connor
     Kate Lundy
     
I am not interested in Parliamentary Secretaries."

The current due date for your request is Thursday 9 May 2013.

However, due to the number of requests currently being processed by our
office, we may not be able to finalise your request by the original due
date. The delays by DIAC have been investigated by the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner in a recent 'own motion'
investigation. A copy of the report can be read here
[1]http://www.oaic.gov.au/publications/repo...

Therefore, DIAC seeks your agreement (under s.15AA of the Act) to extend
the timeframe for processing this request by 30 days. This would make the
due date for your request Saturday 8 June 2013.

It would assist DIAC managing its caseload if you could provide a response
to this request by close of business Friday 12 April 2013.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss.

Yours sincerely

Madi Stanford
Helpdesk Officer
FOI & Privacy Policy Section
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6198 7525
Email: [email address]
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Department of Immigration and Citizenship

show quoted sections

Dear Dr Wilson

Our reference - ADF2013/9811, FA 13/04/00129

This email is to update you on the current status of your request and to
adivse you of the department's proposed release of information to you
outside the FOI Act.  

The scope of your request FA 13/04/00129 received on 26 March is as
follows:

"...I would like to access any reports on the number of emails
received by the department and its predecessor department DIMIA, from
the public from 2000 onwards.

     
     I am looking for quantitative summaries of emails on an annual
basis over that period, although quarterly or monthly would also be
welcome.
     
     An example of a government agency having done this can be found
here, where DPS compiled this information for me:    
   
 [1]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/v...
     
     But any form in which you have the information will be welcome.
     
     For your information, this will assist with my academic research
about public communication."

   
The FOI section has been in contact with business area most relevant to
your request.  The business area has produced some of the information you
require, via monthly Management Summary reports prepared by our Secure
Gateway Services provider and is willing to provide that information to
you outside the FOI Act.  However, this only covers the period that the
current service provider took over management of the email gateway in
September 2008.  The previous service provider was not required to provide
that level of detail.  Further to that, to obtain statistical information
prior to that period would be costly and time consuming to the department,
to the extent that the request may be refused under s24AA of the FOI Act
as being a substantial and unreasonable diversion of resources.  

If you would be agreeable to obtaining the information outlined above,
covering the period from September 2008 to today, could you please advise
me via email to [email address].  If you are agreeable to receiving the
information that the department does have outside the FOI Act, please
advise if you wish to withdraw your FOI request.

Please feel free to email me at this email address, or telephone me on the
number below if you wish to discuss any aspect of this email.

Kind regards

Steven Hocking
Assistant Director
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6264 1007
[mobile number]
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/v...

Dear Dr Wilson

Our reference - ADF2013/10250, FA 13/04/00302

This purpose of this email is to update you on the current status of your
request.  The scope of your request FA 13/04/00302 received on 9 April is
as follows:

I would like to get data on the volume of electronic mail to the
minister's office from 2000 through 2012.
       
I would like to see any reports, records of traffic or communications
that show how much data the minister's email address is receiving across
that period.

Clarified scope as of 09/04/2013:

I am primarily interested in emails from members of the public to
ministerial addresses. If it is possible to disambiguate this from
internal traffic, I am very happy to have those figures specifically.
     
I am interested in all ministers connected with the department in the
time period mentioned (2000 through 2012). So
     
     Philip Ruddock
     Amanda Vanstone
     Kevin Andrews
     Chris Evans
     Chris Bowen
     Brendan O'Connor
     Kate Lundy
     
I am not interested in Parliamentary Secretaries.

The FOI section has been in contact with business area most relevant to
your request.  The business area has advised that the department does not
produce reports that contain the information you require to the detail you
have requested.  DIAC uses an external service provider to manage the
email gateway system.  The current service provider took over management
of the email gateway in September 2008.  The previous service provider was
not required to provide that level of detail.  To disambiguate the emails
received from members of the public from internal traffic would take a
significant amount of time.  In addition, while the department has a
Ministerial Correspondence Section that does keep records of communication
with the Minsters' Offices, those records to not distinguish between mail,
email or email transferred via internal email.  

Please advise if you wish to withdraw your FOI request or if you wish us
to continue to process, noting that it will be a refusal under s24A.  

Kind regards

Steven Hocking
Assistant Director
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6264 1007
[mobile number]
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Our references: FA 13/04/00302; ADF2013/10250

Dear Dr Wilson

Please find attached the response to your request for:(See attached file:
FA 130400302 Wilson - Signed Decision Letter.pdf)

“I would like to get data on the volume of electronic mail to the
minister's office from 2000 through 2012.
       
I would like to see any reports, records of traffic or communications
that show how much data the minister's email address is receiving across
that period.

Clarified scope as of 09/04/2013:

I am primarily interested in emails from members of the public to
ministerial addresses. If it is possible to disambiguate this from
internal traffic, I am very happy to have those figures specifically.
     
I am interested in all ministers connected with the department in the
time period mentioned (2000 through 2012). So
     
     Philip Ruddock
     Amanda Vanstone
     Kevin Andrews
     Chris Evans
     Chris Bowen
     Brendan O'Connor
     Kate Lundy
     
I am not interested in Parliamentary Secretaries.”

Regards

Steven Hocking
Assistant Director
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
[email address]  

show quoted sections

Thank you for your email addressed to the Freedom of Information (FOI)
Section in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

We have received your email and it will be actioned accordingly.

If this message has been received outside business operating hours 09.00
to 17.00 (Australian Eastern Standard Time) Monday to Friday, your request
will be actioned on the next business day.

For further information on FOI in DIAC and how to request access to or to
amend information held by DIAC, please [1]visit our website.

To access our disclosure log of information released under FOI by DIAC
[2]click here.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information
Department of Immigration and Citizenship

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.immi.gov.au/about/foi/foi.htm
2. http://www.immi.gov.au/about/foi/foi-dis...

Our references: FA 13/04/00302; ADF2013/10250

Good afternoon Dr Wilson

Thank you for your reply to my decision letter.

In regards to your comments below, my decision has been finalised and your
request for documents was refused under s24A.  

It may be possible to obtain the information you were requesting from
September 2008 onwards, however, a new request would be required.  

I should also inform you that we will seek to impose charges for the
recovery of that information, as it will require a dedicated allocation of
resources to extract the data you seek.  

Regards
Steven Hocking
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
[1]Inactive hide details for Jason Wilson
<[FOI #82 email]>Jason Wilson
<[FOI #82 email]>

Jason Wilson To [email address]
<[FOI #82 email]>  cc
Re: FOI Request -
03/05/2013 12:46 PM Subject FA 13/04/00302 -
Decision
[SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Protective
Mark

     Dear Stephen,
   
    Sorry about not replying to your last two - I have been doing field
    work and not in email contact.
   
    I'd be very happy to recieve the information from 2008, if that's
    still possible. If I need to make another request, that's fine, I'm
    happy to start again.
   
    Yours faithfully,
   
    Jason Wilson
   
   

show quoted sections

Our references: FA 13/04/00129; ADF2013/9811
Dear Dr Wilson

Please find attached the response to your request for:

"...I would like to access any reports on the number of emails received
by the department and its predecessor department DIMIA, from the public
from 2000 onwards.
     
I am looking for quantitative summaries of emails on an annual basis
over that period, although quarterly or monthly would also be welcome.
     
An example of a government agency having done this can be found here,
where DPS compiled this information for me:    
[1]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/v...
     
But any form in which you have the information will be welcome.
     
For your information, this will assist with my academic research about
public communication."

(See attached file: FA 130400129 Wilson Decision Letter signed.pdf)(See
attached file: FA 130400129 DIAC inbound email count Sep08-Mar13.pdf)

Regards

Steven Hocking
Assistant Director
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
[email address]  

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/v...