Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox of the
Australian Department of Social Services (the department). Your email,
should it be a request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982, will be actioned by the DSS FOI Team.

If your email is for any other type of enquiry, you should direct it to
[1][email address]. It will not be actioned from this inbox.

GENERAL INFORMATION

If you are seeking general information about FOI, you may find the
following websites useful:

[2]http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...

[3]http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...

PROCESS

An FOI Officer has received your email and it will be actioned
accordingly. In the case of a valid FOI request, you can expect us to
provide you with an acknowledgment that the request has been received
within 14 days. We may contact you earlier if we need to discuss
particular aspects of your request.

REQUESTS OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS

Please note that if this message has been received outside our business
hours of 9am to 5pm (Eastern Standard Time), Monday to Friday or on
a public holiday, your request will be actioned on the next business day.

                CHRISTMAS SHUTDOWN PERIOD

The department will be closed from midday 24 December 2019 to 2 January
2020. Please note this mailbox will not be monitored during this time.

The FOI team will contact all applicants making FOI requests in December
2019 to request a 30-day extension in order to complete their request. The
extension timeframe is negotiable pending discussion with the applicant.

Kind regards

DSS FOI Team
Email: [4][Department of Social Services request email]

References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]

Dear Asher Hirsch

I refer to your below correspondence received by the Department of Social
Services (the Department) on 17 December 2019, in which you requested
access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The subject matter of your request closely relates to the functions of the
Department of Home Affairs.

I am writing to inform you that your request has been transferred to the
Department of Home Affairs under the provisions of section 16 of the FOI
Act on the basis that your request more closely relates to the
responsibilities and functions of that agency.

The Department of Home Affairs has agreed to accept the transfer and will
contact you shortly in relation to this matter.

Should you have any queries about this matter, please do not hesitate to
contact the Freedom of Information Team via email at [1][Department of Social Services request email].

Kind regards

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Judy Lamb

Assistant Director, Freedom of Information and Portfolio Appointments

Strategic Coordination Section

Government and Executive Services Branch

Department of Social Services

The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and
to Elders both past and present.

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show quoted sections

UNCLASSIFIED

In reply please quote:

FOI Request:       FA 19/12/01273

File Number:       OBJ2019/63315 

Dear Mr Hirsch,

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

I refer to your correspondence received on 17 December 2019 seeking access
to documents held by the Department of Social Services under the Freedom
of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

You have requested access to the following:

The April 2019 consultant report to DSS on subcontracting under the
Humanitarian Settlement Program.

This report was referenced in the recent ANAO report 'Delivery of the
Humanitarian Settlement Program' in paragraph 2.62.

The subject matter of the documents requested by you is more closely
connected with the functions of the Department of Home Affairs (the
Department) than the functions of the Department of Social Services.
As such, your request was transferred to the Department on
20 December 2019 under section 16 of the FOI Act.

Your request was received on 17 December 2019 and has been allocated FOI
request number FA 19/12/01273 . Please include your FOI request number in
all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.

Timeframe for receiving your decision

The statutory timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the date
upon which your application was received by the Department.

Duplicate documents

If the FOI decision-maker deems a document to be a duplicate, they will
not assess those pages as part of your FOI request. This means that if a
there is a decision to release the document to you, you will receive only
one copy, even if multiple copies of that document exists.

Contacting the FOI Section

Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at
[email address].

Yours sincerely,

FOI Officer

Freedom of Information National Office

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division | Corporate and Enabling Group

Department of Home Affairs | Email: [email address]

UNCLASSIFIED

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately.  This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
 

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. 
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.  

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

UNCLASSIFIED

Good afternoon

I refer to your request received on 17 December 2019 for access to the
following document under the FOI Act:

The April 2019 consultant report to DSS on subcontracting under the
Humanitarian Settlement Program

The current due date for your request is 16 January 2020. 

In order for the Department to complete the decision making process in
relation to the documents that fall within the scope of your request, the
Department seeks your agreement under section 15AA of the FOI Act to
extend the timeframe for the processing of your request by 30 days.  This
would extend the due date for your request to Saturday 15 February 2020.
However, as this date falls on a non-working day, section 36(2) of the
Acts Interpretation Act 1901 provides that the latest date the Department
may issue a decision would be the next working day, which is Monday 17
February 2020.

If you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to
contact me on the details below.

With kind regards

Freedom of Information Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division | Corporate and Enabling Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [1][email address]

UNCLASSIFIED

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately.  This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
 

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. 
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.  

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

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1. mailto:[email address]

OFFICIAL

Good morning

FOI request FA 19/12/01273

I refer to your FOI request received on 17 December 2020, seeking access
to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

The Department has made a decision on this request. Please find attached
the decision on access.

With kind regards

Freedom of Information Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division

Strategy and Law Enforcement Group

Department of Home Affairs

E: [1][email address]

OFFICIAL

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately.  This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
 

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. 
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.  

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Hirsch

FOI request FA 19/12/01273

I refer to your FOI request received on 17 December 2019, seeking access
to the following:

The April 2019 consultant report to DSS on subcontracting under the
Humanitarian Settlement Program. This report was referenced in the recent
ANAO report 'Delivery of the Humanitarian Settlement Program' in paragraph
2.62.

On 7 September 2020 the Department advised you of its decision on this
request, however, the document was not sent to you as a third party
reserved its review rights. The review rights have now expired, so the
Department is releasing the document to you under the FOI Act.

This request has now been closed.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Officer

FOI Section

FOI and Records Management Branch

Data Division

Strategy & Law Enforcement Group

Email: [1][email address]

Department of Home Affairs - [2]www.homeaffairs.gov.au

OFFICIAL

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received
this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and
attachments immediately.  This email, including attachments, may contain
confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information.
 

Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information
by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. 
The Department of Home Affairs and ABF respect your privacy and have
obligations under the Privacy Act 1988.  

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/