Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional headquarters in Australia

Response to this request is delayed. By law, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade should normally have responded promptly and by (details)

Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

About the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional headquarters in Australia signed in 2005, is it possible to provide any of the 3 items in the following?

(1) A copy of the Arrangement as signed in 2005.

(2) Written confirmation of any assurances or other representations from the State of New South Wales or other States in Australia to accord ICRC with certain exemptions or immunities or privileges or the like.

(3) Documents in writing, including any electronic or paper/physical documents, within DFAT or between DFAT and other Australian government entities (such as Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, or Federal Executive Council), on the conclusion of the Arrangement between the Australian Government and ICRC.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

Tyler

FOI FOI, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

1 Attachment

OFFICIAL

 

FOI Request: LEX 11537

 

Dear Tyler

 

Thank you for your email dated 27 August 2024 seeking access to documents
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).

 

Scope of request:

You have sought access to:

 

About the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional
headquarters in Australia signed in 2005, is it possible to provide any of
the 3 items in the following?

 

(1)   A copy of the Arrangement as signed in 2005.

(2)   Written confirmation of any assurances or other representations from
the State of New South Wales or other States in Australia to accord ICRC
with certain exemptions or immunities or privileges or the like.

(3)   Documents in writing, including any electronic or paper/physical
documents, within DFAT or between DFAT and other Australian government
entities (such as Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, or Federal
Executive Council), on the conclusion of the Arrangement between the
Australian Government and ICRC.

 

If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large
for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the
request.

 

Timeframe for receiving our decision:

We received your request on 27 August 2024, and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
A decision is currently due to you by Thursday 26 September 2024. The
period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances. 

 

Charges:

Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests.  If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when
we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your
request.

 

Disclosure log:

Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the
department’s [1]disclosure log.

 

Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:

It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of
junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the
Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email
addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone
numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including
reference numbers. If you require this information, please let us know at
[2][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we will
take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope
of your request.

 

Personal Information:

If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your
FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your
name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,
even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have
any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department
handles personal information is accessible via our [3]privacy policy.

 

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by reply email.

 

Kind regards

 

DFAT FOI Team

_____________________________________________________
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

[4]dfat.gov.au | [5]X | [6]Facebook | [7]Instagram  | [8]LinkedIn

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tyler <[FOI #11952 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 4:16 PM
To: FOI FOI <[DFAT request email]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Freedom of Information request - Arrangement between
the Government of Australia and the International Committee of the Red
Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional headquarters in Australia

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside the organisation. Do not click
links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender.

 

Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

 

 

 

About the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional
headquarters in Australia signed in 2005, is it possible to provide any of
the 3 items in the following?

 

 

 

(1) A copy of the Arrangement as signed in 2005.

 

 

 

(2) Written confirmation of any assurances or other representations from
the State of New South Wales or other States in Australia to accord ICRC
with certain exemptions or immunities or privileges or the like.

 

 

 

(3) Documents in writing, including any electronic or paper/physical
documents, within DFAT or between DFAT and other Australian government
entities (such as Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, or Federal
Executive Council), on the conclusion of the Arrangement between the
Australian Government and ICRC.

 

 

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

Tyler

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

 

[9][FOI #11952 email]

 

 

 

Is [10][DFAT request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? If so, please contact
us using this form:

 

[11]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

 

 

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

 

[12]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

 

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

 

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora...
2. mailto:[DFAT request email]
3. https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora...
4. https://www.dfat.gov.au/
5. https://x.com/DFAT
6. https://www.facebook.com/dfat.gov.au/
7. https://www.instagram.com/dfat/?hl=en
8. https://au.linkedin.com/company/departme...
9. mailto:[FOI #11952 email]
10. mailto:[DFAT request email]
11. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
12. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

hide quoted sections

FOI FOI, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

1 Attachment

OFFICIAL

 

FOI Request: LEX 11537

 

Dear Tyler

 

Thank you for your FOI request to the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (the department).

 

The department has experienced delays in searching for and retrieving
documents potentially relevant to the scope of your request due to the age
of the documents.

 

We write to seek your agreement to an extension of 14 calendar days to
process your FOI request in accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.
This would mean that a decision would then be due to you by Thursday 10
October 2024.

 

The additional time will enable the department to finalise its processes
and provide you with an outcome.

 

Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly
as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is available.

 

We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request reply email
by COB Thursday 19 September 2024.

 

If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.

Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.

 

Kind regards

 

Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team

_____________________________________________________
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram  | [5]LinkedIn

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.

From: FOI FOI
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 3:32 PM
To: Tyler <[FOI #11952 email]>
Subject: Your FOI request - Acknowledgement (LEX 11537) [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

OFFICIAL

 

FOI Request: LEX 11537

 

Dear Tyler

 

Thank you for your email dated 27 August 2024 seeking access to documents
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

This email sets out some information about how your request will be
processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).

 

Scope of request:

You have sought access to:

 

About the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional
headquarters in Australia signed in 2005, is it possible to provide any of
the 3 items in the following?

 

(1)   A copy of the Arrangement as signed in 2005.

(2)   Written confirmation of any assurances or other representations from
the State of New South Wales or other States in Australia to accord ICRC
with certain exemptions or immunities or privileges or the like.

(3)   Documents in writing, including any electronic or paper/physical
documents, within DFAT or between DFAT and other Australian government
entities (such as Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, or Federal
Executive Council), on the conclusion of the Arrangement between the
Australian Government and ICRC.

 

If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large
for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the
request.

 

Timeframe for receiving our decision:

We received your request on 27 August 2024, and the 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.
A decision is currently due to you by Thursday 26 September 2024. The
period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances. 

 

Charges:

Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI
requests.  If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when
we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your
request.

 

Disclosure log:

Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the
department’s [6]disclosure log.

 

Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:

It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of
junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the
Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email
addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone
numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including
reference numbers. If you require this information, please let us know at
[7][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we will
take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope
of your request.

 

Personal Information:

If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your
FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your
name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,
even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have
any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department
handles personal information is accessible via our [8]privacy policy.

 

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact us by reply email.

 

Kind regards

 

DFAT FOI Team

_____________________________________________________
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

[9]dfat.gov.au | [10]X | [11]Facebook | [12]Instagram  | [13]LinkedIn

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tyler <[14][FOI #11952 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 4:16 PM
To: FOI FOI <[15][DFAT request email]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Freedom of Information request - Arrangement between
the Government of Australia and the International Committee of the Red
Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional headquarters in Australia

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside the organisation. Do not click
links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender.

 

Dear Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

 

 

 

About the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional
headquarters in Australia signed in 2005, is it possible to provide any of
the 3 items in the following?

 

 

 

(1) A copy of the Arrangement as signed in 2005.

 

 

 

(2) Written confirmation of any assurances or other representations from
the State of New South Wales or other States in Australia to accord ICRC
with certain exemptions or immunities or privileges or the like.

 

 

 

(3) Documents in writing, including any electronic or paper/physical
documents, within DFAT or between DFAT and other Australian government
entities (such as Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, or Federal
Executive Council), on the conclusion of the Arrangement between the
Australian Government and ICRC.

 

 

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

Tyler

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

 

[16][FOI #11952 email]

 

 

 

Is [17][DFAT request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade? If so, please contact
us using this form:

 

[18]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

 

 

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

 

[19]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

 

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

 

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.dfat.gov.au/
2. https://x.com/DFAT
3. https://www.facebook.com/dfat.gov.au/
4. https://www.instagram.com/dfat/?hl=en
5. https://au.linkedin.com/company/departme...
6. https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora...
7. mailto:[DFAT request email]
8. https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/corpora...
9. https://www.dfat.gov.au/
10. https://x.com/DFAT
11. https://www.facebook.com/dfat.gov.au/
12. https://www.instagram.com/dfat/?hl=en
13. https://au.linkedin.com/company/departme...
14. mailto:[FOI #11952 email]
15. mailto:[DFAT request email]
16. mailto:[FOI #11952 email]
17. mailto:[DFAT request email]
18. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
19. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

hide quoted sections

Dear FOI,

I agree to your request for an additional 14 days to process my request "Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional headquarters in Australia".

Yours faithfully,
Tyler

FOI FOI, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

1 Attachment

OFFICIAL

 

FOI Request: LEX 11537

 

Dear Tyler

We are grateful for your very quick response consenting to the 14-calendar
day extension of time.

We will now notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
(OAIC) of the extension by agreement, in accordance with our reporting
obligations.

We will continue processing your request and will be in touch in due
course.

Kind regards

 

Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team

_____________________________________________________
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section
Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram  | [5]LinkedIn

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our
respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,
past, present and emerging.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tyler <[FOI #11952 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 1:21 PM
To: FOI FOI <[DFAT request email]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: Your FOI request - request for an extension of
time (LEX 11537) [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside the organisation. Do not click
links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender.

 

Dear FOI,

 

 

 

I agree to your request for an additional 14 days to process my request
"Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the International
Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional headquarters in
Australia".

 

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Tyler

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

 

 

 

OFFICIAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOI Request: LEX 11537

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Tyler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your FOI request to the Department of Foreign Affairs and

 

Trade (the department).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The department has experienced delays in searching for and retrieving

 

documents potentially relevant to the scope of your request due to the age

 

of the documents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We write to seek your agreement to an extension of 14 calendar days to

 

process your FOI request in accordance with section 15AA of the FOI Act.

 

This would mean that a decision would then be due to you by Thursday 10

 

October 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The additional time will enable the department to finalise its processes

 

and provide you with an outcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please be assured that we will continue to process your request as quickly

 

as possible and will provide an outcome to you as soon as it is available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We would be grateful if you could please reply to our request reply email

 

by COB Thursday 19 September 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we do not hear from you, we may apply to the Office of the Australian

 

Information Commissioner for an extension to the statutory timeframe.

 

 

 

Should you have any questions, please to contact us by reply email.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan | DFAT FOI Team

 

 

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

 

Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1]dfat.gov.au | [2]X | [3]Facebook | [4]Instagram  | [5]LinkedIn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,

 

and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our

 

respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,

 

past, present and emerging.

 

 

 

From: FOI FOI

 

Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 3:32 PM

 

To: Tyler <[FOI #11952 email]>

 

Subject: Your FOI request - Acknowledgement (LEX 11537) [SEC=OFFICIAL]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFFICIAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOI Request: LEX 11537

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Tyler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your email dated 27 August 2024 seeking access to documents

 

under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This email sets out some information about how your request will be

 

processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the department).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scope of request:

 

 

 

You have sought access to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the

 

International Committee of the Red Cross (“ICRC”) on a regional

 

headquarters in Australia signed in 2005, is it possible to provide any of

 

the 3 items in the following?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)   A copy of the Arrangement as signed in 2005.

 

 

 

(2)   Written confirmation of any assurances or other representations from

 

the State of New South Wales or other States in Australia to accord ICRC

 

with certain exemptions or immunities or privileges or the like.

 

 

 

(3)   Documents in writing, including any electronic or paper/physical

 

documents, within DFAT or between DFAT and other Australian government

 

entities (such as Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, or Federal

 

Executive Council), on the conclusion of the Arrangement between the

 

Australian Government and ICRC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If it emerges that the scope of your request is unclear or is too large

 

for processing, the department will contact you to discuss re-scoping the

 

request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timeframe for receiving our decision:

 

 

 

We received your request on 27 August 2024, and the 30-day statutory

 

period for processing your request commenced from the day after that date.

 

A decision is currently due to you by Thursday 26 September 2024. The

 

period of 30 days may be extended in certain circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charges:

 

 

 

Please note that the department may issue charges for processing FOI

 

requests.  If applicable, we will advise you of any relevant charges when

 

we are in a position to estimate the resources required to process your

 

request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclosure log:

 

 

 

Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),

 

documents released under the FOI Act may later be published on the

 

department’s [6]disclosure log.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exclusion of officials’ names and contact details:

 

 

 

It is the department’s policy to withhold the personal information of

 

junior staff from ministerial offices and government officials not in the

 

Senior Executive Service (SES) or equivalent, including their email

 

addresses and contact numbers, together with all signatures, mobile phone

 

numbers, departmental inboxes and technical transmission details including

 

reference numbers. If you require this information, please let us know at

 

[7][DFAT request email] so the decision-maker may consider; otherwise, we
will

 

take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope

 

of your request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Information:

 

 

 

If we need to consult with other people or organisations regarding your

 

FOI request, we may need to disclose your personal information (e.g. your

 

name). When we consult it may be apparent that you have made a request,

 

even if we do not disclose your identity. Please let us know if you have

 

any concerns in this regard. Further information on the way the department

 

handles personal information is accessible via our [8]privacy policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to

 

contact us by reply email.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DFAT FOI Team

 

 

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Section

 

Public Interest Law Branch | Regulatory and Legal Policy Division

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[9]dfat.gov.au | [10]X | [11]Facebook | [12]Instagram  | [13]LinkedIn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Brooke Rigney-Lively (2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,

 

and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our

 

respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders,

 

past, present and emerging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

 

[6][FOI #11952 email]

 

 

 

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:

 

[7]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

 

 

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

 

 

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.dfat.gov.au/
2. https://x.com/DFAT
3. https://www.facebook.com/dfat.gov.au/
4. https://www.instagram.com/dfat/?hl=en
5. https://au.linkedin.com/company/departme...
6. mailto:[FOI #11952 email]
7. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

hide quoted sections