Benchmarking of Ongoing Staff Needs
Dear Services Australia,
I wish to request:
1. The internal report or document modelling the Agency's ongoing staffing requirements. I am referring to the modelling created 'in the budget context' and referred to by your CEO in the Budget Estimates hearing on the 3rd of June.
2. Any report or summary outputs (powerpoints) produced by Korda Mentha when they were engaged to independently review the performance of the Agency prior to this year's budget.
Yours faithfully,
Frank N Fearless
Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) team in Services
Australia (the Agency).
This email acknowledges your correspondence and provides some general
information in relation to FOI.
Administrative release of documents
The Agency has administrative access arrangements ('the arrangements') for
the release of certain documents without the need for a formal FOI
request. If you agree to the release of documents under these
arrangements, we may provide you with documents under the arrangements,
where appropriate.
Any parts of your FOI request that are addressed by documents being
released under the arrangements will be considered withdrawn. The
arrangements do not extend to information or materials of third parties.
You will be notified when documents are released to you under the
arrangements.
Personal information of Agency staff
We consider staff details to be personal information of those staff
members. As part of the FOI application process, we will seek your consent
to exclude the following information from documents that may be captured
by your request:
* names of Services Australia staff below the Senior Executive level
(junior staff)
* direct staff telephone numbers, signatures, logon identifiers and
email addresses.
If you consent to exclude this information, we will treat it as outside
the scope of your request and therefore irrelevant under Section 22 of the
FOI Act.
Charges
No charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.
If you are requesting non-personal information the Agency will advise you
as soon as practicable if a charge is payable to process your request, and
the amount of any such charge.
How we will send documents to you
Unless you have requested to receive correspondence and documents relating
to your FOI request via post we will communicate with you via this email
address. Some documents may be too large to send to you via email. If
applicable, we will seek your consent to provide the requested documents
to you electronically via a secure file sharing platform. Please advise us
as soon as possible if you wish correspondence or documents to be sent to
another address, or if your email address changes.
How long do I have to wait?
We are required to answer your request within 30 days unless the time
frame is extended under the FOI Act.
Our reference: LEX ID 79938
Dear Frank N Fearless
Acknowledgement of your Freedom of Information Request
I refer to your request for access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). You requested access to:
1. The internal report or document modelling the Agency's ongoing
staffing requirements. I am referring to the modelling created 'in the
budget context' and referred to by your CEO in the Budget Estimates
hearing on the 3rd of June.
2. Any report or summary outputs (powerpoints) produced by Korda Mentha
when they were engaged to independently review the performance of the
Agency prior to this year's budget.
Your request was received by Services Australia (the Agency) on 4 June
2024 and the 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date. You should therefore expect a decision from
us by 4 July 2024. The period of 30 days may be extended if we need to
consult third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this
happens.
Administrative Release of Documents
The Agency has administrative access arrangements ('the arrangements') for
the release of certain documents without the need for a formal FOI
request. If you agree to the release of documents under these
arrangements, we may provide you with documents under the arrangements,
where appropriate.
Any parts of your FOI request that are addressed by documents being
released under the arrangements will be considered withdrawn. The
arrangements do not extend to information or materials of third parties.
You will be notified when documents are released to you under the
arrangements.
Disclosure Log
Please note information released under the FOI Act may be published in a
disclosure log on the agency's website. Section 11C of the FOI Act
requires this publication, however it is subject to certain exceptions,
including where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Personal information of Agency staff
We consider staff details to be personal information of those staff
members. As part of the FOI application process, we will seek your consent
to exclude the following information from documents that may be captured
by your request:
o names of Services Australia staff below the Senior Executive level
(junior staff)
o direct staff telephone numbers, signatures, logon identifiers and
email addresses.
If you consent to exclude this information, we will treat it as outside
the scope of your request and therefore irrelevant under Section 22 of the
FOI Act.
Charges
No charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information. If you are requesting non-personal information the Agency
will advise you as soon as practicable if a charge is payable to process
your request, and the amount of any such charge.
How we will send documents to you
Unless you have requested to receive correspondence and documents relating
to your FOI request via post we will communicate with you via this email
address. Some documents may be too large to send to you via email. If
applicable we will seek your consent to provide the requested documents to
you electronically via a secure file sharing platform. Please advise us as
soon as possible if you wish correspondence or documents to be sent to
another address, or if your email address changes.
Action
Please advise whether you consent to the removal of junior staff details
as described above, under section 22 of the FOI by responding to this
email with “I agree to remove staff details”.
In addition, please advise whether you agree to receive documents where
appropriate under the arrangements by responding to this email with “I
agree to receive documents under the administrative arrangements”.
A response by close of business 17 June 2024 would be appreciated.
Further assistance
If you have any questions please email
[1][Services Australia request email]
Yours sincerely
Cherie
FOI Officer
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Reviews Branch | Legal Services Division
Services Australia
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Services Australia request email]
Dear Frank N Fearless
I am writing in regards to your Freedom of Information request to Services
Australia (the Agency).
The Agency has identified that we will not be in a position to notify you
of the decision by the current due date of 4 July 2024. On this basis, we
respectfully request an additional 21 day extension of time to process
this request. The effect of the extension would mean the new decision due
date would be 25 July 2024. If we are able to process your request and
provide you with a decision before this date, we will do so.
If you agree with this extension of time, we would appreciate if you could
please respond to this email stating ‘I agree’ by close of business 24
June 2024.
Note: If a decision is not notified to you within time, your request will
be deemed to be refused by operation of the FOI Act. The Agency will still
continue to process your request as a Statement of Reasons, however you
will unfortunately lose your internal review rights. Our objective for
this extension of time is to ensure the decision and documents relevant to
your request are released on time under the FOI Act, thus ensuring your
internal review rights are maintained.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we process your request.
Kind regards,
Cherie
Senior FOI Officer
Freedom of Information & Reviews Branch, Legal Services Division
[1]Visual brand element showing Services Australia progress symbol to left
with Services Australia wording to the right of the symbol. Underneath is
servicesaustralia.gov.au and icons representing our social media accounts.
To follow us on social media go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/socialmedia
Aligning the bottom of the signature block is the Services Australia
indigenous artwork strip consisting of cultural elements depicting our
agency’s progress story for First Nations people.
Services Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands we
live on. We pay our respects to all Elders, past and present, of all
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations.
References
Visible links
Dear FREEDOMOFINFORMATION,
I must politely refuse my consent to an extension. I was disappointed to see deemed refusal raised as what would occur if I do not consent. I was also disappointed by the absence of grounds explaining the need for extra timers
If this is complex, the agency can and should have recourse to OAIC extension under section15AB.
It can also apply under section 15AC if things are let drift into deemed refusal.
As constructive feedback, I’d ask that Services Australia communicate all relevant aspects of the statutory framework when discussing extensions with requestors. If it has a policy of not availing itself of section 15AC, that should be openly declared.
Yours sincerely,
Frank N Fearless
Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) team in Services
Australia (the Agency).
This email acknowledges your correspondence and provides some general
information in relation to FOI.
Administrative release of documents
The Agency has administrative access arrangements ('the arrangements') for
the release of certain documents without the need for a formal FOI
request. If you agree to the release of documents under these
arrangements, we may provide you with documents under the arrangements,
where appropriate.
Any parts of your FOI request that are addressed by documents being
released under the arrangements will be considered withdrawn. The
arrangements do not extend to information or materials of third parties.
You will be notified when documents are released to you under the
arrangements.
Personal information of Agency staff
We consider staff details to be personal information of those staff
members. As part of the FOI application process, we will seek your consent
to exclude the following information from documents that may be captured
by your request:
* names of Services Australia staff below the Senior Executive level
(junior staff)
* direct staff telephone numbers, signatures, logon identifiers and
email addresses.
If you consent to exclude this information, we will treat it as outside
the scope of your request and therefore irrelevant under Section 22 of the
FOI Act.
Charges
No charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.
If you are requesting non-personal information the Agency will advise you
as soon as practicable if a charge is payable to process your request, and
the amount of any such charge.
How we will send documents to you
Unless you have requested to receive correspondence and documents relating
to your FOI request via post we will communicate with you via this email
address. Some documents may be too large to send to you via email. If
applicable, we will seek your consent to provide the requested documents
to you electronically via a secure file sharing platform. Please advise us
as soon as possible if you wish correspondence or documents to be sent to
another address, or if your email address changes.
How long do I have to wait?
We are required to answer your request within 30 days unless the time
frame is extended under the FOI Act.
Dear Frank N Fearless
Thank you for your email.
I can confirm that I am currently reviewing the documents provided by the
relevant business area in relation to your request. Additionally, it has
been identified that the documents may contain cabinet material. This
therefore requires a consultation with the Department of Prime Minister
and Cabinet to determine if an exemption under section 34 of the FOI Act
is applicable to some or all of the material within scope of your request.
The request for additional time is to review the documents, consult with
the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and then make a decision on
release.
As you have declined the extension of time requested under section 15AA, I
will proceed with seeking extension from the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (OAIC) under section 15AB of the FOI Act.
If you have any questions, please respond to this email.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Cherie
Senior FOI Officer
Freedom of Information & Reviews Branch, Legal Services Division
[1]Visual brand element showing Services Australia progress symbol to left
with Services Australia wording to the right of the symbol. Underneath is
servicesaustralia.gov.au and icons representing our social media accounts.
To follow us on social media go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/socialmedia
Aligning the bottom of the signature block is the Services Australia
indigenous artwork strip consisting of cultural elements depicting our
agency’s progress story for First Nations people.
Services Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands we
live on. We pay our respects to all Elders, past and present, of all
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations.
References
Visible links
Our reference: RQ24/02518
Agency reference: LEX 79938
Agency Name: Services Australia
Applicant Name: Right to Know, Frank N Fearless
Extension of time under s 15AB
Dear Parties,
Please find attached an extension of time decision relating to Right to
Know, Frank N Fearless FOI request with Services Australia.
A copy has been sent to the applicant.
Kind regards,
[1][IMG] Sussan Jraijiri
Review Adviser
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
P: 1300 363 992 E: [2][email address]
Please note: The OAIC will be revising its IC review procedures commencing
1 July 2024. For more information about these revised procedures,
including new resources to assist applicants and respondents, see our
webpage: [3]Upcoming changes to Information Commissioner review procedure
directions
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[4]Subscribe to Information Matters
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
4. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...
Our reference: RQ24/02518
Agency reference: LEX 79938
Agency Name: Services Australia
Applicant Name: Right to Know, Frank N Fearless
Extension of time under s 15AB
Dear Cherie,
Apologies for not checking the date before deciding on the extension.
As the 30 days ends on the weekend, yes as per our guidelines below, the
due date will be the next business day, making the due date 5 August 2024.
The processing period refers to calendar days, not business (working)
days. This will include any public holidays that fall within the
processing period.[1]^[77] If the last day for notifying a decision falls
on a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, the timeframe will expire on
the first business day following that day.[2]^[78] The 30-day processing
period does not include:
· the time that an agency may take in a request consultation process to
decide if a practical refusal reason exists (s 24AB(8))
· the time elapsing between an applicant being notified that a charge is
payable and either the applicant paying the charge (or a deposit on
account of the charge) or the agency varying the decision that a charge is
payable (s 31).
Please let me know if anyone has any queries.
Kind regards,
[3][IMG] Sussan Jraijiri
Review Adviser
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
P: 1300 363 992 E: [4][email address]
Please note: The OAIC will be revising its IC review procedures commencing
1 July 2024. For more information about these revised procedures,
including new resources to assist applicants and respondents, see our
webpage: [5]Upcoming changes to Information Commissioner review procedure
directions
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[6]Subscribe to Information Matters
From: FREEDOMOFINFORMATION <[Services Australia request email]>
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2024 3:42 PM
To: OAIC - FOI DR <[email address]>
Cc: FREEDOMOFINFORMATION <[Services Australia request email]>
Subject: FW: OAIC RQ24/02518 - Extension of time under s 15AB - Agency
reference: LEX 79938 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organisation. Do not click
links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content
is safe.
Dear Sussan
Thank you for your email and decision on the extension of time.
I note the decision refers to the new due date for notification being 3
August 2024. However, as this falls on a Saturday, I would like to confirm
if OAIC has any concerns with notification on the following business day
(Monday 5 August 2024).
Please clarify this at your earliest convenience. If notification on 5
August 2024 is permissible, we ask that OAIC communicates this to the FOI
Applicant for visibility.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Cherie
Senior FOI Officer
Freedom of Information & Reviews Branch, Legal Services Division
[7]Visual brand element showing Services Australia progress symbol to left
with Services Australia wording to the right of the symbol. Underneath is
servicesaustralia.gov.au and icons representing our social media accounts.
To follow us on social media go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/socialmedia
Aligning the bottom of the signature block is the Services Australia
indigenous artwork strip consisting of cultural elements depicting our
agency’s progress story for First Nations people.
Services Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands we
live on. We pay our respects to all Elders, past and present, of all
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations.
From: OAIC - FOI DR <[8][email address]>
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2024 12:05 PM
To: FREEDOMOFINFORMATION
<[9][Services Australia request email]>
Cc: [10][FOI #11485 email]
Subject: OAIC RQ24/02518 - Extension of time under s 15AB - Agency
reference: LEX 79938 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Caution: Do not click any links or open any attachments unless you trust|
|the sender and believe the content to be safe. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Our reference: RQ24/02518
Agency reference: LEX 79938
Agency Name: Services Australia
Applicant Name: Right to Know, Frank N Fearless
Extension of time under s 15AB
Dear Parties,
Please find attached an extension of time decision relating to Right to
Know, Frank N Fearless FOI request with Services Australia.
A copy has been sent to the applicant.
Kind regards,
[11][IMG] Sussan Jraijiri
Review Adviser
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
P: 1300 363 992 E: [12][email address]
Please note: The OAIC will be revising its IC review procedures commencing
1 July 2024. For more information about these revised procedures,
including new resources to assist applicants and respondents, see our
webpage: [13]Upcoming changes to Information Commissioner review procedure
directions
The OAIC acknowledges Traditional Custodians of Country across
Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and
communities. We pay our respect to First Nations people,
cultures and Elders past and present.
[14]Subscribe to Information Matters
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
3. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
4. mailto:[email address]
5. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
6. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...
8. mailto:[email address]
9. mailto:[Services Australia request email]
10. mailto:[FOI #11485 email]
11. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
12. mailto:[email address]
13. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
14. https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/n...