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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Your email has been received by the Department of Home Affairs Freedom of
Information (FOI) Section.

The FOI section only responds to valid FOI requests and other matters
relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).  Visit the
FOI Information on our Website for more information on what [1]information
can be accessed under the FOI Act 1982.

What is a valid FOI request?

A valid FOI request may be for:

- documents you previously provided to the Department as part of a visa
application

- a copy of a decision record made by the Department

- statistical information held by the Department

- papers or briefings the Department prepared.

If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request.

A valid FOI request must:

o Be in writing and state the request is for consideration under the FOI
Act.
o Have enough information for us to be able to identify the documents
you are seeking.
o Provide a physical or electronic address where we can send our
decision.

Do not send duplicate emails as this may cause longer delays in processing
times.

What is an invalid FOI request?

Invalid FOI requests may include:

- Making a visa application

- Seeking evidence of your Australian Citizenship

- Seeking information about traveling to or departing Australia.

If your email is not specific an FOI request or FOI related matter, the
FOI section will not respond.

What happens next?

Once we receive and have registered your FOI request, we will send you an
acknowledgment letter by email. Read the acknowledgment letter carefully
for further instructions.

FOI requests are generally processed in the order they are received.

We will contact you as soon as the Department has assessed your request
under the FOI Act.

We’re responding to a large volume of requests

Due to the current high volume of requests, we will not provide progress
up-dates on current FOI requests.  This is to ensure we are able to
process as many requests as possible, including yours.

If processing your request is going to take us a lot of time and because
it is large or unspecific, it may be refused.  

Still have a question or request?

If you still have a question, which has not been answered above, and which
is about the work of the Department, use our general enquiries web page

[2]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...

You may be able to resolve your enquiry faster using these other resources

We only action and respond to FOI requests that are valid under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982. You may be able to resolve your enquiry
faster by using these resources:

General information about travelling to Australia:

The Department of Home Affairs, “Entering Australia” site
[3]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...

·       For visa and our requirements for entry to Australia
[4]https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...

For a copy of your visa refusal or visa grant letter you should contact
the office where you lodged your visa application. 

·       To check your current visa details and conditions use the
Department’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) portal which can
be accessed [5]here

·       If you are experiencing technical difficulties in lodging your
visa application through ImmiAccount, submit your concerns through the
ImmiAccount Technical Support Form, which is accessible [6]here.

·       For evidence of your Australian Citizenship please refer [7]here.
The FOI Section does not process these requests.

·       For movement records or travel history complete the online
International Movement Records form [8]here. The FOI Section does not
process these requests.

·       To update your details, including your Passport details, you can
notify the Department [9]here. The FOI Section does not process these
requests.

We appreciate your feedback         

We appreciate your feedback to help improve our services.

If you would like to provide feedback to us please use our Compliments,
complaints and suggestions form.
[10]https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-...

Thank you

Information updated 11 January 2022

Important Notice: The content of this email is intended only for use by
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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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2. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-sup...
3. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering...
4. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/ge...
5. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/al...
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7. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizens...
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OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:
FOI Request: FA 23/05/01597
File Number: FA23/05/01597

Dear John Walker,

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

This letter acknowledges that on 25 May 2023 the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) received your request to access documents held by the Department under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). This letter also provides important information about your request.

Scope of request
You have requested access to the following:
I seek access to the documents you received from The Department of Health (including but not limited to the Minister of Health at the time Greg Hunt, ATAGI or the TGA) in relation to the Counter Covid Disinformation and Misinformation Initiative that provided guidance to your Department that outline what constitutes disinformation and misinformation.

I also seek access to all referrals to social media platforms relating to Covid-19 misinformation, disinformation, Covid-19 injections and/or injuries between the dates 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. For the avoidance of doubt in relation to this component of the request I simply seek to know what comments or contenting relating to Covid-19, the pandemic, injections and/or injuries were flagged to these social media companies by your Department. A spreadsheet or similar digital file would suffice.
.
Your request has been allocated FOI request number FA 23/05/01597. Please include your FOI request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information Section.
Timeframe

The timeframe for processing a request is 30 days from the day we receive your request, as set out in the FOI Act.

Your review rights in relation to your request are available on the website of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Fees and Charges
Charges do not apply to requests from individuals seeking access to documents about themselves. However, a charge may apply to all other requests for access to documents.
Charges are based on the amount of time the Department spends on your request. Charges can range from $10 to over $1,000 depending on the complexity and scope of your request. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reported that across the public service, the average charge notified was $335.50 in 2020-21.
If a charge applies, you will be issued with a Notice of Charge that explains the charge and your options.
Detailed information about FOI charges that may apply to your FOI request is available on the Department’s website.

We do not provide personal details of staff
The Department’s practice is to exclude the personal details of staff not in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as well as the direct contact details of SES staff, contained in documents that fall within scope of an FOI request. If you require personal details of non-SES officers, or direct contact details of SES staff, please inform us so the decision maker may consider your request. Otherwise we will take it that you agree to that information being excluded from the scope of your request. However names of staff that have previously been released in departmental correspondence may be disclosed.

We do not provide duplicated 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 exist.

Publication of document
Released documents you request may be published to our website
Where documents are released to you in response to your request, the Department may be required to publish these documents on its website within 10 working days in accordance with section 11C of the FOI Act. Publication will not be required where the documents contain personal or business affairs information.

How to reduce or withdraw your request
Reducing the scope of your request can reduce the time and charges associated with processing your FOI request.
To reduce or withdraw your request, contact the FOI section at [Department of Home Affairs request email] and include your FOI request number.

Contacting the FOI Section
Should you wish to discuss your request you may contact the FOI Section at [Department of Home Affairs request email].

Kind regards,

FOI Officer - Geoff
Freedom of Information
Department of Home Affairs

E: [Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

In reply please quote:

FOI Request:  FA 23/05/01597

File Number:   FA23/05/01597

Dear John Walker,

I refer to your request received on 25 May 2023 for access to documents
under the FOI Act. 

The current due date for your request is 26 June 2023. 

In order for the Department to complete the process of retrieving all the
documents that fall within the scope of your request the Department will
require additional time to process 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 Monday 24 July 2023. 

It would assist the Department in managing its FOI caseload if you could
provide a response to this request by close of business, Friday 23 June
2023

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

Kind regards,

FOI Officer - Geoff

Freedom of Information

Department of Home Affairs

E: [1][Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

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:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Walker

I refer to your email dated 25 May 2023, in which you requested access to
documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

You have requested access to the following:

Part 1. I seek access to the documents you received from The Department of
Health (including but not limited to the Minister of Health at the time
Greg Hunt, ATAGI or the TGA) in relation to the Counter Covid
Disinformation and Misinformation Initiative that provided guidance to
your Department that outline what constitutes disinformation and
misinformation.

Part 2. I also seek access to all referrals to social media platforms
relating to Covid-19 misinformation, disinformation, Covid-19 injections
and/or injuries between the dates 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. For
the avoidance of doubt in relation to this component of the request I
simply seek to know what comments or contenting relating to Covid-19, the
pandemic, injections and/or injuries were flagged to these social media
companies by your Department. A spreadsheet or similar digital file would
suffice.

Intention to refuse request

I am writing to advise you that I intend to refuse Part 1 of your request
on the basis that a practical refusal reason exists. However, before I
make a final decision to do this, you have an opportunity to revise Part 1
of your request to remove the practical refusal reason. This is called a
‘request consultation process’. You have 14 days to respond to this notice
in one of the ways set out below.

Power to refuse request

Section 24 of the FOI Act provides that if the Department is satisfied
that a practical refusal reason exists in relation to a request, the
Department must undertake a consultation process with you, and if, after
that consultation process, the Department remains satisfied that the
practical refusal reason still exists, the Department may refuse to give
you access to the documents subject to the request.

Practical refusal

A practical refusal reason exists under section 24AA of the FOI Act if
either (or both) of the following applies:

(1)(a)(i) the work involved in the processing of the request would
substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the Department from
its other operations

(1)(b)     the request does not satisfy the requirement in section
15(2)(b) of the FOI Act, which requires you to provide such information
concerning the document you are seeking access to, to enable the
Department to be able to identify it.

I consider that the work involved in the processing of Part 1 of your
request would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the
Department from its other operations, and accordingly that practical
refusal reasons exist under section 24AA(1)(a)(i) of the FOI Act.

Reasons for practical refusal

The Department has made a preliminary assessment of the documents that
would be captured by your request and has identified 607 documents that
may be in scope of Part 1 of your request. This assessment results from a
search of the Department’s electronic systems, including emails and other
documents, using numerous combinations of keyword searches, including
“DEPARTMENT” “HEALTH” “GREG HUNT” “MINISTER” “GREG” “HUNT” “HOME AFFAIRS”
“Counter COVID Disinformation and Misinformation Initiative” “an expert
network of public and private pathology laboratories” “misinformation”
“disinformation” “COVID” “Coronavirus”.

Whilst the Department has identified that it holds 607 potentially
relevant documents in its electronic systems, it would take the Department
an average of 30 seconds per document to actually search for and retrieve
each of those relevant documents. As such, I estimate that it would take
the Department an estimated 5 hours to search for, identify and retrieve
the 607 potentially relevant documents from its electronic systems.

In the event that all these documents would actually be relevant to your
request, based on an average of 1 minute per document, a further 10.1
hours would be required to collate and create a schedule of the 607
potentially relevant documents. This would include the retrieval of any
emails which incorporate attachments and the collation of those
attachments.

In the event that the Department was to continue to process your request,
a decision would need to be made on access to those documents. Based on an
estimate that each document is at least two pages in length, and that the
decision maker would require at least three minutes to review and assess
each page for relevant exemptions, I estimate that it would take at least
60.7 hours to complete a decision on access to the documents potentially
identified as being relevant to your request.

As such, a minimum total estimated time of 75.8 hours would be required to
process this request.

I am satisfied that the Department would be required to divert significant
resources from its current operations in order to identify, locate and
collate the documents held within the Department, and to make a decision
on access to those documents. This diversion would result in a significant
drain on the resources of the area within the Department that would be
required to process this request.

I consider that this would result in this request imposing both a
substantial and an unreasonable diversion of resources of the Department
from its other operations and that a practical refusal reason exists in
relation to this request.

You now have an opportunity to revise Part 1 of your request to enable it
to proceed.

Please note that the information relevant to Part 2 of your request is now
publicly available on the APH website. A decision will be sent to you on
both parts of the request at the end of the 14 day consultation period.

Under section 24AB(6) of the FOI Act, you have 14 days to do one of the
following:

·         withdraw your request;

·         make a revised request;

·         indicate that you do not wish to revise your request.

Yours sincerely

Anna

Decision Maker | Position No. 60156395

Freedom of Information Section

Privacy, FOI & Records Management Branch | Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs | [1]www.homeaffairs.gov.au

E: [2][Department of Home Affairs request email]

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. http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/
2. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

Dear Mr Walker

Many thanks for your response. We can accept your revised scope as:

“Documents received by the Department of Home Affairs from The Honourable
Minister of Health, at the time Greg Hunt, or the Department of Health, in
relation to the Counter Covid Disinformation and Misinformation Initiative
that provided guidance to your Department that outline what constitutes
disinformation and misinformation.”

As mentioned, the information requested in part 2 of your request is now
publicly available at [1]Tabled Papers – Parliament of Australia
(aph.gov.au)

I will start working on the documents now and prepare them for release,
which usually takes approximately 2-3 weeks.

Yours sincerely

Anna

Decision Maker | Position No. 60156395

Freedom of Information Section

Privacy, FOI & Records Management Branch | Legal Group

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

E: [3][Department of Home Affairs request email]

OFFICIAL

From: John Walker <[FOI #10339 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 2 August 2023 12:27 PM
To: FOI <[Department of Home Affairs request email]>
Subject: Re: FOI Request FA23/05/01597 - Practical Refusal Notice for Part
1 [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Dear Anna,

thank you so much for your reply. I apologise the request was to
voluminous.

If I may, I seek to make a revised request;

Please exclude part 2 of my initial request totally.

I amend part 1 to simply;

I seek access to the documents you received from The Honourable Minister
of Health at the time Greg Hunt in relation to the Counter Covid
Disinformation and Misinformation Initiative that provided guidance to

your Department that outline what constitutes disinformation and
misinformation.

I am sure this would result in a reduced volume of documents, one would
think...

Thank you kindly.

Yours sincerely,

John Walker

show quoted sections

OFFICIAL: Sensitive
Personal-Privacy

Freedom of Information (FOI) request FA 23/05/01597

Dear Mr Walker

I refer to your FOI request received on 25 May 2023.

Please find attached decision letter and released documents in relation to
this request.

This request has now been closed.

Yours sincerely

Anna

Decision Maker | Position No. 60156395

Freedom of Information Section

Privacy, FOI & Records Management Branch | Legal Group

Department of Home Affairs | [1]www.homeaffairs.gov.au

E: [2][Department of Home Affairs request email]

Personal-Privacy
OFFICIAL: Sensitive

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, the ABF and the National Emergency
Management Agency 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. http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/
2. mailto:[Department of Home Affairs request email]