Dear FOI Department,

It has been noticed, that in some occasions, there are documents on your Freedom Of Information Disclosure Log where you have put the most redundant text next to FOI disclosures—the equivalent of “if you would like access to these documents, please email/contact us for access”.

Any person reviewing the information on that site would of course be after the documents. It is puzzling that, on some occasions, you have made the documents available and others not.

I believe this is not in the spirit of the FOI act section 11C, and thus I request—under the Freedom of Information Act 1982—copies of the following documents:

All documents as is (that is, redacted or unredacted) from all previously made decisions on your department's FOI log that are currently not available for download direct from the website.

My preferred method of delivery for this information is for it to be placed on your department's Freedom of Information disclosure log web page as per part A) of 11C of the FOI Act.

Should this request be successful you can put a simple list of the documents that were made available from the request, or whatever is most expedient, on the log.

I apologise for my pessimism, but past FOI experiences have led me to believe this request may elicit a response similar to “this request would divert too many resources of your department to complete”. Should you be thinking this, you have nobody to blame but yourselves—your department made this metaphorical bed.

Should you be seriously considering a practical refusal, my alternative request is for any documents that your department holds relating to the decision to include text on your freedom of information disclosure log similar to "contact us for access to this document".

In addition I request the total of the number of times any member of the public has asked for access to each said non-website published successful for documents on the FOI disclosure log other than the original successful applicant.

I do accept there is a very remote possibility there is a “Good Reason” for these not being available, and I hope these are contained within the documents provided as I cannot foresee any.

In the interests of expediency, I am willing to consider Administrative Access to said documents, should the document be provided within 30 days ( plus any public holidays in-between) of the sending of this email. After this time - the FOI Act applies as normal in all instances and any requests for extension will be denied without a supplied very good reason.

Regards,

Posty

Dear FOI Team,

This is a freedom of information request - not pure feedback.

From memory the FOI guidelines state that you must attempt to supply documents (should it be acceptable, which your offer to supply infers) in the method the requestor asks. I’m on mobile and can’t quote you chapter and verse but I assure you it’s there. I’ve asked for them to be put on the website. Please do so.

Reading between the lines you are inferring that it’s not practicable to put the files on the website. Why is it not practicable to put the documents on your foi log? You have not explained.

An email address is already supplied if you receive and provide advice why they cannot be available on your website and are attempting to supply them - just reply to this email with the documents and I will receive them. I’ve received advice earlier that the limit for files is 100mb if this is an issue, please split into multiple emails.

Or you know, just put them on the website?

Yours sincerely,

Posty