Documents regarding Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
Dear V/Line,
Please treat this request administratively if possible.
I am writing to request access to documents and internal communications related to the handling of overcrowding on V/Line services between 2022 and 2024.
The types of documents I am requesting include:
- Any internal communications (emails, memos, reports) between V/Line staff or between V/Line and PTV regarding overcrowding issues on V/Line services.
- Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate overcrowding during this period.
- Any communications with government agencies, including briefings or updates, concerning overcrowding on V/Line services.
If you require any clarification or further detail to assist in identifying relevant documents, or if payment is definitely required, please let me know.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Connor Brown
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
Good afternoon Mr Brown,
Thank you for your FOI application.
Please see the attached PDF letter.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email at
[VLine request email]
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [1][email address]
W vline.com.au
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
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From: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Sent: Sunday, November 3, 2024 18:43
To: foi <[VLine request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding Overcrowding
on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
[You don't often get email from
[FOI #12260 email]. Learn why this is important
at [2]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organisation. Only click links
& attachments if you can confirm the sender and the content is safe.
Dear V/Line,
Please treat this request administratively if possible.
I am writing to request access to documents and internal communications
related to the handling of overcrowding on V/Line services between 2022
and 2024.
The types of documents I am requesting include:
- Any internal communications (emails, memos, reports) between V/Line
staff or between V/Line and PTV regarding overcrowding issues on V/Line
services.
- Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the
causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate
overcrowding during this period.
- Any communications with government agencies, including briefings or
updates, concerning overcrowding on V/Line services.
If you require any clarification or further detail to assist in
identifying relevant documents, or if payment is definitely required,
please let me know.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Connor Brown
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[FOI #12260 email]
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Dear Ashley Peter-Budge,
I have paid the $32.70 application fee via bank transfer as of 08 Nov 2024 16:24.
Receipt #: N310843236168
Thanks,
Connor Brown
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
Good afternoon Mr Brown,
Please see the attached letter.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by replay email.
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [1][email address]
W vline.com.au
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Sent: Friday, November 8, 2024 16:31
To: Ashley PeterBudge <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding
Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organisation. Only click links
& attachments if you can confirm the sender and the content is safe.
Dear Ashley Peter-Budge,
I have paid the $32.70 application fee via bank transfer as of 08 Nov 2024
16:24.
Receipt #: N310843236168
Thanks,
Connor Brown
Hi,
Just following up on this request, as the decision date has passed.
Thanks,
Connor Brown
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
Good morning Conner,
Apologies for the delay in finalising your FOI decision.
As the due date 8 December 2024 has passed, no further extension of time
to finalise your FOI matter will be asked of you.
Reasons for delay
The reason for the delay is I am still awaiting a response from the
relevant business areas in relation to the searches being conducted.
I will note on initial request for the business units to make searches, a
large amount of documents is anticipated to be captured.
Next steps
I will follow up your request and provide some further detailed
information to you tomorrow as soon as possible.
Once again, apologies for the delay and thank you for your continued
patience.
If you have any questions or concerns, please simply reply to this email.
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [1][email address]
W vline.com.au
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2024 11:07 AM
To: Ashley PeterBudge <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding
Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organisation. Only click links
& attachments if you can confirm the sender and the content is safe.
Hi,
Just following up on this request, as the decision date has passed.
Thanks,
Connor Brown
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
Good afternoon Conner,
Firstly, I apologies for the delay in finalising your FOI request.
I have attached a letter for your consideration.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email.
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [1][email address]
W vline.com.au
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ashley PeterBudge <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2024 11:37 AM
To: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding
Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
Good morning Conner,
Apologies for the delay in finalising your FOI decision.
As the due date 8 December 2024 has passed, no further extension of time
to finalise your FOI matter will be asked of you.
Reasons for delay
The reason for the delay is I am still awaiting a response from the
relevant business areas in relation to the searches being conducted.
I will note on initial request for the business units to make searches, a
large amount of documents is anticipated to be captured.
Next steps
I will follow up your request and provide some further detailed
information to you tomorrow as soon as possible.
Once again, apologies for the delay and thank you for your continued
patience.
If you have any questions or concerns, please simply reply to this email.
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [2][email address]
W vline.com.au
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2024 11:07 AM
To: Ashley PeterBudge <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding
Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organisation. Only click links
& attachments if you can confirm the sender and the content is safe.
Hi,
Just following up on this request, as the decision date has passed.
Thanks,
Connor Brown
Dear Ashley Peter-Budge,
Thanks for your help.
I accept your suggestion and would like to change my request to the following:
"access to the following documents relating to the handling of overcrowding between 2022 and present:
- Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate overcrowding during this period."
I appreciate your help in modifying the request. If any other changes are needed, please let me know. I acknowledge the original request was very broad, as I was not sure if formal documents existed or reports were conducted in the first place, as there were few or no public references to such documents, hence the inclusion of informal memos etc. in the original request.
Once again, thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Connor Brown
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
Good afternoon Connor,
Thank you for your prompt response and agreeing to the suggested terms.
By way of writing, your original FOI request sort access to the following:
..requests access to documents and internal communications related to the
handling of overcrowding on V/Line services between 2022 and 2024.
- Any internal communications (emails, memos, reports)
between V/Line staff or between V/Line and PTV regarding overcrowding
issues on V/Line services.
- Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line
addressing the causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger
services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to
manage or alleviate overcrowding during this period.
- Any communications with government agencies, including
briefings or updates, concerning overcrowding on V/Line services.
Following consultation under section 25A(6) of the FOI Act, I confirm you
have agreed to the following amended FOI request terms:
"access to the following documents relating to the handling of
overcrowding between 2022 and present:
* Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing
the causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger
services.
* Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate
overcrowding during this period."
Grounds for refusal removed
I confirm the above amended FOI request has removed the grounds of refusal
under section 25A(1) of the FOI Act.
Our office will proceed in processing your amended FOI request.
Please note, accepting our suggestions means the ground for refusal under
section 25A(1) of the FOI Act may be removed, but it does not necessarily
mean you will receive access to those documents. We would still need to
assess each document to determine whether an exemption applies to it in
full or in part.
Under section 25A(7) of the FOI Act, the due date for finalising your
amended FOI request takes into account the consultation period during
which the 30-day timeframe for processing your original request. The
consultation period suspends the 30 timeframe to finalise your FOI
request.
However, given the due date has passed and the decision is overdue, our
office will ensure we expedite the finalisation of your amended FOI
request and provide you with a decision within a reasonable timeframe.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by simply
replying to this email.
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [1][email address]
W vline.com.au
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 2:16 PM
To: Ashley PeterBudge <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Fw: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding
Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organisation. Only click links
& attachments if you can confirm the sender and the content is safe.
Dear Ashley Peter-Budge,
Thanks for your help.
I accept your suggestion and would like to change my request to the
following:
"access to the following documents relating to the handling of
overcrowding between 2022 and present:
- Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the
causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate
overcrowding during this period."
I appreciate your help in modifying the request. If any other changes are
needed, please let me know. I acknowledge the original request was very
broad, as I was not sure if formal documents existed or reports were
conducted in the first place, as there were few or no public references to
such documents, hence the inclusion of informal memos etc. in the original
request.
Once again, thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Connor Brown
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
Good afternoon Connor,
I hope you have been well.
Although your amended FOI request is valid, further searches have been
established and identified an estimate of over 700 documents that have
been identified that may fall under the scope of your amended request.
Further Consultation required under section 25A(6)
In order to continue to process your FOI request effectively remove the
grounds of refusal under section 25A(1), I invite you to further clarify
your amended FOI request by narrowing down the categories of the documents
you are requesting.
In particular, I suggest the removal:
all "reports, draft documents and duplicates" from the terms of your
amended FOI request?
I note that the remaining categories of documents encompass the
information you are seeking under the terms of your amended FOI request.
Your suggested new amended FOI request is as follows:
* studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the causes,
frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
* Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate
overcrowding during this period.
* Excluding all draft duplicate documents
V/Line wants to ensure we can process your request and provide as much
information as possible while ensuring you are given procedural fairness
during this process.
Lastly, I do apologies for the continued delay in processing your FOI
request and look forward your response.
Kind regards,
Ashley Peter-Budge | Lawyer
V/Line Corporation
Level 6, 452 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
GPO Box 5343 Melbourne VIC 3001
E [1][email address]
W vline.com.au
PROTECTED Legal Privilege
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Connor Brown <[FOI #12260 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 2:16 PM
To: Ashley PeterBudge <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Fw: Freedom of Information request - Documents regarding
Overcrowding on V/Line Services from 2022 to present
CAUTION: This email originated outside the organisation. Only click links
& attachments if you can confirm the sender and the content is safe.
Dear Ashley Peter-Budge,
Thanks for your help.
I accept your suggestion and would like to change my request to the
following:
"access to the following documents relating to the handling of
overcrowding between 2022 and present:
- Reports, studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the
causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate
overcrowding during this period."
I appreciate your help in modifying the request. If any other changes are
needed, please let me know. I acknowledge the original request was very
broad, as I was not sure if formal documents existed or reports were
conducted in the first place, as there were few or no public references to
such documents, hence the inclusion of informal memos etc. in the original
request.
Once again, thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Connor Brown
Dear Ashley Peter-Budge,
Thank you for your assistance. Based on your suggestion, I would like to amend my request as follows:
"access to the following documents relating to the handling of overcrowding between 2022 and present:
- Studies, or analyses conducted by or for V/Line addressing the causes, frequency, and impact of overcrowding on passenger services.
- Plans, strategies, or actions taken or proposed to manage or alleviate overcrowding during this period.
*Excluding all duplicate and draft documents, unless there is no final or newer copy available."
If this amended request still constitutes refusal under section 25A(1), I authorize V/Line to remove the clause 'unless there is no final or newer copy available' without requiring further consultation.
Yours sincerely,
Connor Brown