Documents Relating to the Sharing of DVA Client Information
Dear FOI Officer,
I am making this request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).
I seek access to any and all documents, records, data, and supporting material held by [Name of Agency] concerning the sharing of personal information originating from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) over the last ten years. This includes any data transfers from or to the DVA, whether they were one-off exchanges or ongoing, systematic transfers of DVA client information, including personal, medical, financial, or service-related details concerning veterans or their dependents.
I am interested in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of what DVA client information [Authority name] has received or accessed and for what purposes. Specifically, I request:
All records of data sharing arrangements between DVA and [Authority name], including but not limited to memoranda of understanding, service-level agreements, emails, letters, meeting minutes, file transfer logs, internal reports, and instructions that outline what data was shared, when it was shared, and the format or system used for the transfer.
Any policies, procedures, guidelines, or frameworks that govern how [Authority name] requests, obtains, stores, handles, or uses DVA client information. This includes documents that detail the criteria for approving access to such data, any consent or authorization processes, security controls, and retention or destruction policies.
Copies of any ethics committee approvals, privacy impact assessments, internal review board decisions, or other documents that reflect deliberations or authorizations for obtaining DVA client information. This includes records that show the agency considered the ethical, legal, or privacy implications of receiving or using DVA client data.
Documents that outline the intended uses or practical applications of the DVA client data, such as project proposals, business cases, internal strategy papers, or briefings that explain why [Authority name] sought access to this information, how it was intended to be integrated into the agency’s operations, and any expected outcomes or benefits.
A representative sample (in a suitably de-identified or redacted form) of the data or data fields received, so long as providing this sample does not breach any exemption under the FOI Act. The purpose is to understand the nature and granularity of the information shared, without disclosing identifiable personal details.
If the only data [Authority name] received pertains solely to data linked to the Centrelink Confirmation eServices (CCeS) arrangements as described at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/cen..., and there were no other forms of DVA data shared, then no CCeS-related data needs to be provided under this request.
I emphasize that I am not authorizing the transfer of this FOI request to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or any other agency. If [Authority name] holds the requested information, it should provide it directly. If there are parts of this request that [Name of Agency] does not understand or believes are not held, I invite you to contact me to clarify or refine the scope under section 24AB of the FOI Act, rather than initiating a transfer. However, I do not consent to the transfer of this request to another entity. The FOI Act places the onus on agencies to process requests for documents they hold, and I expect [Authority name] to meet its responsibilities in this regard.
I note that the statutory timeframe for processing FOI requests is 30 days from the date of receipt. I do not consent to any extension of time due to internal reduced activity periods, holiday stand-down periods, or other internal operational issues. If [Authority name] considers that it cannot meet the 30-day timeframe, it may seek an extension from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as provided under section 15AB of the FOI Act. I request to be notified if such an application is made.
If you consider any part of this request too broad or complex, please contact me promptly to discuss refining its scope. I remain willing to consider adjustments that will assist efficient processing, provided that they occur within the statutory timeframe and do not undermine the substance of what I am seeking.
I believe that disclosure of these documents is in the public interest, as it promotes transparency and accountability in how government agencies access and use sensitive personal information about veterans. Should you consider charges applicable, I request that you exercise your discretion to reduce or waive them, given the importance of the matter and its alignment with the principles of open government and public accountability.
I look forward to receiving your acknowledgment and decision within the statutory timeframe. Please contact me at the details below if you require further clarification.
Yours sincerely,
Nosey
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OFFICIAL
Dear Nosey,
Please find the attached for your consideration.
Kind regards,
Jason Lott
FOI Officer | Corporate Law Unit | Specialist Advice and Services Division
(SASD)
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601
GPO Box 3131, Canberra ACT 2601
T 02 6243 1244
[1]accc.gov.au
[2]ACCC Logo
The ACCC acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country
throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to the
land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures;
and to their Elders past, present and future.
---
IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, may contain information that
is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not
review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance
on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this
email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender
informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer
system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by
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Dear Sonya Petreski,
Thank you for your correspondence dated 24 December 2024 regarding my Freedom of Information (FOI) request. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify and refine the scope of my request to assist in its processing.
Clarified Scope of Request
To address the issues raised in your notice, I provide the following refinements:
Documents Sought
Formal Agreements: Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), service-level agreements (SLAs), or other agreements between the ACCC and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) regarding the sharing of personal information originating from DVA.
Governance Documents: Policies, procedures, guidelines, or frameworks that detail how the ACCC accesses, uses, stores, or destroys personal information originating from DVA.
Privacy and Ethical Considerations: Privacy impact assessments, internal reviews, or other documents discussing the legal, ethical, or privacy implications of handling DVA client information.
Exclusions
I do not seek access to individual complaint files or case-specific records.
Duplicate or draft versions of documents where final versions are available may also be excluded.
Terminology Clarifications
‘DVA Client Information: Refers to personal, medical, financial, or service-related data shared by DVA for any systematic or ongoing arrangement, as well as ad hoc transfers.
Purpose of Request
The aim of this request is to understand whether systematic or formal data-sharing arrangements exist between the ACCC and DVA, including the governance frameworks and safeguards involved.
Next Steps
I trust these clarifications address your concerns and enable the ACCC to proceed with processing my request. Should further refinement or input be required, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate further.
Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Nosey
OFFICIAL
Dear Nosey,
The ACCC confirms receipt of your revised request dated 30 December 2024.
Timeframe for processing your request
The ACCC has 30 days to process your request. This timeframe may be
extended by a further 30 days by the ACCC where consultation with certain
third parties is necessary. You will be advised if we extend the timeframe
for third party consultation.
Charges
If the ACCC decides that you should pay a charge to process your request,
we will notify you of the likely cost of processing your request and your
options if you disagree. The statutory timeframe is placed on hold from
when a charges notice is sent to you and resumes at a later time.
We will notify you of any charges in relation to your request as soon as
practicable.
Practical refusal
If we are unable to identify the documents you are seeking, or processing
your request would substantially and unreasonably divert the ACCC’s
resources from its other operations, we will send you a notice of our
intention to refuse your request and your options, including if you
disagree.
Decision
A decision maker will assess the documents (if any) to decide if we can
release them, or if they are exempt from release. We will send you the
decision and notify you of your review rights.
We will only release documents once any applicable processing charge is
paid.
If we cannot locate any documents that are covered by the scope of your
request, or if we refuse to confirm or deny the existence of documents, we
will advise you of this and your review rights.
Publication of documents released under FOI
Material released under FOI may be published on our website unless we
consider it unreasonable to do so.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact me on
(02) 6243 1244.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Fenech (She/Her)
FOI Manager | Corporate Law Unit | Specialist Advice and Services Division
(SASD)
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
Ngunnawal Country
23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601
GPO Box 3131, Canberra ACT 2601
T 02 6243 1244
Hours I do not work on Wednesdays
[1]accc.gov.au
[2]ACCC Logo
The ACCC acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country
throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to the
land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures;
and to their Elders past, present and future.
-----Original Message-----
From: noseyrosey <[FOI #12578 email]>
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2024 6:35 PM
To: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI Request (1007809) - Request is unclear [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 Sonya Petreski,
Thank you for your correspondence dated 24 December 2024 regarding my
Freedom of Information (FOI) request. I appreciate the opportunity to
clarify and refine the scope of my request to assist in its processing.
Clarified Scope of Request
To address the issues raised in your notice, I provide the following
refinements:
Documents Sought
Formal Agreements: Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), service-level
agreements (SLAs), or other agreements between the ACCC and the Department
of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) regarding the sharing of personal information
originating from DVA.
Governance Documents: Policies, procedures, guidelines, or frameworks that
detail how the ACCC accesses, uses, stores, or destroys personal
information originating from DVA.
Privacy and Ethical Considerations: Privacy impact assessments, internal
reviews, or other documents discussing the legal, ethical, or privacy
implications of handling DVA client information.
Exclusions
I do not seek access to individual complaint files or case-specific
records.
Duplicate or draft versions of documents where final versions are
available may also be excluded.
Terminology Clarifications
‘DVA Client Information: Refers to personal, medical, financial, or
service-related data shared by DVA for any systematic or ongoing
arrangement, as well as ad hoc transfers.
Purpose of Request
The aim of this request is to understand whether systematic or formal
data-sharing arrangements exist between the ACCC and DVA, including the
governance frameworks and safeguards involved.
Next Steps
I trust these clarifications address your concerns and enable the ACCC to
proceed with processing my request. Should further refinement or input be
required, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate further.
Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Nosey
-----Original Message-----
OFFICIAL
Dear Nosey,
Please find the attached for your consideration.
Kind regards,
Jason Lott
FOI Officer | Corporate Law Unit | Specialist Advice and Services Division
(SASD)
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601
GPO Box 3131, Canberra ACT 2601
T 02 6243 1244
[1]accc.gov.au
[2]ACCC Logo
The ACCC acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country
throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to the
land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures;
and to their Elders past, present and future.
---
IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, may contain information that
is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not
review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance
on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this
email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender
informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer
system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by
the ACCC [3]www.accc.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. [4]https://accc.gov.au/
2. [5]https://www.accc.gov.au/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #12578 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://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, may contain information that
is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not
review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance
on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this
email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender
informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer
system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by
the ACCC www.accc.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. https://accc.gov.au/
2. https://www.accc.gov.au/
3. http://www.accc.gov.au/
4. https://accc.gov.au/
5. https://www.accc.gov.au/
6. mailto:[FOI #12578 email]
7. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
OFFICIAL
Dear Nosey,
We refer to your FOI request dated 14 December 2024 and your further email
dated 30 December 2024 revising your request for access, under the Freedom
of Information Act 1982 (Cth), to:
‘Documents Sought
Formal Agreements: Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), service-level
agreements (SLAs), or other agreements between the ACCC and the Department
of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) regarding the sharing of personal information
originating from DVA.
Governance Documents: Policies, procedures, guidelines, or frameworks that
detail how the ACCC accesses, uses, stores, or destroys personal
information originating from DVA.
Privacy and Ethical Considerations: Privacy impact assessments, internal
reviews, or other documents discussing the legal, ethical, or privacy
implications of handling DVA client information.
Exclusions
I do not seek access to individual complaint files or case-specific
records.
Duplicate or draft versions of documents where final versions are
available may also be excluded.
Terminology Clarifications
‘DVA Client Information: Refers to personal, medical, financial, or
service-related data shared by DVA for any systematic or ongoing
arrangement, as well as ad hoc transfers.
Purpose of Request
The aim of this request is to understand whether systematic or formal
data-sharing arrangements exist between the ACCC and DVA, including the
governance frameworks and safeguards involved.’
Under s.15AA of the Act, we seek your written agreement, for an extension
of 30 days to process your request. The current due date for decision is
18 January 2025. With the extension, the due date would be 17 February
2025.
We would appreciate your response by Wednesday, 15 January 2025.
We seek this extension due to the high volume of FOI requests currently on
hand, the recent closure of the ACCC during the Christmas holiday period
and staff absences. However, if possible, we will endeavour to provide you
with a decision before this timeframe.
Please do not hesitate to contact the FOI team on (02) 6243 1244 if you
have any questions in relation to this matter.
Kind regards,
Rebecca Fenech (She/Her)
FOI Manager | Corporate Law Unit | Specialist Advice and Services Division
(SASD)
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
Ngunnawal Country
23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601
GPO Box 3131, Canberra ACT 2601
T 02 6243 1244
Hours I do not work on Wednesdays
[1]accc.gov.au
[2]ACCC Logo
The ACCC acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country
throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to the
land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures;
and to their Elders past, present and future.
---
IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, may contain information that
is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not
review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance
on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this
email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender
informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer
system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by
the ACCC www.accc.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. https://accc.gov.au/
2. https://www.accc.gov.au/
Dear FOI Officer,
I am writing to formally notify you that I have referred my Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted on 14 December 2024 to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). This action has been taken due to a deemed refusal of my request, as no decision was provided within the statutory timeframe under section 15(5)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).
Request Details:
FOI Request Submitted: 14 December 2024
Statutory Deadline: 13 January 2025
Referral Reference Number: WEB-MR-25-00853
As per section 15AC of the FOI Act, the absence of a decision within the prescribed timeframe constitutes a deemed refusal. I have sought the OAIC's intervention to ensure compliance with the FOI Act and to facilitate a prompt resolution.
If you wish to provide any updates or clarifications regarding this matter, please do so at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Nosey Rosey
OFFICIAL
Dear Nosey,
Thank you for your below email.
In accordance with s 24AB(8) of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
(the Act), the period from 24 December 2024 (the date of our notice of
intention to refuse your request) to 30 December 2024 (the date you made a
revised request) is disregarded in working out the 30 day processing
period mentioned in s 15(5)(b) of Act. For that reason, our decision on
your FOI request is currently due by 18 January 2025. However, for
completeness, I note that as that is a Saturday, in accordance with s
36(2) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth), the decision is required
by 20 January 2025 being the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or a
holiday. You may find this [1]OAIC guidance helpful in this regard.
In our email of 13 January 2025 we have sought your written agreement,
under s 15AA of the Act, to an extension of 30 days to process your
request for the reasons outlined in that email, which would bring the due
date to make a decision on your FOI request to 17 February 2025. We would
be most grateful for your response to that request today.
Please do not hesitate to contact us on (02) 6243 1244 if you have any
questions in relation to this matter.
Kind regards,
ACCC FOI team
-----Original Message-----
From: noseyrosey <[FOI #12578 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 8:09 PM
To: FOI <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI request (1007809) - Requesting extension of time to
process freedom of information request [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 FOI Officer,
I am writing to formally notify you that I have referred my Freedom of
Information (FOI) request submitted on 14 December 2024 to the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). This action has been taken
due to a deemed refusal of my request, as no decision was provided within
the statutory timeframe under section 15(5)(b) of the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cth).
Request Details:
FOI Request Submitted: 14 December 2024
Statutory Deadline: 13 January 2025
Referral Reference Number: WEB-MR-25-00853
As per section 15AC of the FOI Act, the absence of a decision within the
prescribed timeframe constitutes a deemed refusal. I have sought the
OAIC's intervention to ensure compliance with the FOI Act and to
facilitate a prompt resolution.
If you wish to provide any updates or clarifications regarding this
matter, please do so at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Nosey Rosey
-----Original Message-----
OFFICIAL
Dear Nosey,
We refer to your FOI request dated 14 December 2024 and your further email
dated 30 December 2024 revising your request for access, under the Freedom
of Information Act 1982 (Cth), to:
‘Documents Sought
Formal Agreements: Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), service-level
agreements (SLAs), or other agreements between the ACCC and the Department
of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) regarding the sharing of personal information
originating from DVA.
Governance Documents: Policies, procedures, guidelines, or frameworks that
detail how the ACCC accesses, uses, stores, or destroys personal
information originating from DVA.
Privacy and Ethical Considerations: Privacy impact assessments, internal
reviews, or other documents discussing the legal, ethical, or privacy
implications of handling DVA client information.
Exclusions
I do not seek access to individual complaint files or case-specific
records.
Duplicate or draft versions of documents where final versions are
available may also be excluded.
Terminology Clarifications
‘DVA Client Information: Refers to personal, medical, financial, or
service-related data shared by DVA for any systematic or ongoing
arrangement, as well as ad hoc transfers.
Purpose of Request
The aim of this request is to understand whether systematic or formal
data-sharing arrangements exist between the ACCC and DVA, including the
governance frameworks and safeguards involved.’
Under s.15AA of the Act, we seek your written agreement, for an extension
of 30 days to process your request. The current due date for decision is
18 January 2025. With the extension, the due date would be 17 February
2025.
We would appreciate your response by Wednesday, 15 January 2025.
We seek this extension due to the high volume of FOI requests currently on
hand, the recent closure of the ACCC during the Christmas holiday period
and staff absences. However, if possible, we will endeavour to provide you
with a decision before this timeframe.
Please do not hesitate to contact the FOI team on (02) 6243 1244 if you
have any questions in relation to this matter.
Kind regards,
Rebecca Fenech (She/Her)
FOI Manager | Corporate Law Unit | Specialist Advice and Services Division
(SASD)
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
Ngunnawal Country
23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601
GPO Box 3131, Canberra ACT 2601
T 02 6243 1244
Hours I do not work on Wednesdays
[1]accc.gov.au
[2]ACCC Logo
The ACCC acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of Country
throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to the
land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures;
and to their Elders past, present and future.
---
IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, may contain information that
is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not
review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance
on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this
email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender
informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer
system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by
the ACCC [2]www.accc.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. [3]https://accc.gov.au/
2. [4]https://www.accc.gov.au/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #12578 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:
[6]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
---
IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, may contain information that
is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or
other privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not
review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance
on, any material contained within this email. If you have received this
email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender
informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer
system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by
the ACCC [7]www.accc.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
2. http://www.accc.gov.au/
3. https://accc.gov.au/
4. https://www.accc.gov.au/
5. mailto:[FOI #12578 email]
6. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
7. http://www.accc.gov.au/