Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) team in Services
Australia. 

This email acknowledges your correspondence and provides some general
information in relation to FOI.

Timeframe For processing your request

Under the FOI Act you have a right, with limited exceptions, to access
documents the agency holds. A FOI request normally takes 30 days to
process.

Please note this period may be further extended if we need to consult
third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

Charges

Services Australia will advise you if a charge is payable to process your
request and the amount of any such charge as soon as practicable. No
charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.

Your Address

The FOI Act requires you provide us with an address which we can send
notices to. We will send all notices and correspondence to the address you
have used to email us. Please advise us as soon as possible if you wish
correspondence to be sent to another address or if your address changes.

Administrative release of documents   

The agency has administrative access arrangements in place for the release
of certain documents without the need for a formal FOI request. These
arrangements do not extend to information or material of third parties.

Exclusion of junior staff details

Services Australia is working towards ensuring all staff have a choice
about whether they provide their full name, personal logon identifiers and
direct contact details in response to FOI requests. Where such details are
included in documents they will be redacted. If you request staff details
as part of your FOI application, this may add to processing time and
applicable charges as it will be necessary to consider whether these
details are exempt under the Act.

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Dear Ms Smith

Please find attached an acknowledgement letter from Services Australia
dated 4 April 2022.

Leanne, FOI Officer

Information Access Branch

LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

[1]B3997F7F

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. I pay my
respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander nations.

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for the use of the intended recipient only and
may contain information that is confidential, commercially valuable and/or
subject to legal or parliamentary privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient you are notified that any review, re-transmission, disclosure,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you
have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately
and delete all electronic and hard copies of this transmission together
with any attachments. Please consider the environment before printing this
e-mail
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Dear Ms Smith,

I am writing to you in regards to your recent request under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The agency is currently in the process of consultation with relevant
business areas for the document related to your request. Unfortunately,
this process is taking a little longer than anticipated which means the
agency is unlikely to be in a position to provide you with a decision by
the current due date of 2 May 2022. Therefore, we respectfully request an
15 day extension of time to process this request under Section 15AA of the
FOI Act.

The effect of the extension would mean the new decision due date would be
16 May 2022. If we 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
Tuesday 19 April 2022.

Kind regards

Leanne, FOI Officer

Information Access Branch

LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

[1]B3997F7F

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. I pay my
respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander nations.

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for the use of the intended recipient only and
may contain information that is confidential, commercially valuable and/or
subject to legal or parliamentary privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient you are notified that any review, re-transmission, disclosure,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you
have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately
and delete all electronic and hard copies of this transmission together
with any attachments. Please consider the environment before printing this
e-mail
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Dear Ms Smith,

Thank you for your email regarding the current status of your FOI request.

On 13 April 2022 the agency wrote to you requesting a 15 day extension
under Section 15AA of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), which
you agreed to. This extension meant the agency was required to provide you
with a decision in relation to your request by 16 May 2022.

Unfortunately, the agency was unable to process your request by this date.
This means the principal officer of the agency is deemed to have refused
your request under section 15AC of the FOI Act (‘deemed refusal’).

Although your request is a deemed refusal, I am continuing to review the
document you requested, and I am considering release to you through the
agency’s administrative access arrangements. I will provide a response to
you about this as soon as possible.

Kind Regards,

Leanne, FOI Officer

Information Access Branch

LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

[1]B3997F7F

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. I pay my
respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander nations.

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

-----Original Message-----
From: Amanda Smith <[2][FOI #8676 email]>
Sent: Friday, 13 May 2022 1:35 PM
To: FOI.LEGAL.TEAM <[3][email address]>
Subject: Re: LEX 67290 - Communication - Extension of Time - Response
Required [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

It is well past the 15 days extension I agreed to. Please update me on the
status of this request.

Yours sincerely,

Amanda Smith

-----Original Message-----

Dear Ms Smith,

I am writing to you in regards to your recent request under the Freedom of

Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The agency is currently in the process of consultation with relevant

business areas for the document related to your request. Unfortunately,

this process is taking a little longer than anticipated which means the

agency is unlikely to be in a position to provide you with a decision by

the current due date of 2 May 2022. Therefore, we respectfully request an

15 day extension of time to process this request under Section 15AA of the

FOI Act.

The effect of the extension would mean the new decision due date would be

16 May 2022. If we 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

Tuesday 19 April 2022.

Kind regards

Leanne, FOI Officer

Information Access Branch

LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

[1]B3997F7F

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. I pay my

respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander nations.

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal

professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or

confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are

prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have

received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately

and permanently delete this email.

References

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-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[4][FOI #8676 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:

[5]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 e-mail is for the use of the intended recipient only and
may contain information that is confidential, commercially valuable and/or
subject to legal or parliamentary privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient you are notified that any review, re-transmission, disclosure,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you
have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately
and delete all electronic and hard copies of this transmission together
with any attachments. Please consider the environment before printing this
e-mail
**********************************************************************

References

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2. mailto:[FOI #8676 email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[FOI #8676 email]
5. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

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Dear Ms Smith,

Please find attached correspondence from Services Australia dated 26 May
2022 in relation to your request for access under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982.

Leanne

Freedom of Information Team

LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

[1]cid:image003.jpg@01D6B8DA.4DF87C40

Services Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land now
called Australia. We pay our respect to all Elders, past, present and
emerging of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations.

Please note: This email and any attachments may contain information
subject to legal professional privilege or information that is otherwise
sensitive or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this
email, you are prohibited from using or disseminating this communication.
If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender
immediately and permanently delete this email.

**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for the use of the intended recipient only and
may contain information that is confidential, commercially valuable and/or
subject to legal or parliamentary privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient you are notified that any review, re-transmission, disclosure,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you
have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately
and delete all electronic and hard copies of this transmission together
with any attachments. Please consider the environment before printing this
e-mail
**********************************************************************

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Dear Ms Smith,

I refer to your request for access to documents held by Services Australia
(the agency), under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

A statement of reasons was issued to you on 26 May 2022 (attached),
advising you that the agency was considering releasing the document in
scope of your request via the administrative release arrangements.

Please find attached the document relating to your request.

If you have any questions regarding this matter or are unable to open the
attachment please contact me by replying to this email.

Kind Regards,

Leanne, FOI Officer

Information Access Branch

LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION

[1]B3997F7F

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. I pay my
respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander nations.

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT: This e-mail is for the use of the intended recipient only and
may contain information that is confidential, commercially valuable and/or
subject to legal or parliamentary privilege. If you are not the intended
recipient you are notified that any review, re-transmission, disclosure,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information is prohibited and may result in severe penalties. If you
have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender immediately
and delete all electronic and hard copies of this transmission together
with any attachments. Please consider the environment before printing this
e-mail
**********************************************************************

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