Freedom of Information Logs - FOI Request
Dear Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications,
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act for a complete copy of the departments' Freedom of Information (FOI) logs for the period 2013-2023, including any secondary departments controlled by the agency.
I request that this is provided as a document and not a simple redirect to the agency website as I am of the view that your online disclosure logs do not actively reflect your FOI requests that you have received in this period.
I would appreciate it if you could provide me with this information in an electronic format, such as a PDF or spreadsheet, if possible.
If there are any fees associated with fulfilling this request, please let me know in advance so that I can consider my options.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Watson Norwood
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon
I refer to your email of 6 May 2023, below. I note that you have requested "a complete copy of the departments' Freedom of Information (FOI) logs for the period 2013-2023".
The information you have requested is published on the Department's website and is therefore maintained for reference purposes and is publicly available. To assist you I have provided a link below:
www.infrastructure.gov.au/about-us/freed.... I note that this consists of information from the 2017/18 Financial year, and includes also includes further links to previous years.
Section 4 of the FOI Act defines a "document" which can be requested under that Act as:
document includes:
(a) any of, or any part of any of, the following things:
(i) any paper or other material on which there is writing;
(ii) a map, plan, drawing or photograph;
(iii) any paper or other material on which there are marks, figures, symbols or perforations having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them;
(iv) any article or material from which sounds, images or writings are capable of being reproduced with or without the aid of any other article or device;
(v) any article on which information has been stored or recorded, either mechanically or electronically;
(vi) any other record of information; or
(b) any copy, reproduction or duplicate of such a thing; or
(c) any part of such a copy, reproduction or duplicate;
but does not include:
(d) material maintained for reference purposes that is otherwise publicly available; or
(e) Cabinet notebooks.
Relevantly, material maintained for reference purposes that is otherwise publicly available is excluded from the right of access under the FOI Act. As such, as in the information you have requested falls outside the provisions of the FOI Act, and the Department does not hold any other discrete written document which would contain that information, we are unable to take any further action in relation to your request.
With kind regards
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information Section
Assurance, Integrity, Risk and Governance Branch
Finance, Governance, Budget and Business Services Division
E: [Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications request email]
T: +61 2 6274 6294
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
infrastructure.gov.au
I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on which we meet, work and live.
I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters and communities.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
OFFICIAL