Thank you for your email.

You have contacted the Freedom of Information (FOI) team of the Department
of Social Services (the Department).

If your email relates to a Freedom of Information application made under
the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), the Department
will respond to you as soon as practicable.

Further information about FOI is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...

This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The
Department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries sent to this
email address. Any correspondence received that is not an information
access request will not be responded to or forwarded. Should you have a
query unrelated to FOI, please complete our [2]online feedback, enquiry or
compliment form on our website or direct your email to
[3][email address].  Alternatively you can contact the Department by
calling 1800 634 035.

With regards

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Freedom of Information

Legal Services Branch

Department of Social Services
E: [4][Department of Social Services request email]

The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.

We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present.

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References

Visible links
1. https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...
2. https://www.dss.gov.au/contact/feedback-...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Department of Social Services request email]

Dear Watson Norwood,

I refer to your email below. It appears that it is your intention to
submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

We have considered your email and advise that the email below contains
insufficient information for the Department of Social Services (the
Department) to process it under the FOI Act. The Department is unable to
reasonably identify the documents sought in your request.

The FOI Act sets out quite specific requirements for applicants that must
be met in order for their request to be considered a valid FOI request.

In order for your request to be valid, it must (emphasis added):

·       be in writing

·       state that the request is an application for the purposes of the
FOI Act

·       provide sufficient information concerning the document(s) to
assist us to identify them

·       specify how notices under the FOI Act may be sent to you

As it is not a valid FOI request, the time for processing your request has
not yet commenced.

In accordance with paragraph 15(3)(b) of the FOI Act, we are required to
take reasonable steps to assist you to make a valid FOI request that,
amongst other things, allows us to identify the nature of the documents
you are seeking.

Further information of document(s) sought

Your request does not provide sufficient information to enable the
Department to identify the document(s) you seek. To assist you, see below
a couple of examples of documents which you may be seeking:

1.     a list of all FOI requests published on the Department’s FOI
disclosure log between 2013 and 2023;

2.     copies of all documents published on the Department’s FOI
disclosure log between 2013 and 2023; or

3.     documents related to a specific FOI request, noting you mentioned
that you consider the Department has not accurately included all FOI
requests on its FOI disclosure log.

Please note, under section 11C of the FOI Act, the requirement to publish
documents on the disclosure log does not apply to:

·       personal information about any person if publication of that
information would be 'unreasonable'

·       information about the business, commercial, financial or
professional affairs of any person if publication of that information
would be 'unreasonable'

·       other information covered by a determination made by the
Australian Information Commissioner if publication of that information
would be 'unreasonable'

·       any information if it is not reasonably practicable to publish the
information because of the extent of modifications that would need to be
made to delete the information listed in the above dot points.

As such, the Department’s FOI disclosure log only contains those documents
where the exceptions above do not apply. As most department’s receive a
higher proportion of FOI requests for personal information, disclosure
logs do not typically reflect the total volume of FOI requests received.

Further, the Department only maintains the disclosure log for FOI requests
received by the Department. It does not maintain any other agencies’ FOI
requests or disclosure logs.

You can find further information regarding accessing information on our
website at
[1]https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-departm...,
or on the website of the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner, at:
[2]https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor....

If it would assist you to discuss this by phone please provide me with
your best contact number and time by return email and I will contact you.

Kind Regards,

DSS FOI Team

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Freedom of Information section

Legal Services Branch

Department of Social Services
E: [3][Department of Social Services request email]

The Department of Social Services acknowledges the traditional owners of
country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
water and community.

We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past
and present. 

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