Dear Mr Ashmore

Freedom of Information Request: FOI 42201

I refer to your request for access to documents held by the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs (Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
(FOI Act). Your request was received by the Department on 6 March 2021 and
was made in the following terms:

“…BACKGROUND:

I understand DVA were liaising with State Coroners as part of their
preliminary work in preparation for a Suicide Prevention trial in
Townsville, as announced by Prime Minister Turnbull in August 2016 and
commenced in July 2017.

INFORMATION I AM SEEKING:

I am seeking all documents from 1 August 2016 to 30 June 2017 from DVA to
the  respective State Coroners and from the respective State Coroners to
DVA regarding this suicide prevention trial.

Documentation to include all internal emails within DVA and minutes of
meetings pertaining to this trial...”

In accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act, the due date for a
decision on your request is 5 April 2021.

When the processing period may be extended or suspended

The current due date may be extended by up to 30 days if agreed by you
(section 15AA of the FOI Act). Also, the due date may be extended by an
additional 30 days in each instance, if your request is considered
voluminous or complex (section 15AB of the FOI Act) or if the Department
is required to undertake a third party consultation (sections 26A, 27 or
27A of the FOI Act). If any of these extensions apply, the Department will
notify you.

Additionally, there are occasions where the time to process your request
may be suspended. This will usually take place if a practical refusal
consultation process takes place (section 24AB of the FOI Act) or if a
charges notice is issued to process your request (section 29 of the FOI
Act). If the Department decides that either of these apply to your
request, the Department will notify you.

We will write again when the Department has more information. Further
information on FOI processing can be found at the website of the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner at [1]https://www.oaic.gov.au/.

Publication of documents

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on our disclosure log at
[2]https://www.dva.gov.au/about-dva/freedom...
subject to certain exceptions, such as if the documents relate to your own
personal information. The Department will advise you in its decision
whether details of your request will be published on the disclosure log or
not.

Contacting us about your request

We will contact you using the email address you have provided. Please
advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.

If you have any questions, please contact me using the following details:

Post:                      Information Law Section, Legal Services & Audit
Branch

GPO Box 9998 CANBERRA   ACT   2601

Facsimile:            (02) 6289 6337

Email:                   [3][email address]

Kind regards

Jo

Jo (Position Number 62210326)

Assistant Director

Information Law Section

Legal Services and Audit Branch

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

t 1800 555 254 | e [4][email address]  | [5]www.dva.gov.au

p GPO Box 9998, Canberra ACT 2601

[6]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0

P Please consider the environment before printing this email

IMPORTANT:  This document contains legal advice and may be subject to
legal professional privilege. Unless it is waived or lost, legal
professional privilege is a rule of law that, in part, provides that the
client need not disclose confidential communications between a legal
practitioner and client. To keep this privilege, the purpose and content
of this advice must only be disclosed to persons who have a need to know
and on the basis that those persons also keep it confidential.

You should consider this advice and take it into account when forming a
decision on how best to proceed. If you decide to adopt a position that
does not align with this advice, you should not state that DVA Legal
Services & Audit Branch has cleared or endorsed a particular position.

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

IMPORTANT
1. Before opening any attachments, please check for viruses.
2. This e-mail (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information
for the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient,
please contact the sender and delete all copies of this email.
3. Any views expressed in this e-mail are those of the sender and are not
a statement of Australian Government Policy unless otherwise stated.
4. Electronic addresses published in this email are not conspicuous
publications and DVA does not consent to the receipt of commercial
electronic messages.
5. To unsubscribe from emails from the Department of Veterans' Affairs
(DVA) please go to
http://www.dva.gov.au/contact_us/Pages/f...
, and advise which mailing list you would like to unsubscribe from.
6. Finally, please do not remove this notice.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
2. https://www.dva.gov.au/about-dva/freedom...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. http://www.dva.gov.au/

hide quoted sections

Dear Mr Ashmore,

I am writing in relation to your FOI request for access to the following
documents:

“…BACKGROUND:

I understand DVA were liaising with State Coroners as part of their
preliminary work in preparation for a Suicide Prevention trial in
Townsville, as announced by Prime Minister Turnbull in August 2016 and
commenced in July 2017.

INFORMATION I AM SEEKING:

I am seeking all documents from 1 August 2016 to 30 June 2017 from DVA to
the  respective State Coroners and from the respective State Coroners to
DVA regarding this suicide prevention trial.

Documentation to include all internal emails within DVA and minutes of
meetings pertaining to this trial...”

I have consulted with a number of business areas of the Department and
have been unable to identify documents falling within the scope of your
request.

However, I have been advised that funding for the trial was confirmed
through 2016/17 MYEFO with trials managed by the Department of Health,
rather than DVA. Detail is contained within this media release -
[1]2016–17 MYEFO Drives Health Reform - The Hon. Sussan Ley MP.

For this reason, I am seeking your agreement to withdraw your FOI request
with DVA and consider submitting a new FOI request with the Department of
Health ([2][email address]). Could you please let me know if you agree
to withdraw your request by COB Monday 22 March 2021?

Kind regards

Jo

Jo (Position Number 62210326)

Assistant Director

Information Law Section

Legal Services and Audit Branch

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

t 1800 555 254 | e [3][email address]  | [4]www.dva.gov.au

p GPO Box 9998, Canberra ACT 2601

[5]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0

P Please consider the environment before printing this email

IMPORTANT:  This document contains legal advice and may be subject to
legal professional privilege. Unless it is waived or lost, legal
professional privilege is a rule of law that, in part, provides that the
client need not disclose confidential communications between a legal
practitioner and client. To keep this privilege, the purpose and content
of this advice must only be disclosed to persons who have a need to know
and on the basis that those persons also keep it confidential.

You should consider this advice and take it into account when forming a
decision on how best to proceed. If you decide to adopt a position that
does not align with this advice, you should not state that DVA Legal
Services & Audit Branch has cleared or endorsed a particular position.

From: INFORMATION.LAW <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 10 March 2021 2:24 PM
To: [FOI #7137 email]
Cc: INFORMATION.LAW <[email address]>
Subject: FOI 42201 - Acknowledgement of FOI request [SEC=OFFICIAL]

Dear Mr Ashmore

Freedom of Information Request: FOI 42201

I refer to your request for access to documents held by the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs (Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
(FOI Act). Your request was received by the Department on 6 March 2021 and
was made in the following terms:

“…BACKGROUND:

I understand DVA were liaising with State Coroners as part of their
preliminary work in preparation for a Suicide Prevention trial in
Townsville, as announced by Prime Minister Turnbull in August 2016 and
commenced in July 2017.

INFORMATION I AM SEEKING:

I am seeking all documents from 1 August 2016 to 30 June 2017 from DVA to
the  respective State Coroners and from the respective State Coroners to
DVA regarding this suicide prevention trial.

Documentation to include all internal emails within DVA and minutes of
meetings pertaining to this trial...”

In accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act, the due date for a
decision on your request is 5 April 2021.

When the processing period may be extended or suspended

The current due date may be extended by up to 30 days if agreed by you
(section 15AA of the FOI Act). Also, the due date may be extended by an
additional 30 days in each instance, if your request is considered
voluminous or complex (section 15AB of the FOI Act) or if the Department
is required to undertake a third party consultation (sections 26A, 27 or
27A of the FOI Act). If any of these extensions apply, the Department will
notify you.

Additionally, there are occasions where the time to process your request
may be suspended. This will usually take place if a practical refusal
consultation process takes place (section 24AB of the FOI Act) or if a
charges notice is issued to process your request (section 29 of the FOI
Act). If the Department decides that either of these apply to your
request, the Department will notify you.

We will write again when the Department has more information. Further
information on FOI processing can be found at the website of the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner at [6]https://www.oaic.gov.au/.

Publication of documents

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on our disclosure log at
[7]https://www.dva.gov.au/about-dva/freedom...
subject to certain exceptions, such as if the documents relate to your own
personal information. The Department will advise you in its decision
whether details of your request will be published on the disclosure log or
not.

Contacting us about your request

We will contact you using the email address you have provided. Please
advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.

If you have any questions, please contact me using the following details:

Post:                      Information Law Section, Legal Services & Audit
Branch

GPO Box 9998 CANBERRA   ACT   2601

Facsimile:            (02) 6289 6337

Email:                   [8][email address]

Kind regards

Jo

Jo (Position Number 62210326)

Assistant Director

Information Law Section

Legal Services and Audit Branch

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

t 1800 555 254 | e [9][email address]  | [10]www.dva.gov.au

p GPO Box 9998, Canberra ACT 2601

[11]cid:image001.png@01D0027A.1DAB84F0

P Please consider the environment before printing this email

IMPORTANT:  This document contains legal advice and may be subject to
legal professional privilege. Unless it is waived or lost, legal
professional privilege is a rule of law that, in part, provides that the
client need not disclose confidential communications between a legal
practitioner and client. To keep this privilege, the purpose and content
of this advice must only be disclosed to persons who have a need to know
and on the basis that those persons also keep it confidential.

You should consider this advice and take it into account when forming a
decision on how best to proceed. If you decide to adopt a position that
does not align with this advice, you should not state that DVA Legal
Services & Audit Branch has cleared or endorsed a particular position.

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

IMPORTANT
1. Before opening any attachments, please check for viruses.
2. This e-mail (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information
for the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient,
please contact the sender and delete all copies of this email.
3. Any views expressed in this e-mail are those of the sender and are not
a statement of Australian Government Policy unless otherwise stated.
4. Electronic addresses published in this email are not conspicuous
publications and DVA does not consent to the receipt of commercial
electronic messages.
5. To unsubscribe from emails from the Department of Veterans' Affairs
(DVA) please go to
http://www.dva.gov.au/contact_us/Pages/f...
, and advise which mailing list you would like to unsubscribe from.
6. Finally, please do not remove this notice.

References

Visible links
1. https://sussanley.com/2016-17-myefo-driv...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/
6. https://www.oaic.gov.au/
7. https://www.dva.gov.au/about-dva/freedom...
8. mailto:[email address]
9. mailto:[email address]
10. http://www.dva.gov.au/

hide quoted sections

** Important message **

Thank you for contacting the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Your email has been received and will be actioned as soon as possible. We
will seek to address your request within any statutory timeframes that may
apply and seek extensions of time where needed. If statutory timeframes do
not apply, we will aim to address your email within 30 days or sooner
where possible. 

Kind regards,

Information Law Section
Department of Veterans' Affairs