OFFICIAL: Sensitive

Good Afternoon,

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Request no. 137

We refer to, and acknowledge receipt of, your request for access to
information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act),
submitted to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (the MDBA) on 25 November
2024 (the Request).

The Request seeks the following information:

“…the Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides currently used for the
Murray-Darling Basin Authority.”

Under the FOI Act, the MDBA is required to notify you of its decision on
the Request no later than 30 days after the day on which the Request was
received (the Decision Date). As the Request was received on 25 November
2024, and the date 30 days after the date of the request is 25 December
2025 (a public holiday), the Decision Date is next business day, which is
26 December 2025..

Extension of time

Thank you for your prior consent for a 30-day extension. We appreciate
your offer given the busy time of year and end-of-year closures around the
APS. We agree to extending the Decision Date by 30 days to 28 January
2025. This accounts for the fact that the day 30 days after the extension
is a Saturday and the following Monday is the Australia Day public
holiday. 28 January 2025 is the next business day after the public
holiday.

Under the FOI Act, the Decision Date may be pushed back for several
reasons, including if we need to consult third parties or impose a charge.
We will advise you if this happens.

Request for contact details

Please provide us with a phone number and personal e-mail address so we
can contact you regarding the Request. We are hoping to seek some
clarification on the scope of your request.

Please do not hesitate to contact us on [1][email address] if you have any
questions.

Kind regards,

MDBA FOI team

 

Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Canberra | Ngunnawal Country

02 6279 0100
[2]www.mdba.gov.au

Keep up to date with the latest Basin news in our [3]newsroom, or
[4]subscribe for regular updates.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout
the Murray–Darling Basin and their continuing connection to land, waters
and community. We offer our respects to the people, the cultures and the
Elders past, present and emerging.

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 or have received it in
error do not use or disseminate it. Please notify the sender immediately
and delete.

 

DISCLAIMER: This message, and any attachments, is intended for the
addressee(s) named and may contain confidential or privileged information.
If you are not the intended recipient please immediately delete this
email, and any attachments, and notify the sender. This email is subject
to copyright and no part of it may be used without the express written
permission of the copyright holder(s). The views expressed in this message
may be those of the individual sender and are not necessarily the views of
the Murray-Darling Basin Authority ("the MDBA"). To the extent permitted
by law the MDBA does not represent or guarantee that the email and any
attachments are free of errors, viruses or defects. The MDBA accepts no
liability for loss or damage arising from the use of this email or any
attachments.

OFFICIAL: Sensitive

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.mdba.gov.au/
3. https://www.mdba.gov.au/newsroom
4. https://www.mdba.gov.au/subscribe

OFFICIAL

Good Morning Glenn,

 

We’re writing to you about your request for access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), submitted to the Murray-Darling
Basin Authority (the MDBA) on 25 November 2024 (the Request), FOI 137.

 

The Request sought access to:

 

“…the Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides currently used for the
Murray-Darling Basin Authority.”

 

Administrative release

 

We’re committed to providing you access to the documents you’re seeking
and invite you to consider the MDBA administratively releasing them to you
(outside the FOI framework). This would involve you agreeing to withdraw
your FOI request and progressing your request through further discussions
with us. Administrative release provides a quicker and more flexible
process to identify with greater accuracy, and provide access to, the
information you’re seeking.

 

Clarification of scope

 

Whether you agree to the administrative release approach or wish to
continue with your formal FOI request, we’re also seeking clarification of
the scope of your Request. Specifically, please confirm the following –
your Request:

 

o excludes personal information of non-Senior Executive Service (SES) or
equivalent staff, if any exists in the material sought;

 

o excludes culturally sensitive information; and

 

o only seeks ‘Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides’ which are
currently in operation.

 

If you agree to the above, we see the Request as being amended (as shown
in underline) in the following terms:

 

…the Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides currently used for the
Murray-Darling Basin Authority in operation at the date of the Request.
This Request excludes:

 

o personal information of non-Senior Executive Service (SES) or
equivalent staff; and

 

o culturally sensitive information.

 

(the Amended Request)

 

Next steps

 

If you are comfortable with us arranging the administrative release of the
documents you are seeking based on the Amended Request, please respond in
writing by COB Friday, 6 December 2024 with the following:

 

 1. Confirmation that you agree with the Amended Request;

 

 2. Confirmation that you are happy for the MDBA to provide the documents
through an administrative release; and

 

 3. Confirmation that you agree to withdraw this FOI request in place of
an administrative release.

 

If you wish to maintain your FOI request, please confirm your agreement to
point 1 above if comfortable with the Amended Request.

 

We look forward to hearing from you and please do not hesitate to contact
us if you have any questions.

 

Kind regards,

MDBA FOI team

Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Canberra | Ngunnawal Country

02 6279 0100
[1]www.mdba.gov.au

Keep up to date with the latest Basin news in our [2]newsroom, or
[3]subscribe for regular updates.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout
the Murray–Darling Basin and their continuing connection to land, waters
and community. We offer our respects to the people, the cultures and the
Elders past, present and emerging.

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 or have received it in
error do not use or disseminate it. Please notify the sender immediately
and delete.

DISCLAIMER: This message, and any attachments, is intended for the
addressee(s) named and may contain confidential or privileged information.
If you are not the intended recipient please immediately delete this
email, and any attachments, and notify the sender. This email is subject
to copyright and no part of it may be used without the express written
permission of the copyright holder(s). The views expressed in this message
may be those of the individual sender and are not necessarily the views of
the Murray-Darling Basin Authority ("the MDBA"). To the extent permitted
by law the MDBA does not represent or guarantee that the email and any
attachments are free of errors, viruses or defects. The MDBA accepts no
liability for loss or damage arising from the use of this email or any
attachments.

OFFICIAL

References

Visible links
1. http://www.mdba.gov.au/
2. https://www.mdba.gov.au/newsroom
3. https://www.mdba.gov.au/subscribe