NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,
At some stage, the NDIA created a NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee. I request, under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, all information and communication about:
1. the creation of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
2. recruitment, selection/appointment and maintenance of the membership of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
3. the operation of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
4. agendas, minutes, briefings and materials shown to the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee or any subcommittees.
5. advice and recommendations made by the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
6. processing or disposition of advice and recommendations made by the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
7. the ending or dissolution of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
Yours faithfully,
Bob Buckley
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Kind regards
Freedom of Information Team
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [11][NDIA request email]
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
References
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7. mailto:[NDIA request email]
mailto:[NDIA request email]
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https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/policie...
9. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
10. https://www.ndis.gov.au/
https://www.ndis.gov.au/
11. mailto:[NDIA request email]
Dear Bob Buckley
Thank you for your request of 25 July 2024, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for access to documents held by the
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
Scope of you request
You have requested access to:
… all information and communication about:
1. the creation of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
2. recruitment, selection/appointment and maintenance of the membership of
the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
3. the operation of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
4. agendas, minutes, briefings and materials shown to the NDIA autism
stakeholder subcommittee or any subcommittees.
5. advice and recommendations made by the NDIA autism stakeholder
subcommittee
6. processing or disposition of advice and recommendations made by the
NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
7. the ending or dissolution of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
Processing timeframes
A 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from 26
July 2024, in accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act. Therefore
the due date for a decision on access is 25 August 2024.
This period may be extended if we need to consult with third parties or
for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.
Irrelevant information
Section 22 of the FOI Act permits us to provide FOI applicants with access
to edited copies of documents with irrelevant material deleted. Can you
please contact us at [1][NDIA request email] to advise whether the surnames and
contact details of NDIA staff are irrelevant to your request?
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on our disclosure
log, located on our website at [2]FOI Disclosure log | NDIS.
If you have any concerns about the publication of the information you have
requested, please contact us at [3][NDIA request email].
Further help
Please contact us at [4][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or need
help.
We will contact you using the email address you have provided. Please
advise us if you would prefer us to use another means of contact.
Warmest regards,
Wendy (WNN633)
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Governance, Risk & Legal - Complaints Management & FOI.
General Counsel Division.
National Disability Insurance Agency
E: [5][NDIA request email]
[6]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency
[7]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
[8]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic
Dear Bob Buckley
Hope this email finds you well.
Since my last email to you, I advise that I have initiated internal line
area consultations and note that a response from the relevant business
area is still pending.
Therefore, I am writing to seek your agreement to a 15-day extension of
time under section 15AA of the FOI Act. If you agree to this extension,
the new due date for us to make a decision on your request will be 9
September 2024.
Can you please let us know whether you agree by 5:00pm Friday 23^rd August
2024.
I apologise that it is taking longer than expected to process your request
and appreciate your patience.
Please contact us at [1][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or
require help.
Kind regards
Wendy (WNN633)
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Complaints Management and FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E: [2][NDIA request email]
[3]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency
[4]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
[5]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic
From: foi <[NDIA request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2024 3:52 PM
To: [FOI #11756 email]
Cc: foi <[NDIA request email]>
Subject: FOI 24/25-0103 – Your request for information - Acknowledgement
[SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear Bob Buckley
Thank you for your request of 25 July 2024, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for access to documents held by the
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
Scope of you request
You have requested access to:
… all information and communication about:
1. the creation of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
2. recruitment, selection/appointment and maintenance of the membership of
the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
3. the operation of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
4. agendas, minutes, briefings and materials shown to the NDIA autism
stakeholder subcommittee or any subcommittees.
5. advice and recommendations made by the NDIA autism stakeholder
subcommittee
6. processing or disposition of advice and recommendations made by the
NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
7. the ending or dissolution of the NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee
Processing timeframes
A 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from 26
July 2024, in accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act. Therefore
the due date for a decision on access is 25 August 2024.
This period may be extended if we need to consult with third parties or
for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.
Irrelevant information
Section 22 of the FOI Act permits us to provide FOI applicants with access
to edited copies of documents with irrelevant material deleted. Can you
please contact us at [6][NDIA request email] to advise whether the surnames and
contact details of NDIA staff are irrelevant to your request?
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on our disclosure
log, located on our website at [7]FOI Disclosure log | NDIS.
If you have any concerns about the publication of the information you have
requested, please contact us at [8][NDIA request email].
Further help
Please contact us at [9][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or need
help.
We will contact you using the email address you have provided. Please
advise us if you would prefer us to use another means of contact.
Warmest regards,
Wendy (WNN633)
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Governance, Risk & Legal - Complaints Management & FOI.
General Counsel Division.
National Disability Insurance Agency
E: [10][NDIA request email]
[11]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency
[12]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
[13]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic
Dear Wendy (WNN633)
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
As it would be completely pointless to do otherwised, I agree to an extrension until 9/9/2024.
Yours sincerely,
Bob Buckley
Dear Bob Buckley
Thank you for your request for information.
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request. If you
require this in a different format, please let us know.
Please contact us at [1][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or
require help.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Wendy (WNN633)
Senior Freedom of Information Officer
Complaints Management and FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E: [2][NDIA request email]
[3]Title: NDIS delivered by the National Disability Insurance Agency
[4]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
[5]Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags graphic
Dear National Disability Insurance Agency,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of National Disability Insurance Agency's handling of my FOI request 'NDIA autism stakeholder subcommittee'.
Recently, Dr James Morton, founder of AEIOU not-for-profit, included the following as part of his NDIS history (as it relates to autism):
2014
The NDIA engaged an NDIS Stakeholder Reference Group. A series of meetings were
conducted, where there was an acknowledged lack of awareness by participants with a
background in early childhood of the differences between children with level 3 autism
and children with intellectual impairment without autism.
A subgroup, including Professor Sylvia Rodger AM (Autism CRC, replaced by Associate
Professor Deb Keen on 20 June 2016 due to health reasons), Joan McKenna Kerr* (Autism
Association of Western Australia), and Associate Professor James Morton (author of this
paper), were elected by the Stakeholder Reference Group to continue to work with the
NDIA. This committee never met and is yet to be contacted by the agency.
Clearly, others have indicated the existence of "an NDIS Stakeholder Reference Group". This clearly predates the internal (and dysfunctional) the Co-design and engagement branch who you contacted. I suggest you need to look deeper into the NDIA's records for the information I requested.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/n...
Yours faithfully,
Bob Buckley
Dear Bob
Thank you for your request for information.
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request. If you
require this in a different format, please let us know.
Please contact us at [1][NDIA request email] if you have any questions or
require help.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Cooper (CHH674)
Team Leader/Senior FOI Officer
Complaints Management & FOI Branch
General Counsel Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
E [2][NDIA request email]
[3]NDIA logo
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
David Wright left an annotation ()
So the NDIA engaged an NDIS Stakeholder Reference Group and a series of meetings were conducted, but the NDIA is now telling you that there is no record of anything relating to this. No meeting agendas, minutes, recorded actions, invitations to committee members. No nothing.
This is totally implausible and indicates that their 'search efforts' are a complete joke.
Bob Buckley left an annotation ()
My understanding is that the NDIA initially convened an autism stakeholder group ... but never held any meetings, nor sought its advice. So, there won't be much of a record. It is hard to believe there is no record.
Renee left an annotation ()
You can dispute their insufficiant search efforts I'm sure I've read about a few cases where this has happened. Ask for a comprehensive overview of search efforts made so you can be sure you're on the same page and covered the necessary words & terms. ?
Bob Buckley left an annotation ()
The Agency gives its reason for refusal that it searched the records two relatively recently formed teams and found no mention of an an autism stakeholder subcommittee. It response says:
Search efforts
Searches for documents were conducted by the following NDIA teams:
• Co-design and Engagement Division
• Children’s Taskforce
Both these NDIA teams were established well after the reference group in question was disbanded (which I had already indicated). This is not a credible search for the information requested. The Agency will not admit that it created an autism stakeholder subcommittee ... and then never convened it.