Thank you for your email to the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA) Freedom of Information (FOI) team.  

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

This email address is for applications under the FOI Act only. The Agency
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.  

If you are seeking to access your personal documents, please consider
submitting your request through our [1]Participant Information Access
(PIA) web-form, which will allow the matter to be processed
administratively. 

Should you have a query unrelated to FOI, please contact us by emailing at
[2][email address] or via webchat at [3]NDIA Web Chat (ndis.gov.au).
Alternatively you can also contact us by phoning 1800 800 110. 

If you have any questions about making an FOI request, or to enquire about
a current FOI request, please email us with your phone number and a
preferred time for us to call you, and an FOI Decision Maker will call you
back. 

Kind regards 

Freedom of Information team 

Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch  

Government  

National Disability Insurance Agency 

Email: [4][NDIA request email]  

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References

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1. https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
4. mailto:[NDIA request email]

Dear Kath,

I refer to your email to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
of 24 August 2022 requesting access under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) to:

“all the expenditure details for how much the NDIA Summit 2022 cost that
was held a few weeks ago.”

This request was transferred to the Department of Social Services (the
Department) today, 6 September 2022.

Decision due

The decision on your request is due on Friday, 23 September 2022. The
statutory period for processing your request is 30 days, commencing the
day after your request was received. If the due date falls on a Saturday,
Sunday, or public holiday, the decision is due on the next business day.

Request for extension of time

The Department of Social Services received your request on 6 September
2022. The Department has commenced progressing your FOI request however,
we will require additional time to locate the documents and make a
decision. As such, we seek your agreement to an extension of time under
section 15AA of the FOI Act until Thursday, 6 October 2022. This will
allow the usual 30 days to respond to your request.

Removal of personal information from the scope of your request

The Department is seeking your agreement to the removal of the email
addresses, signatures and mobile numbers of all staff, and the removal of
the names of non-Senior Executive Service staff, which may be contained
within the documents identified in relation to your request.

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);

·         30 days if your request is considered voluminous or complex
(section 15AB of the FOI Act); and

·         30 days 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 processing period of your FOI
application may be suspended. This may take place if:

·         A practical refusal consultation process is required (section
24AB of the FOI Act); or

·         If a charges notice is issued for the processing of your FOI
application (section 29 of the FOI Act); or

If the Department decides that either of these apply to your request, we
will notify you. 

We would be grateful if you could respond to our email by 12 noon Friday,
9 September 2022 to advise whether you:

1.       agree to the short extension of time; and/or

2.       agree to the removal of personal information from the scope of
your request.

Should you have any queries about this matter, please do not hesitate to
contact the FOI team via email at [1][email address].

Yours sincerely,

DSS FOI Team

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Freedom of Information section

Legal Services Branch

Department of Social Services
E: [2][email address]

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

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]

Dear Kath,

FOI LEX 45476 – FOI request invalid – response required to process FOI
request

Following consultation with the relevant line area, we advise that the
Department is unable to determine the precise scope of your request under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).

Your request of 24 August 2022 sought access to “all the expenditure
details for how much the NDIA Summit 2022 cost that was held a few weeks
ago.”

Paragraph 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act requires a FOI request to “provide such
information concerning the document as is reasonably necessary to enable a
responsible officer of the agency, or the Minister, to identify it.”

Your request does not provide sufficient information to allow us to
identify which summit you are referring to, and it does not allow us to
identify the nature of the information you are seeking. On this basis we
consider that it is not a valid FOI request. As it is not a valid FOI
request, the time for processing your request has not yet commenced.

Next steps

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 information
you are seeking.

Accordingly, please confirm via reply email, the following information:

1.       the name and date of the summit you are referring to;

a.       for example the following events were held recently that may fit
the description of the event in your request:

i.                     NDIS Jobs and Skills Forum on 17 August 2022;

ii.                   Victorian African NDIS Jobs and Skills Forum on 18
August 2022; and

iii.                 Disability Employment Roundtable 22 August 2022.

2.       further information about the type of ‘expenditure details’ you
are referring to, noting we do not hold any information on the NDIA’s
expenditure;

a.       for example, are you seeking the total cost of the event (once
identified) or something else.

3.       if not covered above, a clear description of any additional
details about the Department’s involvement in the Summit that you are
seeking.

If we do not hear from you, we will not make a decision or provide
documents in relation to your request as the request you have submitted is
not valid for the reasons outlined above.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss the
matter further.

Kind Regards,

DSS FOI Team

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Freedom of Information Section

Legal Services Branch

Department of Social Services
E: [1][email address]

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. 

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

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]