Non-ASL public service staff
Dear Department of the Environment and Energy,
I seek the following under FOI;
A document that contains the total number of non-APS staff, filling equivalent roles to actual APS staff in your department.
Typically these employees are ostensibly employed through labour hire agencies, and fulfil functionally equivalent roles to their colleagues.
If no such document exists please advise.
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
Freedom of Information Request no. 200702
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the Department)
acknowledges receipt of your request under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act) which seeks:
A document that contains the total number of non-APS staff, filling
equivalent roles to actual APS staff in your department.
COVID-19
The Department will take all reasonable efforts to process your request.
However, due to the threat of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the Department is
experiencing a significant call on resources to manage Australia’s
response. This means we may not be able to process your request within the
expected timeframe, and we may require additional time to process your
request. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience
during this time.
The statutory deadline for providing a decision on this request is
currently 3 August 2020.
The Department makes two assumptions that affect the scope of the request.
These are set out below.
It is the usual practice of the Department:
· not to disclose the personal information of junior officers or the
personal contact details of senior officers of the State or Federal
governments (including those of the Department). The names of senior
officers will generally be released. Your request will be processed on the
assumption that you do not intend to capture these details within its
scope.
· not to release duplicates of any document captured within the
scope of the request. Further, where two documents fall within the scope
one differs from the other only with respect to minor editorial changes
(such as spelling or grammar corrections), only the later version of the
document will be treated as within scope. Your request will be processed
on the assumption that you do not intend to capture duplicates or
documents that the Department considers duplicates (as per the above
explanation) within the scope of your request.
Please inform us if you do not agree to the request being processed by the
Department on the above assumptions.
Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
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We will contact you using the email you provided. Please advise if you
would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.
If you have any questions, please contact the FOI Contact Officer on (02)
6274 2098.
Regards
FOI Paralegal | Information Law Team
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [1][Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
[2]www.awe.gov.au
Note: The contents of any legal advice provided by the Environment Legal
Branch are subject to legal professional privilege. Do not disclose the
contents of any such legal advice more broadly within the Department (i.e.
outside the scope of persons to whom the legal advice is (or was)
directed), on the intranet or outside the Department without first
consulting the Environment Legal Branch.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
2. http://www.awe.gov.au/
Dear Mr Smith
I refer to the FOI request that the Department of Agriculture, Water and
the Environment (the Department) received from you on Friday 3 July 2020
for:
‘A document that contains the total number of non-APS staff, filling
equivalent roles to actual APS staff in your department.’
The relevant area within the Department has identified the below data as
the information relevant to your request. As such, they have asked us to
provide this directly to you.
Non-APS staff 1,015
APS employees (including SES) 7,246
Notes on the data:
· Non-APS staff includes contractors, service providers and
consultants that require access to the Department’s building and IT
systems. Data does not include contractors employed in the former
Department of Environment and Energy. Figures are head count. Data
includes staff working for Parks Australia
Based on the above information, we ask that you respond to this email
confirming you will now withdraw this FOI request.
Kind regards
FOI Contact Officer | Information Law Team | Commercial, Information
and Agriculture Legal Branch | Legal Division
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [1][Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
[2]www.awe.gov.au
Note: The contents of any legal advice provided by the Environment Legal
Branch are subject to legal professional privilege. Do not disclose the
contents of any such legal advice more broadly within the Department (i.e.
outside the scope of persons to whom the legal advice is (or was)
directed), on the intranet or outside the Department without first
consulting the Environment Legal Branch.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
2. http://www.awe.gov.au/
Dear FOI Contact Officer,
I would like to thank you for the information you have provided. It is very helpful.
I still would like to continue with my FOI request however; as the information you have generously provided under adminstrative release does not contain a key detail that I am interested in.
I would like to know how many of those 1,015 Non-APS staff; are working in roles that are substantially identical to other APS employees.
As an example to explain what I mean; at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, there are APS employees that are employed as 'tribunal service officers'. However, there are also non-APS staff that while being employed as contractors; fulfil exactly the same tasks as their colleages, have the same job description, manager, etc (except they work under a non-APS contract).
I am hoping to find out how many working at your department are working under that specific type of arrangement.
For example; if a person was employed as a contractor cleaner, but there was no equivalent APS cleaner role at the organisation, then they would be excluded from that headcount.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear FOI Contact Officer,
Is this FOI request still being actioned?
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Good afternoon
I confirm that the Department is continuing to process your request in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
The earliest due date for a decision on your request is by 3 August 2020.
If you have any questions, please contact [Department of the Environment and Energy request email].
Regards
FOI Contact Officer | Information Law Team | Commercial, Information and Agriculture Legal Branch | Legal Division
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
www.awe.gov.au
-----Original Message-----
From: John Smith <[FOI #6457 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 23 July 2020 11:35 AM
To: FOI Contact Officer <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI 200702 - Number of non-APS staff [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear FOI Contact Officer,
Is this FOI request still being actioned?
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
-----Original Message-----
Dear Mr Smith
I refer to the FOI request that the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the Department) received from you on Friday 3 July 2020
for:
‘A document that contains the total number of non-APS staff, filling equivalent roles to actual APS staff in your department.’
The relevant area within the Department has identified the below data as the information relevant to your request. As such, they have asked us to provide this directly to you.
Non-APS staff 1,015
APS employees (including SES) 7,246
Notes on the data:
· Non-APS staff includes contractors, service providers and consultants that require access to the Department’s building and IT systems. Data does not include contractors employed in the former Department of Environment and Energy. Figures are head count. Data includes staff working for Parks Australia
Based on the above information, we ask that you respond to this email confirming you will now withdraw this FOI request.
Kind regards
FOI Contact Officer | Information Law Team | Commercial, Information and Agriculture Legal Branch | Legal Division
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [1][Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
[2]www.awe.gov.au
Note: The contents of any legal advice provided by the Environment Legal Branch are subject to legal professional privilege. Do not disclose the contents of any such legal advice more broadly within the Department (i.e.
outside the scope of persons to whom the legal advice is (or was) directed), on the intranet or outside the Department without first consulting the Environment Legal Branch.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of the Environment and Energy request email] 2. http://www.awe.gov.au/
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Dear Mr Smith
Please see attached letter in respect of FOI 200702.
Kind regards
FOI Contact Officer | Information Law Team | Commercial, Information
and Agriculture Legal Branch | Legal Division
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [1][Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
[2]www.awe.gov.au
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 of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
2. http://www.awe.gov.au/
Dear FOI Contact Officer,
I seek internal review of this decision; on the ground that the decision maker should produce the document requested in accordance with Section 17(1) of the FOI Act.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
Freedom of Information Request no. 200702
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the Department)
acknowledges receipt of your application for internal review under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) dated 28 July 2020.
The Department is required to make a decision within 30 days after the day
a valid application is received.
The statutory deadline for providing a decision on this request is
currently 27 August 2020.
We will contact you at this email address. Please advise if you would
prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.
If you have any questions, please contact the FOI Contact Officer on (02)
6274 2098.
Regards
FOI Paralegal | Information Law Team | Commercial, Information and
Agriculture Legal Branch | Legal Division
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [1][Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
[2]www.awe.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
2. http://www.awe.gov.au/
Dear Mr Smith
Please find attached an internal review decision in respect of IR 200702.
Kind regards
FOI Contact Officer | Information Law Team | Commercial, Information
and Agriculture Legal Branch | Legal Division
T: (02) 6274 2098 | E: [1][Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
___________________________________________
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO BOX 858 CANBERRA ACT 2601
[2]www.awe.gov.au
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 of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of the Environment and Energy request email]
2. http://www.awe.gov.au/