Please note this mailbox is not monitored outside of standard business
hours including weekends.  

If you are in a life threatening situation, please telephone '000' for emergency
assistance. 

Thank you for contacting the ACT Government’s Community Services
Directorate, your enquiry is important and has been referred to the
relevant business area. 

The following contact information is provided to assist you. 

Domestic and Family Violence 

Mensline Australia is a telephone and online counselling service offering
support for Australian men anywhere, anytime. 

* 1300 78 99 78 
* [1]Mensline Australia 

Domestic Violence Crisis Service provides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week crisis
intervention, legal advocacy, safety planning and referrals. 

* 6280 0900 (ACT 24/7 crisis line) 
* 1800RESPECT (Other States and Territories) 
* [2]Domestic Violence Crisis Service 

Translating and Interpreting Service is available 24 hours a day, every day of
the year for the cost of a local call for any person or organisation in
Australia who needs an interpreter.  

* 131 450 
* [3]Translating and Interpreting Service 

Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect 

Child and Youth Protection Services is responsible for the care and
protection of children and young people at risk of abuse or neglect in the
ACT. 

* 1300 556 729 
* [4]Report child abuse or neglect 

Emergency Food Relief 

Volunteering ACT’s provides a homelessness services guide, updated
fortnightly, with information on free meals, laundry and showers,
emergency food relief, short-stay and low-cost accommodation. 

* 6248 7988 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) 
* [5][email address] 
* [6]Volunteering ACT 
* [7]Free meal emergency relief and accommodation guide 

Emergency Housing 

OneLink provides information and connections for support services in the
ACT, including services for families and young people, and services for
people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

* 1800 176 468 
* [8][email address] 
* [9]Onelink 

Housing ACT provides social housing and specialist homelessness funding to
meet the needs and circumstances of low income and disadvantaged people. 

* [10]Crisis and emergency contacts 

Housing Maintenance 

The Programmed FM call centre is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

* 6207 1500 
* [11][email address] (non-urgent requests) 
* SMS 0438 100 500 (non-urgent requests) 

Emergency Support 

If you are in need of emergency support, information and contact numbers
can be found on the [12]Emergency Support page. 

If you are seeking disability supports, please contact the National
Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on 1800 800 110. 

Kind Regards
Community Services Directorate 

ACT Government 

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References

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1. https://mensline.org.au/phone-and-online...
2. https://dvcs.org.au/
3. https://www.tisnational.gov.au/
4. https://form.act.gov.au/smartforms/csd/c...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. http://www.communityinfohub.org.au/
7. https://www.volunteeringact.org.au/wp-co...
8. mailto:[email address]
9. https://www.onelink.org.au/
10. http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/...
11. mailto:[email address]
12. http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/...

OFFICIAL: Sensitive

Acknowledgement letter

Good afternoon Buko (righttoknow.org)

**** IMPORTANT INFORMATION COVID-19: The Directorate’s ability to provide
a timely response to FOI queries or requests is likely to be impacted by
COVID-19, and we may not be able to meet the statutory timeframes. We are
committed to working with you and responding to the best of our abilities.
Your patience is appreciated during this time. ****

Thank you for your request for information made under the Freedom of
Information Act 2016 (FOI Act) – Reference FOI-CSD-22/3 which a clarified
scope was received for on 21 January 2022.

In your application you requested information relating to:

“Documents including but not limited to emails, text messages or briefs to
ACT Ministers or their offices by the ACT Community Services Directorate
in the months December 2021 and January 2022 about the supply of RATs to
those offices or their ministers.”

The Community Services Directorate (the Directorate) is obliged under
section 40 of the FOI Act to provide you with a decision on access to
documents within the terms of your request within 20 working days of
receipt, this being 21 February 2022.

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, the Directorate is experiencing a
high demand of requests within excess of 74 FOI applications ahead of your
Access Application received on 21 January 2022.

As such, under Section 41 of the FOI Act, the Directorate is seeking an
additional 60 working days to process your request. This would extend the
timeframe to 20 May 2022.

Please reply to this email if you do not agree to this extension. If the
Directorate has not received a response by c.o.b 7 February 2022, we will
proceed on the basis that you have agreed to the additional 60 working
days.

Third Party Consultation

Consultation with other relevant third parties may also be required. If
this is the case, you will be notified to this effect and advised of a
revised decision due date in respect of your application. In line with the
FOI Act, if third party consultation is required, the due date may be
extended by 15 working days.

Kind regards,

Aaron Briggs | Assistant Director

Freedom Of Information & Legal Coordination Unit

Organisational Governance I Office of the Director-General & Deputy
Director-General

Community Services Directorate I Level 3, 220 London Circuit Canberra, ACT
2601 I www.act.gov.au <http://www.act.gov.au/> 

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OFFICIAL: Sensitive

Good afternoon Buko

Please find attached the Decision Notice and the relevant attachments to
your FOI request (Our Ref: FOI-CSD-22-3 Buko, righttoknow.org, RAT TESTS).

Please feel free to contact me if I can assist you further on this matter.

Kind Regards,

Alastair Dunstan  Assistant Director - FOI|Organisational Government

Corporate Services Division |Community Services Directorate

ACT Government

Level 3, 220 London Circuit, Civic | GPO BOX 158 CANBERRA ACT 2601

Phone: 02 6205 0655

Email: [1][email address]

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]