Good afternoon,

Acknowledgement of receipt of Freedom of Information request

I refer to your request received by the Department of Health and Aged Care
(the department) for access to documents under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (FOI Act). You have requested access to:

I am writing to request a copy of select records relating to the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration. Specifically:
- Documents describing the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Health Collaboration's membership, as at 1 January 2023.
- Documents the describing changes to the membership of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership,
between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025.
- Documents describing the Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership, as they
applied on 1 January 2023.
- Any revisions or updates to the Terms of Reference of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration until 28
February 2025.
- Minutes and any informal records of discussion from meetings of the
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration during
the period 1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025.
- Any documents outlining the planned meeting dates of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration over the period
1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025.

The reference number for your request is FOI 25-0302 LD. Please ensure
that you quote this number in future correspondence with us concerning
this request.

Timeframes

Your request was received on 7 March 2025. The statutory timeframe for
processing your request is 30 calendar days and you should expect to be
notified of a decision from the department on or before 7 April 2025. The
period of 30 days may be extended if the department needs to consult
third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

Request to exclude irrelevant information from your request

To assist with processing your request, can you also please advise by COB
17 March 2025, if you agree that information regarding any public service
employee names below Senior Executive Service level and direct telephone
numbers of all staff will be excluded from the scope of your request under
s22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act

Other Information

The department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to the documents.  If this request attracts a charge you will be
notified in writing.

Unless you advise otherwise any draft and duplicate documents will be
excluded from the scope of your request.

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on our disclosure log
[1]www.health.gov.au/resources/foi-disclosure-log, subject to certain
exceptions. (For example, personal information will not be published where
this would be unreasonable.)

You can contact the FOI team via email at [2][email address] or by phone
on 02 6289 1666, should you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Jordan - FOI Administration Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [3][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

show quoted sections

Good afternoon Mr Markham,

I refer to your request to the Department of Health and Aged Care (the
department) of 7 March 2025 seeking access to the following under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):

I am writing to request a copy of select records relating to the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration. Specifically:
- Documents describing the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Health Collaboration's membership, as at 1 January 2023.
- Documents the describing changes to the membership of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership,
between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025.
- Documents describing the Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership, as they
applied on 1 January 2023.
- Any revisions or updates to the Terms of Reference of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration until 28
February 2025.
- Minutes and any informal records of discussion from meetings of the
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration during
the period 1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025.
- Any documents outlining the planned meeting dates of the National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration over the period
1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025.

The statutory due date for your request is currently 7 April 2025.

Request for extension of time

Section 15AA of the FOI Act permits the department to extend the statutory
processing timeframe, with your agreement, for a period of up to 30
calendar days.

Due to increased volume of FOI requests with the Department, and
unforeseen changes in Departmental staffing, the Department of Health and
Aged Care would be grateful for a 7 day extension in relation to your FOI
request.

To ensure that department has undertaken all reasonable steps to identify
all documents relevant to your request, and for the decision maker to make
a well-balanced decision on access to any such documents identified, the
department is seeking your agreement to an extension of 7 calendar days.

If you agree to this extension, the statutory due date will then be 14
April 2025. The department will, however, continue to process your request
as quickly as possible.

It would assist if you could please advise by 17 March 2025 if you agree
to this extension of time. If we do not hear from you by this date or if
you do not agree to the extension, the department may consider seeking an
extension of time from the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner (OAIC) under section 15AB of the FOI Act.

We thank you for your ongoing patience and cooperation as we continue to
process your request.

If you have any questions regarding any of the matters discussed in this
email, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Section at
[1][email address].

Kind regards

Jordan - FOI Administration Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [2][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Markham

I refer to your FOI request 25-0302 LD received on 7 March 2025, as follows:

I am writing to request a copy of select records relating to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration. Specifically:
[1] Documents describing the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership, as at 1 January 2023.
[2] Documents the describing changes to the membership of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership, between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025.
[3] Documents describing the Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership, as they applied on 1 January 2023.
[4] Any revisions or updates to the Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration until 28 February 2025.
[5] Minutes and any informal records of discussion from meetings of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration during the period 1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025.
[6] Any documents outlining the planned meeting dates of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration over the period
1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025.

The department has considered your request and wishes to advise that, in its current form, it is likely to capture a large number of documents. Were the department to attempt to process your request, this would likely constitute an unreasonable diversion of the department’s resources and be subject to practical refusal under section 24AA of the FOI Act.

We therefore ask that you would consider revising your request to focus on specific documents. We propose that your request be revised as follows:

1. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration membership list, as at 1 January 2023.
2. Updated iterations of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration's membership list, between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025.
3. Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration, as at 1 January 2023.
4. Updated iterations of the Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration, between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025.
5. Minutes of meetings of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025.

Would you please also specify if you your request is intended to capture the names of member organisations or if you are seeking the names of individuals.

In relation to part 6 of your request “Any documents outlining the planned meeting dates of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration over the period 1 January 2023 to 28 February 2025”, this information would exist across a large number of documents, including a large amount of routine and low-value material, that may not be reasonably practical for the department to identify or process. We therefore ask that you withdraw part 6 of your request.

I would appreciate your response by COB Friday 28 March 2025.

Please feel free to contact the FOI Section on the details below if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely

Guy
Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch
Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past and present. 

If you receive this email in error, please delete it and contact the sender immediately.

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Markham

Thank you for your response. I will seek advice from the relevant business area and get back to you.

Yours sincerely

Guy
Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch
Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past and present. 

If you receive this email in error, please delete it and contact the sender immediately.

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Markham

I refer to your request of date to the Department of Health and Aged Care
(department), seeking access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
(Cth) (FOI Act) to the following documents (request as revised on 28 March
2025):

1. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration
membership list, as at 1 January 2023.

2. Updated iterations of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Health Collaboration's membership list, between 1 January 2023
and 28 February 2025.

3. Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Health Collaboration, as at 1 January 2023.

4. Updated iterations of the Terms of Reference of the National Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Health Collaboration, between 1 January 2023
and 28 February 2025.

5. Minutes of meetings of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Health Collaboration between 1 January 2023 and 28 February 2025,
or, in the absence of minutes, documents describing meeting outcomes as
recorded by the First Nations Health Division.

Notice of Third Party Consultation

Documents have been identified in the scope of your request which contain
information relating to third parties. It has been determined that it
would be appropriate to consult with the affected third parties under
sections 26A, 27 and/or 27A of the FOI Act prior to a decision on access
to those documents being made.

Section 15(6) of the FOI Act allows the timeframe for processing your
request to be extended by 30 days to facilitate this consultation.
Accordingly, the statutory due date for your request is now 13 May 2025.

The department will continue processing your request and provide you with
a decision on access as soon as we are able to do so.

Relevant provisions

The FOI Act, including the provisions referred to in this email, can be
accessed from the Federal Register of Legislation website:
[1]www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562.

If you require clarification of any of the matters discussed in this email
you should contact the department’s FOI Section by email at
[2][email address].

Yours sincerely

Guy

Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [3][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional
custodians of Australia and their continued connection to land, sea and
community. We pay our respects to elders past and present. 

If you receive this email in error, please delete it and contact the
sender immediately.

"Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the
addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. 
If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or
dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you
receive this transmission in error please notify the author immediately
and delete all copies of this transmission."

References

Visible links
1. http://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C20...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]