Good morning Mr Markham,

 

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:

 

 

any evaluations, reviews or assessments of the impact of tobacco excise on
smoking behaviour (e.g. consumption, prevalence, product switching to
e-cigarettes, product switching to the black market, etc.).

Please include any that have been undertaken, commissioned or received by
the Department of the Health and Aged Care since 2018.

 

 

 

The reference number for your request is FOI 25-0156 LD. Please ensure
that you quote this number in future correspondence with us concerning
this request.

 

Request for 14 day extension due to agency shutdown

 

Your request was received on 05 December 2024. The statutory timeframe for
processing your request is currently 30 calendar days, and the department
is required to provide you with an access decision on or before 04 January
2025.

 

Many areas of the department, including the FOI Section, will be/were
closed from 25 December 2024 to 1 January 2025 inclusive.

 

To ensure the department has sufficient time to process your request, we
are seeking your agreement to extend the period for completing your FOI
request by 14 days (under section 15AA of the FOI Act).

 

If you agree to this extension, the department would be required to
provide you with an access decision by 18 January 2025.

 

If you agree to this extension, please let us know by return email to
[1][Health request email] by close of business 10 December 2024. The department
will then notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
(OAIC) of the agreed extension of time.

 

If you do not agree to the extension, the department may request the
extension from the OAIC under section 15AB of the FOI Act.

 

The department will process your request as soon as possible within any
extended timeframe.

 

Request to exclude irrelevant information from your request

 

To assist with processing your request, can you also please advise by COB
10 December 2024, 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
[2]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 [3][email address] or by phone
on 02 6289 1666, should you have any questions.

 

 

Jordan(he/him)

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: [4][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.

 

 

 

 

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