Space Grants
Dear Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources,
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. You can give notices by reply email. I would like to request a list of grants since 18 September 2013. The list need only include the project title, project description and date executed. It only needs to include grants where the title or description contain the word space. Please do it.
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith,
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (the department) has
received your Freedom of Information request of 4 February 2024,
(attached) for documents held by department for access to:
I would like to request a list of grants since 18 September 2013. The list
need only include the project title, project description and date
executed. It only needs to include grants where the title or description
contain the word space. Please do it.
This email is to acknowledge receipt of your request. Your reference is
LEX 74498. Currently a decision is due to you by 6 March 2024. However,
this timeline may be effected by the requirement to undertake consultation
with affected third parties or if the department determines you are liable
to pay a charge in relation to your request. You will be notified by the
department if charges are liable or if third party consultation is
required.
Processing Your Request
To assist us to streamline the processing of your request we ask you to
consider the following:
1. Requesting Personal Information:
Confirmation from you that you are not seeking ‘personal information’ (ie.
the names and contact details of any individuals, or any information that
could reasonably identify an individual) may enable a more timely and cost
effective processing of your request.
Therefore, could you please clarify if you are seeking access to personal
information in the documents relating to:
o third parties; and
o Commonwealth staff.
If you are not seeking access to any personal information, you can simply
reply to this email with ‘no personal information requested’.
If you are seeking access to specific types of personal information, could
you please specify.
If you specify you are seeking the personal information of Commonwealth
staff, please be advised the following is unlikely to be released:
o the names, signatures and contact details of junior staff; That is:
o Commonwealth staff who are not in the Senior Executive Service
(SES); and
o Ministerial staff below the level of Chief of Staff; and
o the mobile phone numbers of SES officers.
2. Publicly available documents:
Under section 4(1) of the FOI Act, the definition of a document does not
include ‘material maintained for reference purposes that is otherwise
publicly available’.
Please confirm if publicly available documents (eg. information found at
the Grants connect website [1]HERE, etc) can be excluded from your
request. Please advise if the list of grants on the supplied link above
and [2]HERE satisfy your request and you are happy to confirm withdrawal
of your request with the department.
We look forward to your response regarding possible withdrawal of your
request, as it has been satisfied by the linked publicly available
documents on Grants Connect, at your earliest convenience but no later
than 14 February 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact the FOI team.
Kind regards
Claire
Freedom of Information
Information Law Team
Legal Branch | COO Division
Ngunnwal Country, Industry House, GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 | [3][Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
Dear Freedom of Information,
The data is not publicly available. I am not seeking personal information. I am also not seeking otherwise non-disclosable material.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith
Dear Mr Smith
We refer to your FOI request received by the Department of Industry,
Science and Resources (the department) on 4 February 2024, for access to:
I would like to request a list of grants since 18 September 2013. The list
need only include the project title, project description and date
executed. It only needs to include grants where the title or description
contain the word space. Please do it
We are writing to seek clarification regarding the scope of your request.
- The department administers several programs targeted at schools and
students, many of which are for “Maker spaces”, which relate to a
different definition of ‘space’ compared to what you are likely seeking.
Would you be comfortable with the department excluding these grants
targeted towards students?
- DISR administers a large volume of grants on behalf of other agencies
through the Business Grants Hub. Are you seeking information on grant
programs where DISR holds policy responsibility, or for all programs
administered through the Business Grants Hub including those where policy
responsibility belongs to other agencies?
Until clarification is received, the department is unable to process your
request. If no response is received by the above mentioned date, the
department may issue a notice of intention to refuse in accordance with
section 24AB of the FOI Act.
If you have any questions, please contact the FOI team.
Kind regards
Claire
Freedom of Information
Information Law Team
Legal Branch | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 | [1][Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
Good afternoon Mr Smith,
As we have not heard back from you regarding the email below, I am writing
to you to advise that we have interpreted your request as the following:
… a list of grants since 18 September 2013, administered by the Department
of Industry Science and Resources (DISR) where DISR holds the policy
responsibility. The list need only include the project title, project
description and date executed. It only needs to include grants where the
title or description contain the word space.
Please be advised that we will process your request as to the above
interpretation unless you advise us differently, if you disagree with our
interpretation of scope please advise us by no later than COB 1 March
2024, and provide clarification of the list of grants you seek.
Request for extension of time to process
Due to the time taken to consult with you on the scope of your request, it
has become apparent that we will not be in a position to provide a
decision to you by the current due date of 6 March 2024. I respectfully
request that you agree to an additional 15 days to process under section
15AA of the FOI Act. Please advise of your agreement to extend the
processing time by no later then COB 1 March 2024, if you do not respond
by this time we will apply to the Office of the Information Commissioner
for an extension of time under 15AB of the FOI Act.
Kind regards
Claire
Freedom of Information
Information Law Team
Legal Branch | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 | [1][Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
Department of Industry, Science and Resources | [4]www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - 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 have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately
and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
2. http://www.industry.gov.au/
3. mailto:[Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
4. http://www.industry.gov.au/
Dear Mr Smith
We refer to your correspondence received by The Department of Industry,
Science and Resources (the department) on 4 February 2024, for access to:
… a list of grants since 18 September 2013. The list need only include the
project title, project description and date executed. It only needs to
include grants where the title or description contain the word space.
The department has determined that the documents you are seeking do not
require you to submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
and can be released under Administrative Access.
As such, please find attached the documents you have requested.
If you do not respond to this email by close of business 21 March 2024 we
will have taken you to have agreed with the administrative release, and
deem you to have withdrawn your FOI request.
If you have any questions, please contact the FOI team.
Kind regards
Claire
Freedom of Information
Information Law Team
Legal Branch | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 | [1][Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Smith,
Can you please confirm receipt of the documents and your agreement to
release under administrative means thus withdrawing your FOI request.
Kind regards
Claire
Freedom of Information
Information Law Team
Legal Branch | Corporate & Digital
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 | [1][Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
Department of Industry, Science and Resources | [4]www.industry.gov.au
Supporting economic growth and job creation for all Australians
Legal In Confidence - 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 have received this transmission in error, please notify me immediately
and delete copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
2. http://www.industry.gov.au/
3. mailto:[Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources request email]
4. http://www.industry.gov.au/
Dear Stewart, Claire,
I did not consent to administrative release. I cannot see the documents in your FOI release log. Can someone please fix this?
Yours sincerely,
John Smith