Our reference: FOI 20/21-0853
GPO Box 700
Canberra ACT 2601
1800 800 1109 July 2021
Shirley
By email: foi+request-7408-62d940c5@righttoknow.org.au
Dear Shirley
Freedom of Information request — Request consultation process
Thank you for your correspondence of 9 June 2021, in which you requested access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) to documents held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
Scope of your request You have requested access to documents about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Specifically, you requested access to:
“…a copy of the NDIA’s current Investigations Policy/ies [sic] and Procedure along with all prior versions. That is, all NDIA Investigations Policies and Procedures since 2013 until Jun 2021…”
Practical refusal I am authorised to make decisions under the FOI Act.
I am writing to advise that that the work involved in processing your request in its current form would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the NDIA from its other operations due to its size. This is called a ‘practical refusal reason’ under section 24AA of the FOI Act.
On this basis, I intend to refuse your request. However, before I make a final decision, I am writing to provide you with an opportunity to revise your request. This is called a ‘request consultation process’ as set out under section 24AB of the FOI Act. You have 14 days to respond to this notice in one of the ways set out below.
Why I intend to refuse your request
I have conducted a preliminary search for documents which are likely to be relevant to your request. This search has revealed that the NDIA is in possession of more than 16,000 individual documents matching the scope of your request, not including any attachments which may be contained within those documents.
As a result, I am of the view that the work involved in the processing of this request would substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of the NDIA from its other operations.
Request consultation process You now have an opportunity to revise your request to enable it to proceed.
1Revising Your Request
Revising your request can mean narrowing the scope of the request to make it more manageable or explaining in more detail the documents you wish to access. For example, by providing more specific information about exactly what documents you are interested in, the NDIA will be able to pinpoint the documents more quickly and avoid using excessive resources to process documents you are not interested in.
You have 14 days from the date you receive this letter to contact me and do one of the following:
a. withdraw your request;
b. make a revised request; or
c. indicate that you do not wish to revise the request.
During this period, you are welcome to seek assistance to revise your request. If you revise your request in a way that adequately addresses the practical refusal reason outlined above, we will recommence processing it.
Please note that the time taken to consult with you regarding the scope of your request is not taken into account for the purposes of the timeframe for processing your request.
You can contact me by email at foi@ndis.gov.au
Alternatively, you can reply in writing to the following address:
Freedom of Information Section Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch Government Division National Disability Insurance Agency GPO Box 700 CANBERRA ACT 2601
If you do not contact me within this period, that is by 5:00pm 23 July 2021, your FOI request will be taken to have been withdrawn under subsection 24AB(7) and will not be dealt with any further.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Yours sincerely
Ausilia Woodhead Assistant Director - FOI Parliamentary, Ministerial & FOI Branch Government Division