Source: https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/faqs-for-agencies/how-long-does-an-agency-have-to-process-an-freedom-of-information-request
Timestamp: 2019-06-24 21:16:12
Document Index: 48432420

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8']

How long does an agency have to process an Freedom of Information request?| Office of the Australian Information Commissioner - OAIC
See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
A ‘day' is a calendar day. However, if the last day for notifying a decision falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, the timeframe will expire on the next day which is none of those days. The processing period may also be affected by time spent agreeing on a charge or carrying out a request consultation process. See Part 8 of the Guidelines.
No, the agency or minister does not need to notify the OAIC of this type of extension, but does need to inform the applicant. See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
Yes, otherwise the extension is not valid. See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
Yes. The agency or minister must provide reasons to the OAIC. The decision period may be extended by a further 30 days or a longer or shorter period of time, as appropriate. See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
An agency or minister has the option to apply to the OAIC for further time after a decision has become deemed (either under s 15AC or under s 54D after an application for internal review). See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
The principal officer of the agency or minister is taken to have made a decision to refuse access to the document on the last day of the decision period. Agencies should continue to process an FOI request even where the statutory timeframe has expired and an extension of time has been refused or not sought. The expiry of the timeframe gives the applicant the right to apply for review of a deemed decision — it does not remove the agency's obligation to process the request. See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
However, an extension granted for a deemed refusal or deemed affirmation can only be granted once. See ss 15AC and 55AD of the FOI Act, Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details.
This will be determined on a case by case basis. Factors that are not relevant are issues that are not connected to the request itself, including an agency's heavy workload, competing priorities and ongoing resource limitations. See s 15AB of the FOI Act and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests.
An agency still has a duty to make a decision on the FOI access request. The agency's obligation ceases only when the Information Commissioner commences a review of a deemed decision (that is, the date the OAIC notifies the parties that it is commencing a review, not the date an application for IC review is lodged). In these circumstances, the agency must notify the Information Commissioner in writing of the substituted decision as soon as practicable. See Part 8 of the Guidelines and Agency Resource 13: Extension of time for processing requests for further details