DIMA Annual Report 1997-98
Appendix 3: Freedom of Information (FOI)
Details of activities under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 are on page 110. The following information on this page and on page 181 is provided to comply with Section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Information on the Department, including its structure, begins on page 8 of this report.
Decision-making powers are vested in the Minister and/or Secretary under various Acts (see Sources of Information on page 1). The Minister or Secretary may delegate most of their powers to departmental officers.
Policy and administration
Individuals or organisations may express their views about departmental policy, administration, programs or procedures by making representations to the Minister or the Secretary, or by serving on committees, working parties or other bodies which provide advice on specific issues and programs.
Contact points
Departmental offices located in Australia and overseas have facilities for the inspection of documents under the FOI Act and other Departmental publications.
Information on these facilities can be obtained from counter/inquiry officers or FOI coordinators at any Departmental office, or by contacting the Director, Ombudsman, Privacy and FOI Section, DIMA, PO Box 25, Belconnen ACT 2616. Telephone (02)62642169, facsimile (02)62642364.
Alternatively, applicants may write to the Department, describing the documents they wish to see, amend or annotate.
Documents maintained
| Type | Description |
| Documents of decision making bodies, including tribunals # | Relating to the business of these bodies and including agenda, minutes and other records. |
| Cabinets documents # | Records of Cabinet matters including: Cabinet submissions and Cabinet minutes. |
| Representations to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs # | The Minister receives a large number of written representations each year concerning immigration policy and administration. |
| Documents on internal departmental administration # | These documents include personnel records, organisation and staffing records, financial and expenditure records, and internal operating documentation such as internal working documents and correspondence. |
| Program documents # | DIMA holds documents relating to: grants provided to various organisations under the programs the Department administers; and programs administered under enactments including the Migration Act 1958 and the Australian Citizenship Act 1948. |
| Personal information records # | The Department holds personal information about applicants for migration and Australian citizenship and information about movements into and out of Australia. This is located on personal files and departmental databases. |
| Documents available for access or purchase subject to a fee or other charge | The Department's Annual Report is available on the Internet and for purchase from Government Info Shops. Other documents including manuals, instructions and guidelines are available for purchase by the public. Other documents, including research documents, and policy statements may also be obtained from Government Info Shops. |
| Documents available free of charge upon request * | The Department holds and makes available on request (free of charge) a range of documents including: Fact Sheets; some research documents, general information leaflets (some in a number of languages) and a leaflet on FOI, published by the Attorney-General's Department. |
# Some of these records are either not available, or only available to the public under the FOI Act, where access is subject to a charge.
* These are made available at the public inquiry counters of the Department's Australian and overseas offices.
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