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RECORD RADAR · ROTATION 003
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MON 18 MAY 2026
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— ROTATION 003 / 2026.05.18
Rotation 003 /016
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The 16 FOIs released by federal departments in the last week are summarised below. Topics include: Anthropic; Fortescue; veteran mental health support; school chaplaincy; and Middle East conflict with both warnings to Australians, as well as fuel shortages. The summaries are produced by humans and AI. If we've missed the mark on a summary or recommendation, or if there is an agency's FOI log you want added to our coverage ASAP, we'd love to hear from you. Just hit reply and let us know.
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16
Found
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06
Recommended-read
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09
Look
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27%
Avg redact
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DFAT
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2 found · 1 recommended-read · 1 look
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READ
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DFAT
· % REDACTED 10%
Ministerial briefings and travel advice updates relating to Australians in Israel, Lebanon and Iran during escalating Middle East conflict
More than 430 pages of ministerial submissions and briefing material on Australians in the Middle East after military escalation in February 2026. Includes advice to Foreign Minister Penny Wong on raising Israel and Lebanon warnings to "Do Not Travel", Iran security updates, evacuation contingencies, and risks including arbitrary detention, terrorism and kidnapping. Redaction summary: limited operational material as internal deliberations under s.47E(d).
See the disclosure →
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LOOK
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DFAT
· % REDACTED 40%
Employment contracts, salary structures and conditions for locally engaged visa processing staff in China and Hong Kong
Forty-four pages of template employment contracts, appointment letters and onboarding documents for locally engaged staff at Australian missions in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong performing visa processing work. Outlines salary, probation and security clearance requirements for both Chinese national and expatriate staff, plus a code of conduct (confidentiality, conflicts of interest etc). Redaction summary: operational security, staffing details and personal information under ss.33, 47E and 47F.
See the disclosure →
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TREASURY
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1 found · 1 recommended-read
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READ
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TREASURY
· % REDACTED 15%
Treasury correspondence and briefing material with Fortescue on reforming fuel tax credits and mining diesel subsidies
Thirty-five pages of emails, briefing slides and financial modelling from discussions between Treasury and Fortescue about reforming Australia's fuel tax credit regime. Fortescue and Climate Energy Finance argued diesel fuel tax refunds discourage decarbonisation and should be capped unless companies reinvest in cleaner energy, and this release includes their arguments rebutting objections to reform. Includes modelling comparing the impact of changes on BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue, and slides on Fortescue's Pilbara electrification and green iron projects. Redaction summary: personal information under s.47F.
See the disclosure →
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HEALTH, DISABILITY & AGEING
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2 found · 2 look
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LOOK
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HEALTH, DISABILITY & AGEING
· % REDACTED 15%
Funding agreement and workforce data for Peninsula Medicare Urgent Care Clinic
Thirty-six pages comprising a Commonwealth funding agreement with HNECC Ltd for the Peninsula Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Gosford, NSW, plus workforce staffing data for the clinic, were released in part. The documents set out the terms of the Primary Health Networks: Urgent Care Clinics Program from 2023 to 2026, including reporting obligations, funding milestones, governance requirements, complaints handling, and budget tables showing Commonwealth funding allocations exceeding $3.5 million across three financial years. Redaction summary: Bank account details, signatures, contact information and limited commercial or operational material are removed under ss.47F and 47G.
See the disclosure →
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LOOK
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HEALTH, DISABILITY & AGEING
· % REDACTED 20%
Emails and correspondence concerning the Future Fit Meals on Wheels transformation program and Miles Morgan Australia
Ninety-six pages of emails, briefing papers and media materials covering the "Future Fit" Meals on Wheels (~$7.5 - 8.5 million) lobbying and transformation initiative. Documents, from 2022 to 2024, show ministerial offices, senators, MPs and lobbyists engaging contractor Miles Morgan Australia (MMA) on digitising Meals on Wheels operations, alongside concerns raised by Senator Janet Rice about alleged unethical conduct, mishandled data and pressure tactics by MMA. Redaction summary: personal contact details, deliberative and commercial material under ss.47C, 47F and 47G.
See the disclosure →
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SOCIAL SERVICES
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1 found · 1 look
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LOOK
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SOCIAL SERVICES
· % REDACTED 30%
Internal briefing and parliamentary material on Australia’s partner income test for welfare payments
Seventeen pages of DSS briefing notes, ministerial correspondence and cabinet material on the partner income test for Australian social security payments. Includes internal data from December 2025 showing approximately 5.4 million income support recipients, 1.9 million assessed as partnered, with around 460,000 receiving a reduced payment due to income testing. Documents acknowledge family violence concerns and note Services Australia can exempt some recipients. Also includes Senator Penny Allman-Payne's questions on financial independence and domestic violence vulnerability, and a declassified cabinet paper revealing a proposed 2026 legislative amendment on assessing partner employment income.
See the disclosure →
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EDUCATION
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1 found · 1 recommended-read
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READ
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EDUCATION
· % REDACTED 20%
Departmental meeting notes and correspondence with the National School Chaplaincy Association
Seven pages of emails and meeting summaries between Department of Education officials and the National School Chaplaincy Association from 2023. Discussions cover the National Student Wellbeing Program, chaplaincy evaluation report implementation and possible data-sharing arrangements. The NSCA claimed around 1,300 schools received chaplaincy services through its member organisations and raised issues including homelessness, vaping and consent education. Redactions: names, contact details and internal departmental information under ss.22, 47E(d) and 47F.
See the disclosure →
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INDUSTRY, SCIENCE & RESOURCES
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5 found · 1 recommended-read · 4 look
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LOOK
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INDUSTRY, SCIENCE & RESOURCES
· % REDACTED 60%
Internal correspondence and international permit negotiations concerning the Northern Endeavour FPSO decommissioning project
Sixty-nine pages of emails, meeting documents and media lines covering the decommissioning and international transit of the Northern Endeavour floating production storage and offloading vessel. Records show Australian government coordination with Singaporean, Danish and Egyptian authorities on permits and transit approvals. Includes legal advice from Clayton Utz and Danish lawyers on regulatory strategy. Redaction summary: legal advice, international relations material, commercial information and deliberative content under ss.33, 42, 47C and 47E(d), with personal information under s.22.
See the disclosure →
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READ
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INDUSTRY, SCIENCE & RESOURCES
· % REDACTED 10%
Minerals industry lobbying and ministerial correspondence on preserving fuel tax credits
Thirty-three pages of emails and the Minerals Council of Australia's advocating for AI-assisted environmental approvals and 2026 pre-budget submission on Australia's fuel tax credit scheme. Correspondence shows MCA chief executive Tania Constable seeking meetings with Resources Minister Madeleine King's office to oppose any reduction to the scheme. The MCA submission argues fuel tax credits are a tax neutrality mechanism rather than a subsidy, and warns changes would increase costs for mining, agriculture and regional industries. Also advocates for the reinstatement of the Junior Mining Exploration Incentive and a nationally coordinated northern infrastructure corridor. Redaction summary: personal information under ss.22 and 47F.
See the disclosure →
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LOOK
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INDUSTRY, SCIENCE & RESOURCES
· % REDACTED 20%
Briefing for meeting between Industry officials and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on AI investment and regulation
Two pages of departmental briefing notes for a February 2026 meeting with Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei. Outlines Australian government objectives for attracting AI investment from Anthropic, including commitments on electricity infrastructure and local community investment comparable to those reportedly made in the US. Planned discussion topics include Australia's copyright regime, frontier AI safety, security cooperation and the UK-led "Alignment Project" involving OpenAI and Microsoft. Redaction summary: deliberative material, security-related information and staff contact details under ss.22, 33(a) and 47C.
See the disclosure →
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LOOK
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INDUSTRY, SCIENCE & RESOURCES
· % REDACTED 15%
Internal Regional Innovation Fund “RIF chat” meeting notes on incubator funding applications and budget pressures
Two pages of internal meeting notes from February 2019 covering the Regional Innovation Fund and Incubator Support Initiative (ISI). Documents an Entrepreneurial Program Committee review of 15 funding applications, with eight recommended for support, five rejected and two supported by the RIF but not the department. Flags concerns about tightening ISI budgets and possible limited funding availability for future rounds, alongside RIF staff contract extensions and regional pipeline updates. Redaction summary: staff names and deliberative material under ss.22 and 47C.
See the disclosure →
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LOOK
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INDUSTRY, SCIENCE & RESOURCES
· % REDACTED 60%
Cabinet briefing material on establishing Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve
Forty-four pages of cabinet briefing slides, draft terms of reference and ministerial submissions on the proposed Australian Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve. Plans combine national offtake agreements and selective stockpiling, with an initial $1.2 billion investment including $1 billion through the Critical Minerals Facility and $185 million for stockpiling. Documents cover governance arrangements across PM&C, DISR, Treasury, DFAT, Defence and Export Finance Australia, and include briefing material for Prime Minister Albanese on Canada's proposed G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan. Redaction summary: cabinet deliberations, international relations material, national security assessments and deliberative content under ss.33, 34(3) and 47C.
See the disclosure →
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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY ETC
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2 found · 1 recommended-read · 1 look
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READ
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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY ETC
· % REDACTED 40%
Monitoring reports and internal briefings regarding diesel, petrol and jet fuel supply during Middle East disruptions
Thirty-two pages of monitoring reports, briefing notes and internal emails documenting the Government's response to liquid fuel supply pressures linked to Middle East conflict and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in March 2026. Includes daily fuel security updates, stockholding data for petrol, diesel and jet fuel, National Oil Supplies Emergency Committee discussions, and consideration of emergency powers under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984. Statistical appendices track fuel stock levels and Australia's international fuel exposure. Redactions: deliberative material, operational fuel security information and commercially sensitive supply data under ss.22, 47(1)(b) and related exemptions.
See the disclosure →
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LOOK
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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY ETC
· % REDACTED 10%
Question Time briefing documents on Australia’s liquid fuel security, fuel shortages and Middle East supply disruptions
Thirty-four pages of Question Time briefing material for the Minister for Climate Change and Energy on liquid fuel security amid global supply disruptions in 2026. Explains Australia's reliance on imported fuels, the Minimum Stockholding Obligation and Australia's non-compliance with the IEA's 90-day stockholding benchmark. Later versions of the briefing describe a severe Middle East crisis, rapidly rising oil prices and localised shortages, and outline emergency responses. Redaction summary: operational details, commercially sensitive refinery information and some security-sensitive material under ss.22, 47E(d), 47G(1) and 47(1)(b).
See the disclosure →
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AGRICULTURE ETC
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1 found · 1 skip
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SKIP
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AGRICULTURE ETC
· % REDACTED 45%
Australian lobbying and industry coordination over EU Deforestation Regulation impacts on leather and beef sectors
Twenty-seven pages of emails, diplomatic correspondence and industry submissions on the EU Deforestation Regulation and its impact on Australian beef, leather and hide exports. Documents show Australian officials and industry groups coordinating with EU institutions to argue that cattle hides and leather should be exempt from EUDR requirements on the basis they are by-products, not a drivers, of deforestation. Includes a joint international industry letter claiming exclusion would prevent trade disruption, and Australian concerns about how EUDR definitions apply to open grazing systems. Redaction summary: diplomatic communications, internal deliberations and foreign government correspondence under ss.22 and 33(a)(iii). Recommended skip given retractions, unless researching this topic.
See the disclosure →
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VETERAN'S AFFAIRS
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1 found · 1 recommended-read
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READ
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VETERAN'S AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 15%
Procurement and policy documents for Open Arms veteran web-based mental health forums and online suicidality support tender PRN2023-801
One hundred and ninety-nine pages of budget proposals, ministerial briefs and tender documentation for the Department of Veterans' Affairs initiative to establish anonymous, moderated online forums providing mental health support for veterans and families. Traces the project from a 2020 budget measure allocating approximately $1.1 - 1.25 million through to an open tender process in 2024 (PRN2023-801). Covers moderation requirements, privacy considerations, and the decision to contract SANE Australia after an initial limited tender involving Beyond Blue was cancelled for non-compliance with Commonwealth Procurement Rules. Redactions: personal contact details, staff names and deliberative material under ss.47E and 47F.
See the disclosure →
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Quiet this rotation · no releases from PM&C, HOME AFFAIRS, ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, FINANCE, DEWR, INFRASTRUCTURE ETC, DEFENCE.
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Same rotation Monday · 09:00 AEST
— ANI
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