|
RECORD RADAR · ROTATION 012
|
SUN 26 JUL 2026
|
|
— ROTATION 012 / 2026.07.26
Rotation 012 /028
|
|
The 28 new FOI releases from Federal government departments and eight key agencies from 19 - 26 July 2026 are summarised below. Notable this week: The ATO uses a dark-web intelligence platform rated high privacy risk to scan for tax and super risks; Australia was negotiating a new funding framework with the UN Palestine refugee agency as officials waited for details of Israeli allegations against staff; Australia imported 110 consignments of non-lethal weapons to be used by police and prisons in the last five years; only six of 49 applications to the British nuclear test compensation scheme succeeded; and the privacy watchdog received 1,621 complaints about federal agencies over five years but launched just two investigations on its own initiative. Key companies mentioned: Microsoft (Bing and LinkedIn), Meta, TikTok, Snap, X, YouTube, Kick, Apple, Olam, Givaudan, McCormick, Wipro, PepperBall, United Tactical Supply, Fivecast, Precision Public Affairs, the Social Research Centre, Aussie Frozen Fruit, Remagen Capital Management. If you've been forwarded this email, you can subscribe here. To find out more about lodging FOI requests, at Right to Know. The initial summaries of the documents are produced by AI, but verified and written up by humans. All feedback is welcome, just hit reply.
|
|
28
Found
|
14
Recommended-read
|
09
Look
|
38%
Avg redact
|
|
OAIC
|
2 found · 2 recommended-read
|
| |
READ
·
OAIC
· % REDACTED 0%
OAIC received 1,621 privacy complaints about federal agencies over five years
The public lodged 1,621 complaints with the privacy watchdog about federal government agencies over the five years to 2025, peaking at 382 in 2023/24. Only 28 were passed to other bodies such as the Ombudsman. Despite the volume of public complaints, the Commissioner rarely opened her own inquiries: 13 proactive audits of agency privacy practices were launched over the period, and just two formal investigations were started on the Commissioner's own initiative. Redactions: none.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
READ
·
OAIC
· % REDACTED 5%
Rules for consulting states on FOI requests rest on 1996 memo
When someone lodges an FOI request for federal documents that involve a state government, the agency must check with that state before releasing anything sensitive. The rulebook for how that check works is a 1996 memo from the Attorney-General's Department, and it is still in force. A 2019 internal email released by the OAIC shows the department last reviewed the arrangement in 2015 and found it was still current, even though the memo itself is out of date. Redactions: contact details.
See the disclosure →
|
|
DEFENCE
|
1 found · 1 recommended-read
|
| |
READ
·
DEFENCE
· % REDACTED 15%
Defence to receive $887 billion by 2035-36 under new National Defence Strategy
The 2026 National Defence Strategy commits $887 billion to Defence over the decade to 2035-36, including an extra $53 billion on top of previous plans, according to the department's Senate Estimates briefing pack for June 2026. The pack covers AUKUS, the US alliance review, Australia's $1.5 billion in support for Ukraine under Operation KUDU, Pacific treaties with PNG and Fiji, and recruitment. Redactions: personal information and sensitive operational details.
See the disclosure →
|
|
EDUCATION
|
1 found · 1 look
|
| |
LOOK
·
EDUCATION
· % REDACTED 60%
Fraud plans for national student surveys five years out of date
Fraud controls for Australia's national student surveys still rest on an Australian standard superseded in 2021. The Social Research Centre, which runs the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching surveys under contract to 2027, cites AS8001-2008 in all four plans released, including the version last reviewed in December 2025. Redactions: roles, planning, prevention, detection and incident response withheld under s.47G.
See the disclosure →
|
|
HOME AFFAIRS
|
6 found · 3 recommended-read · 1 look
|
| |
READ
·
HOME AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 0%
Australia took 110 consignments from "non-lethal" weapons maker
Australia received 110 consignments from the US maker of PepperBall weapons between 2021 and 2026, import declarations lodged with Home Affairs show. The launchers fire plastic balls of capsicum irritant that burst on impact from up to 45 metres and are sold to police, prison and immigration agencies. PepperBall accounted for 95 consignments, its parent United Tactical Systems 14 and United Tactical Supply one. Redactions: none.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
READ
·
HOME AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 40%
Minister can overturn tribunal using pre-written departmental reasons
Home Affairs templates for the minister's personal power to overturn tribunal decisions that restore cancelled visas include a pre-written statement of reasons supporting cancellation, leaving the minister to fill in names and dates. The submission form asks whether to proceed with or without giving the person a chance to be heard. Referral thresholds include significant media interest and high profile cases. Redactions: system procedures and internal processes under s.47E(d).
See the disclosure →
|
| |
LOOK
·
HOME AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 65%
Separation pain and pregnancy don't fast-track partner visas
Pain of separation, pregnancy, financial hardship and pre-arranged wedding plans do not on their own justify fast-tracking a partner visa, departmental guidelines state. Long-term relationships, family violence claims and same-sex couples in countries that don't recognise them do qualify. More than 37,000 partner visa applications had been waiting more than two years as at 31 March. Redactions: process guide and workflow framework withheld under s.47E(d).
See the disclosure →
|
| |
READ
·
HOME AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 10%
Minister overturned 50 tribunal rulings restoring cancelled visas
Immigration Minister Tony Burke was referred 168 cases under his personal power to overturn tribunal decisions that had restored cancelled visas, three-quarters of the 225 character-test referrals he received between January 2025 and March 2026. He set aside 50 tribunal rulings and declined to act in 27. Across all powers he cancelled or refused 82 visas. Redactions: one table of decisions not to refuse withheld under s.47F.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
SKIP
·
HOME AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 90%
Home Affairs can ship up to 33 cubic metres home per posted family
Home Affairs employees posted overseas can ship up to 21 cubic metres of household goods at departmental expense, rising to 33 for large families returning from multiple postings, with insurance covered to a consignment value of $100,000. Motor vehicles, boats, pets, e-bikes and scooters are excluded. Redactions: most of the 154-page instruction withheld as irrelevant under s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
SKIP
·
HOME AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 0%
Home Affairs names every Indian turmeric supplier to Australia
Australia imported turmeric from 205 listed Indian-origin suppliers between January 2025 and May 2026, though repeated name variants mean the number of distinct businesses is lower. They range from small exporters to multinationals including Olam, Givaudan, McCormick and Wipro. Some 15 suppliers are based outside India, in 12 countries including Switzerland, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Redactions: none.
See the disclosure →
|
|
VETERAN'S AFFAIRS
|
1 found · 1 recommended-read
|
| |
READ
·
VETERAN'S AFFAIRS
· % REDACTED 25%
Only six successful claims in 40 years under British nuclear test compensation scheme
Just six of ~49 applications had succeeded under the Administrative Scheme for Compensating Persons Present at British Nuclear Test Sites in Australia by 2013, according to a Department of Employment minute released by DVA. The scheme was established in 1986 after the McClelland Royal Commission to cover civilians, pastoralists and Indigenous people exposed to fallout. Emails from 2022 show DVA officials seeking contacts for the scheme, which one official described as very old and very rarely used. Redactions: personal details and a 2001 Australian Government Solicitor legal advice attachment withheld in full under s.42.
See the disclosure →
|
|
DFAT
|
2 found · 1 recommended-read · 1 look
|
| |
READ
·
DFAT
· % REDACTED 90%
Australia negotiated multi-year UNRWA funding amid Israeli allegations
Australia was negotiating a Strategic Partnership Framework with the UN agency for Palestine refugees in late 2024, shifting from earmarked grants to multi-year core funding, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong's office seeking detail on due diligence. Months earlier, officials said they would review funding once details of fresh Israeli allegations about staff links to Hamas were received. Redactions: Nearly all substantive advice was withheld under s.33 and s.42, covering international relations and legal privilege.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
LOOK
·
DFAT
· % REDACTED 70%
Former mining lobbyist suggested for DFAT's OECD talks
Foreign affairs officials sought to settle Australia's position on fossil fuels in September 2021, as OECD Development Assistance Committee negotiations in Paris turned to a climate declaration. This engaged the Prime Minister's department and ministers. A senior official suggested dialling in Brendan Pearson, incoming ambassador to the OECD and a former Minerals Council chief executive. Redactions: departmental exchange on negotiations was withheld under s.33 (international relations).
See the disclosure →
|
|
TREASURY
|
2 found · 2 recommended-read
|
| |
READ
·
TREASURY
· % REDACTED 15%
LinkedIn too corporate, Bing too small: Microsoft tells Treasury
Microsoft asked Treasury to keep Bing and LinkedIn outside the News Bargaining Incentive, accepting it clears the scheme's $250 million revenue threshold but arguing neither service is significant enough to qualify. Bing holds 4.7 per cent of Australian search. Microsoft secured a meeting and lodged an informal submission in early 2025, eight months before the public consultation opened. Redactions: staff details under s.47F, unrelated material under s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
READ
·
TREASURY
· % REDACTED 60%
Negative gearing and CGT reform would raise $43 billion in cost modellings
Reforming negative gearing and capital gains tax would raise $43.1 billion over the 11 years to 2036-37, Treasury costings show, split between $31.3 billion from negative gearing and $11.8 billion from capital gains tax. Nothing is collected in the first two years and only $3.6 billion falls within the forward estimates. Redactions: other costed measures in the same table and the accompanying advice withheld under s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
|
ATO
|
2 found · 1 recommended-read · 1 look
|
| |
LOOK
·
ATO
· % REDACTED 70%
ATO defers online lodgment for simple trusts by a year
The ATO has pushed back plans to let trusts with simple reporting lodge tax returns online, moving the launch from Tax Time 2027 to the 2027-28 financial year. Internal papers say its technology division does not have the capacity to build it in time without disrupting other critical work. The business case expected about 10,600 returns to shift from paper to the online channel. Redactions: material outside scope removed under s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
READ
·
ATO
· % REDACTED 20%
ATO's Fivecast use flagged as high privacy risk in internal assessment
Internal governance papers show the ATO uses the Fivecast ONYX intelligence platform to search public data across social media and the surface, deep and dark web to spot emerging tax and superannuation risks. The licences were funded through Tax Avoidance Taskforce 4. Staff need a security clearance and training, and a workplace health checklist covers the risk of exposure to disturbing material on the dark web. A privacy assessment concluded the tool was high privacy risk. Redactions: operational detail under s.37(2)(b), staff names, and out-of-scope material under s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
|
PM&C
|
2 found · 1 recommended-read · 1 look
|
| |
LOOK
·
PM&C
· % REDACTED 10%
Bowen's two-day New Zealand climate trip cost $8,515
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen travelled to Auckland in December 2025 for the third Australia-New Zealand 2+2 Climate and Finance Dialogue, costing $8,515 for himself and one adviser. Business class fares accounted for $6,400. Redactions: the travel strategy, risks and sensitivities, and staff details under s.33, s.47C, s.47E and s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
READ
·
PM&C
· % REDACTED 5%
Lobbying firm secured minister's speech at industry group launch
Lobbying firm Precision Public Affairs invited Assistant Minister for Women Rebecca White to launch Women in Government Relations Australia at Parliament House on 4 March, saying Senator Gallagher's team had suggested the approach. The Office for Women prepared an event brief and 655-word speech. Nothing released addresses the organisation's membership fees or whether the Lobbying Code of Conduct applies. Redactions: names and contact details.
See the disclosure →
|
|
INDUSTRY ETC
|
2 found · 1 recommended-read · 1 look
|
| |
READ
·
INDUSTRY ETC
· % REDACTED 0%
How $20m in medical research data grants will be assessed
The Medical Research Future Fund's (MRFF) 2025 Research Data Infrastructure grant round offered up to $20 million over two years for projects linking data registries, biobanks and other health data platforms, with individual grants capped at $2.5 million. The released documents outline the terms of reference, detailing scoring criteria, conflict of interest rules and the assessment process. Only Document 2 of the FOI request was published; Document 1 was not included. Redactions: none.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
LOOK
·
INDUSTRY ETC
· % REDACTED 85%
Nominations for offshore gas exploration in Bass and Gippsland withheld
Companies have nominated offshore areas in the Bass and Gippsland basins for petroleum exploration under a call opened by Resources Minister Madeleine King closed in June 2026. The department's Offshore Resources Branch will review the nominations and brief the Minister on whether to progress an acreage release. Redactions: nominating companies, proposed areas, geological justifications and departmental analysis under s.22 and s.47(1)(b).
See the disclosure →
|
|
INFRASTRUCTURE ETC
|
2 found · 1 recommended-read
|
| |
READ
·
INFRASTRUCTURE ETC
· % REDACTED 10%
Minister pressed social media platforms on under-16 reporting gaps
Communications Minister Anika Wells wrote to Meta, TikTok, Snap, X, YouTube and Kick in April 2026, warning their platforms lacked clear ways to report users under 16 under the social media minimum age law. She also pressed platforms to adopt Apple's new Australia-specific 16+ app store rating, noting eight of ten had already agreed. Kick and Meta responded within days, each outlining compliance steps including age assurance and updated reporting pathways. Redactions: contact details etc.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
SKIP
·
INFRASTRUCTURE ETC
· % REDACTED 0%
Interim chemical management rules for federal airports released a decade late
An interim guideline for managing perfluorinated chemical (PFAS) contamination in soil, water and infrastructure at leased federal airports was issued in March 2015 and stated it applied only until June 2016. The guideline set out a tiered site assessment process for building works and noted no Australian standards for PFAS management existed at the time. Redactions: one author name under s.22.
See the disclosure →
|
|
CLIMATE, ENERGY ETC
|
1 found · 1 look
|
| |
LOOK
·
CLIMATE, ENERGY ETC
· % REDACTED 60%
Antarctic project board flagged regulator conflict
The Australian Antarctic Division's Major Projects Board met in February 2026 and discussed 16 active projects spanning station ICT, aviation procurement, the Macquarie Island rebuild, the RSV Nuyina icebreaker and the Southern Ocean Research Aquarium. Members flagged the AAD's dual role as proponent and regulator and agreed to explore transferring its regulatory functions to the National EPA. Redactions: project financials and deliberative content under s.47C, s.47D and s.47E.
See the disclosure →
|
|
AGRICULTURE
|
1 found · 1 look
|
| |
LOOK
·
AGRICULTURE
· % REDACTED 30%
Insect-based livestock feed could spread mad cow disease
Internal biosecurity advice released by the agriculture department warns that insect-based animal feed could spread mad cow disease if the insects were raised on scraps from cattle or sheep. Officials also raise concerns that growing volumes of imported dairy meant for people are being diverted into stockfeed. Both practices risk breaking Australia's rules against feeding cattle products back to cattle. Redactions: names, business information and internal deliberations.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
LOOK
·
ASIC
· % REDACTED 40%
ASIC disqualifies Remagen director over $45m Aussie Frozen Fruit collapse
ASIC has disqualified Sydney investment manager Simon John Raftery from managing corporations for two years and six months over his role in the collapse of Aussie Frozen Fruit and the In2Food Group, which together traded as Produce Republic. Delegate Phillip Mines found Raftery breached insolvent trading duties at Aussie Frozen Fruit, which was wound up in May 2023 with a deficiency of $45.7 million. Raftery is managing director of funder Remagen Capital Management. Redactions: contact details and third-party material.
See the disclosure →
|
| |
SKIP
·
AFP
· % REDACTED 90%
AFP releases Commissioner's Financial Instructions on debt recovery
The AFP has released Commissioner's Financial Instruction 18, the internal rule governing how officials manage, pursue and write off debts owed to the agency, as used in 2016. The instruction requires officials to establish debts formally, record them centrally, assess receivables for impairment quarterly, and pursue recovery unless a delegate determines the debt is not legally recoverable or uneconomical to chase. Redactions: the bulk of the manual as out of scope.
See the disclosure →
|
|
NDIS + NDIS COMMISSION
|
1 found · 1 skip
|
| |
SKIP
·
NDIS + NDIS COMMISSION
· % REDACTED 100%
Documents requested still not released
We've requested two sets of FOI documents that are listed on the NDIS Commission disclosure log and will include these in the newsletter once we have them.
See the disclosure →
|
|
Quiet this rotation · no releases from ATTORNEY GENERAL, FINANCE, HEALTH, DISABILITY & AGING, SOCIAL SERVICES, DEWR, ACCC, APRA, AUSTRAC, SERVICES AUSTRALIA, IP AUSTRALIA, ACNC, AEC, RBA.
|
|
If someone in your world would find FOI Weekly useful, please forward it to them.
Same rotation Monday · 09:00 AEST
— ANI
|
|