FOI disclosure log

For the period 1 January 2023 to the date this request is received, please provide documents held by DFAT that record and summarise complaints, concerns or allegations (whether raised internally or externally, including by whistleblowers, victims, witnesses, contractors, applicants or members of the public) relating to:

• nepotism/favouritism in staffing decisions (recruitment/selection, promotion, acting arrangements/higher duties, secondments/temporary transfers); and/or
• conflicts of interest / relationship conflicts (including family/personal relationships) relevant to staffing decisions or procurement/contracting; and/or
• discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation (including racial discrimination), including where raised in connection with recruitment or workplace treatment; and/or
• reprisals or victimisation for raising concerns (where recorded as part of the complaint classification).

1. Complaint registers / logs / case-management extracts (de-identified)
2. Aggregate reporting to senior management
3. Systemic review

Access to the following specific types of documents (such as briefing notes, official memorandums, diplomatic cables, policy assessments, reports, and emails) concerning the European Union's "Chat Control" proposal (also known as the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation):

1. Any documents, internal communications, or briefing materials held by DFAT assessing the potential impact of the EU's Chat Control proposal on Australian foreign policy, cybersecurity, privacy, or encryption standards.
2. Any diplomatic cables or formal correspondence between DFAT and European Union representatives regarding this proposal.

Briefing prepared for the minister for foreign affairs on military action by the state of Israel against the state of Lebanon

Date range: from 28 February 2026 to 19 March 2026.
 

1. The sources, if any, that the Department and the Ministerial Office used to derive the list of sanctioned individuals announced by the Hon. Minister.
2. The evidence as to what investigation has been made by the Department and the Ministerial Office in regards to the suggestions provided by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, Mrs. Yulia Navalnaya, Mrs. Galina Seredina or Mr. Petr Kuzmin.

Documents … relating to the 3i (Investing in Infrastructure) Cambodia program (that was managed by Palladium), that record Viability Gap Funding (VGF) or grant disbursements to individual private water operators in Cambodia.
In particular, I am seeking documents (including spreadsheets, tables, or summaries) that show, where available:

• name of the private water operator and piped water system location
• the total amount disbursed to each operator for the period 2015 to 2022.
   

Copies of the standard form employment contract and classification / salary framework for locally engaged staff employed by the Department of Home Affairs to perform visa processing functions at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.

For the period 1 July 2023 to the date this request is received, please provide documents held by DFAT that show the total value of funding provided under DFAT-administered programs, grants, procurements, sponsorships, direct funding arrangements or other agreements that DFAT records or describes as primarily intended to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples / First Nations communities (“Indigenous-focused programs”).

I seek final reports, dashboards, spreadsheets, summaries or database extracts that show, for each financial year (and, if readily available, by program/funding stream), the total value of funding and the number of agreements/recipients, broken down into the following mutually exclusive recipient categories, to the extent recorded by DFAT:

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations/entities; 2. other Indigenous-owned or Indigenous-controlled organisations/businesses that are not already counted in category 1; 3. non-Indigenous organisations receiving funding for Indigenous-focused programs; and 4. unknown / not recorded.

If exact totals are not held in an existing final report, please provide any final spreadsheet or database extract (or equivalent document) showing, for each relevant agreement or funding record, the following fields where recorded:

• financial year;
• program / funding stream;
• recipient name;
• recipient ABN/ACN (if recorded);
• recipient classification/status fields relevant to Indigenous ownership, Indigenous control, or community control;
• funding mechanism (grant, procurement, sponsorship, direct funding, other);
• amount approved / contracted;
• amount paid / committed (if separately recorded); and •
• a short purpose or description field.

‘- a list of costs incurred for all the overseas travel (flights, accommodation, ground travel, travel allowance) for First Nations Ambassador Justin Mohamed from 1 November 2025 to 18 March 2026. 
- a list of costs in the same format and over the same time period for anyone who accompanied/supported the First Nations Ambassador. I agree to the removal of their names but please specify how many people accompanied him on each trip.
- the total number of overseas trips by the First Nations Ambassador since his appointment
- a breakdown of the destinations by country
- the total cost of his overseas travel since appointment
- the total cost of the overseas travel by people who accompanied/supported him
- whether any requested overseas travel has been rejected since his appointment. If so, provide a summaries of the rejected requests.’
 

Copies of any documents held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that describe or record Australia’s commitments under international instruments relating to trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage and modern slavery, including instruments of the United Nations or the International Labour Organisation to which Australia is a signatory, [including] any documents that address Australia’s obligations or commitments under such instruments; and how those commitments are intended to be implemented, reflected and communicated within Australia’s domestic governance or administrative systems… [and] any relevant policies, guidelines, briefing materials, correspondence or reports.

Documents held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (including the Australian Embassy in Tokyo) that record, summarise, analyse, or report on the use and outcomes of letters or other written communications (including emails or formal notices) sent by DFAT to Australian children located in Japan in cases involving international parental child abduction or international parental separation.

Specifically, I seek documents that record:

1. The number of letters or other written communications sent by DFAT or the Australian Embassy in Tokyo to Australian children in Japan in such cases, by year where available.
2. Any documents recording outcomes associated with those communications, including (but not limited to):
   • confirmation of delivery or refusal of delivery,
   • child-initiated contact with an Australian parent following the communication,
   • reconnection or resumption of communication with an Australian parent.
3. Any internal evaluations, briefings, advice, or correspondence assessing the effectiveness, limitations, or policy rationale of this letter-based approach.

To address privacy considerations, I am seeking access only to de-identified and/or aggregated information. I do not seek access to any documents containing personal identifiers of children or parents.

All drafts versions and the finalised version of DFAT/CyberCX contract ID: CN4161551 only

[…] any document connected to a visit of Mr. Mark Donovan, Ambassador of Australia to Saudi Arabia, to the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology's headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia on June 1, 2025. My request is meant to cover minutes of the meeting, or any documents relating to the meeting such as follow-up e-mails or briefing notes. The meeting was made public ...

Briefs that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, received for the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations in December 2025.

For the period 2 to 6 January 2026 (inclusive): 

• Briefings, talking points, back pocket briefs or other information prepared by DFAT for federal government ministers and ministerial offices (including but not limited to the foreign minister, prime minister, treasurer and industry minister) following the American military and policing operation in Venezuela in early January 2026 which captured president Nicolas Maduro, including (but not limited to) discussion of international law, the legality of the US operation, discussion of the capture of president Nicolas Maduro, and suggested responses to questions on those matters, and
• Excluding documents released in LEX 13228.
   

For the period 1 to 5 January 2026 (inclusive): 

• all briefing materials prepared regarding the US strikes against Venezuela, including any international law assessments,
• any correspondence between the department and FMs office about drafting a media response to the attacks.

Documents that relate to PanAust or its PNG subsidiary Frieda River Limited seeking or receiving any support, partnership, funding, loans or grants from the Australian government and or any of its agencies in relation to its work, operations or projects in Papua New Guinea, including the release of any information regarding Australia’s considering, proposed or committed involvement with providing any financing to Papua New Guinea’s sovereign wealth fund, including any proposals or consideration of loans and grants.

• formal instruments of appointment of Mr Pablo Kang as Special Envoy on methanol deaths in Laos;
• diplomatic or other formal written correspondence from Australia to Laos, and from Laos to Australia, conveying or confirming the above appointment.
   

Any documents, records, spreadsheets or other electronically stored material reflecting the number of Australian Passports cancelled under s22(2)(d) of the Australian Passports Act (2005) between 01/01/2021-01/02/2026;

Any documents, records, spreadsheets or other electronically stored material reflecting the number of "Competent Authority Requests" made to the Minister to refuse to issue an Australian Passport under s13 of the Australian Passports Act (2005) between 01/01/2021 and 01/02/2026;

Any documents, records, spreadsheets or other electronically stored material reflecting the number of passports refused or cancelled under s13 after a successful 'competent authority request' to the Minister between 01/01/2021-01/02/2026

Any documents, records, spreadsheets or other electronically stored material reflecting the number of "competent authority requests" under s13 of the Passports Act in which the minister refused to exercise their discretion to cancel/refuse between 01/01/2021-01/02/2026;

Ambassadorial written commentary

Documents, cables, emails or Signal-app communications provided by the Australian Embassy in Washington DC where a comment was added by the Ambassador (including HOM comments or any other annotations), the Principal Adviser to the Ambassador, A-based senior executive staff, and/or any officer at First Secretary rank or higher serving in the role of Executive Officer to the Ambassador.

Intended recipients and circulation

The request is to be limited to material sent to, from, or involving any of the following: DFAT Canberra; the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Minister’s Office; the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister’s Office.

I am also happy to propose a revised timeline scope from 01 November to 14 November 2024.

• Documentation … which details or displays the borders of the State of Palestine, dated June 15 2025 to August 11 2025, and
• Correspondence held, received, or sent by DFAT to representatives from the State of Palestine, dated July 1 2025 to September 21 2025.
   

• Any documents sent by the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations and/or Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) or UNESCO on or about 24th February 2025 in relation to the Murujuga Cultural Landscape.
• Any documents written or prepared by the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations and/or Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in response to an evaluation/recommendation/ report by ICOMOS dated (or approved on) 12 March 2025, tilted Murujuga Cultural Landscape (Australia) No 1709.
• Any correspondence (by email, letter or other means) from the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations and/or Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations to the International Council on Monuments in relation to the above-mentioned 12 March 2025 ICOMOS evaluation/recommendation/report.
• Any correspondence to ICOMOS regarding alleged factual inaccuracies or errors in the text of its evaluations or recommendations about the Murujuga Cultural Landscape.

Documents related to: 

1. attendance by members of the Australian Parliamentary delegation to the United Kingdom and Australian High Commission officials at a service on 3 June 2018 honouring the victims of the 2017 London Bridge terrorist attack (delegation members being Senator Scott Ryan (Leader of the delegation), Senator Pauline Hanson, Michael Danby MP, Steve Georganos MP, Jason Wood MP, Tim Wilson MP)
2. Members the Parliamentary delegation who did not attend the 3 June 2018 service honouring the victims of the 2017 London Bridge terrorist attack.
    

…a copy of the Letter of Introduction from Australian Prime Minister Hon Anthony Albanese MP to Niue Prime Minister Hon Dalton Tagelagi MP regarding the appointment of Mr Vincent Paul Harrington to the office of Australian High Commissioner to Niue.

Mr Harrington presented his Letter of Introduction to Prime Minister Tagelagi on 13 January 2026

any communications including emails, text messages or other forms of communication, briefs, notes or advice created or held by the Department that relate to the resignation of the Hon Kevin Rudd AC as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States… from 1 January 2026 to 13 January 2026.

… any documents which outline when, where and for what reasons Australian diplomatic missions overseas display or do not display portraits of the following officeholders on their premises:

1. The King
2. The Governor-General
3. The Prime Minister
4. Any Ministers with responsibility for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Documents, or a summary of information that outline the Department's overall spend this year on Christmas/end of year gifts for staff based at the RG Casey Building in Canberra, including a breakdown by section/division where possible, and any document that outlines the Department's current policy on end of year staff gifts.

Documents, or a summary of information that outline the Department's overall spend on Christmas/end of year celebrations for staff at the Department’s Canberra offices and Australia House in London in 2025, including a breakdown by section/division where possible, and any document that outlines the Department's current policy on end of year staff celebrations.

Communications dated prior to 18 September 2024 by the Australian Government to CEDAW, including its members, or to other multilateral human rights mechanisms about the position on transgender rights taken by the current Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem.

The ‘Comprehensive due diligence assessment on UNRWA’, which the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade contracted a supplier to complete in August 2024.

All briefings and briefing content prepared for Senate estimates since September 2025 related to Australian returnees from Al-Hol in Syria.

The standard form employment contract and classification / salary framework for locally engaged staff employed by the Department of Home Affairs to perform visa processing functions at the Australian Embassy in Hanoi and the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City, current as at [3 December 2025].

…any cables, briefing notes, or internal correspondence (including emails and memos) created or received by the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C. between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2024 that mention:

1. “Jeffrey Epstein”, and/or
2. the International Peace Institute (IPI) in the context of donations, funding, or reputational/communications issues relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
3. "Katherine Keating"
4. The "U.S. House Oversight Committee investigation into Jeffrey Epstein" or the "Epstein files"
5. "Kevin Rudd" in the context of the "International Peace Institute" (IPI) and donations or links to Jeffrey Epstein.

… processing times for apostille services performed by the Australian Passport Office / Document Legalisation Services.

I request the following information, for the period 1 January 2024 to the present:

1. Documents or internal reports containing average turnaround times for apostille applications submitted by the general public via:
   • Postal lodgement
   • In-person appointment lodgement
   • Any other relevant lodgement pathway
2. Documents or internal reports containing average turnaround times for apostille applications submitted by:
   • Registered agents
   • Businesses
   • Notaries
   • Commercial apostille/drop-off services
3. Any internal DFAT documents, briefings, emails, process guidelines, or memos that explain differences (if any) in processing times between:
   • Postal lodgements from the public
   • Walk-in/appointment lodgements
   • Lodgements made by commercial agents or businesses
4. Any documents describing triaging or prioritisation procedures used for apostille requests (for example, urgent requests, agent-delivered requests, or bulk lodgements).

I am not seeking any personal information about other applicants. If such information appears in documents within scope, I am happy for it to be redacted.

1. Any ministerial briefs/submissions that substantially relate to the findings of the Wood concept study for Greater Sunrise.
2. Any briefs/reports that substantially relate to the findings of the Wood concept study for Greater Sunrise they were provided for noting/approval to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary South and Southeast Asia Group (SSG) or Deputy Secretary Head, Office of the Pacific. Timeframe from 1 November 2024 to 1 March 2025.

1. Any ministerial submissions or briefings provided to the Foreign Minister that are primarily or substantially related to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s Advisory Opinion (AO) on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change generated between 22 July 2025 and 7 November 2025 inclusive. This means other ministerial submissions or briefings may be excluded if they merely mention this ICJAO - this limb seeks only min submissions or briefings to the Foreign Minister that are primarily related to this single climate AO.
2. As of 7 November 2025, the most-up-to-date version of talking points provided to the Foreign Minister in relation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s Advisory Opinion (AO) on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. This seeks only the final version of such talking points that were available as at or around 7 November 2025, not earlier drafts or different versions of the same produced earlier.
3. Any correspondence between DFAT and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) related to what the ICJ's Advisory Opinion (AO) on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change means for approval processes for (a) coal, oil and gas (fossil fuel) projects in Australia; or (b) what the same AO means for the Woodside North-West Shelf extension or Browse Basin gas extraction. This part of the search is limited to documents generated between 22 July 2025 and 7 November 2025 inclusive and excludes draft versions. It seeks substantive senior-level correspondence, not working-level correspondence or items such as meeting requests.

Documents over a three month period (7 July 2025 to 7 October 2025):

• documents relating to indiscriminate killing of civilians by Israel, excluding documents to which legal professional privilege attaches.
• documents relating to intentional killing of civilians by Israel, excluding documents to which legal professional privilege attaches.
• documents relating to evidence that Israel intentionally kills children in Gaza, excluding documents to which legal professional privilege attaches.
• documents relating to Israel denying or hindering to distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, excluding documents to which legal professional privilege attaches.
• documents relating to whether there is a serious risk of genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza, excluding documents to which legal professional privilege attaches.
• documents relating to the evidence that Hamas burned Israeli babies alive, excluding documents to which legal professional privilege attaches.

…..documents and communications that authorised the destruction/disposal of the FOI decisions and documents published on your disclosure log reference numbers 10/21016 and 12/4777.

1. From 1 October 2025: All briefings the Assistant Minister has received in relation to the visit to the Solomon Islands in November 2025.
2. The Assistant Minister's diary for dates she was in the Solomon Islands.