Disclosure log

The applicant requested two documents prepared by the Department in relation to a proposed water purchase.

Two documents were released in part with deletions under s47C(1), s47F(1) and s 45.

To request access to the material contact the FOI Officer.

We request access under section 15 of the FOI Act to all documents that were before the Minister and/or their delegate for consideration when determining whether to approve the Mt Gilead residential development project (EPBC 2015/7599) (Project), including (without limitation) any proposed decision brief (or similar document) and any attachments to it. However, we do not seek access to copies of any such documents as are publicly available.

We note that the Project was approved by Kim Farrant, Delegate of the Minister for the Environment, on 21 December 2018.

Permits and licences for the movement of animals from Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland. All permits and licences are sought, including CITES permits, any other international permits, any state/interstate licences in the department's possession.

• Letters between the Department and Victorian Government counterparts that relates to the public acquisition or quality of native vegetation in the proposed Western Grasslands Reserve (since 2010)
• Emails between the Department and Victorian Government counterparts that relate to concerns or issues with the proposed Western Grasslands Reserve (between 2013 and 2015)
• Briefs made in relation to the final approval of the Melbourne Urban Development (MUD) policy

On 22 February 2019, Declan O’Connor-Cox, Acting Assistant Secretary, Assessment (WA, SA, NT) and Post Approvals Branch, Department of the Environment and Energy, made a decision under s 143 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) to vary condition 13 of the EPBC approval for the Maules Creek Coal Mine (EPBC 2010/5566) (Decision).

We request access under section 15 of the FOI Act to all documents that were before the Minister and/or her delegate for consideration when determining whether to make the Decision to vary the conditions of the approval for EPBC 2010/5566, including any decision brief and any attachments to that brief.

All correspondence between:

• the Department of the Environment and Energy and the Minister for the Environment and Energy between 1 August 2017 and 28 August 2018; and
• the Department of the Environment and Energy and the Minister for the Environment or the Minister for Energy between 28 August 2018 and the present day that relate to discussions, deliberations and correspondence regarding the role of Santos' Narrabri project in NSW in supplying gas to alleviate any potential domestic gas shortage.

Copies of all correspondence between the Minister for the Environment and the Department of Environment and Energy that is dated between 1 January 2018 and 3 April 2019 that refers to the nomination for a change in the listing status of the Australian Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Briefs or emails involving Senior Executives at DoEE, between January 2014 and present, discussing land clearing at Olive Vale/Fairview Station on Cape York Peninsula that documents;

• Consideration of the clearing and associated agricultural development with respect to Section 70(3) of the EPBC Act,
• the decision as to why the Olive Vale case was closed as indicated in an internal email dated 23 November 2016,
  • and any consideration of the risks in closing the case
• options the department considered in response to the revelation that the proponent had recommenced clearing in 2017.
• and what the Department of Environment and Energy intends to do if the proponent resumes clearing without approval in the future.

Any correspondence, departmental briefings and advice from the Department of Environment and Energy to the relevant

• Minister for the Environment and Energy between 1 August 2017 and 28 August 2018; and
• Minister for the Environment between 28 August 2018 and the present day

relating to the decision of the Federal government to vary, extend or renew the Regional Forest Agreements in NSW and Tasmania.

On Friday November 10 2017, Dr Nicholas Gales told a Parliamentary committee the following:

“We undertook an inspection of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. We were going to undertake an inspection of another country on the way through, one of the Chinese bases, but it was not operating from there during that summer so we didn't undertake that. “

See: Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories_2017_11_10.pdf

Can you please provide emails concerning the planned and subsequently abandoned inspection of the Chinese base mentioned above.