FKH v Murrumbidgee Local Health District [2023] NSWCATAD 313

Civil and Administrative Tribunal New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: FKH v Murrumbidgee Local Health District [2023] NSWCATAD 313 Hearing dates: 15 August 2022, 24 August 2022 Date of orders: 08 December 2023 Decision date: 08 December 2023 Jurisdiction: Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division Before: J Gatland, Senior Member Decision: (1) The Respondent's decision is set aside to the extent that: (a) the documents identified in the Respondent's schedules as documents 151A; 155A and 160A are to be released to the Applicant in full; and (b) the documents identified in the Respondent's schedules as documents 40, 377, 378 and 379 are to be released subject only to the removal of the mobile phone numbers of the Respondent's staff. (2) The Respondent's decision is otherwise affirmed. (3) Publication of the confidential evidence filed by the respondent in these proceedings is prohibited. (4) Disclosure to the Applicant of the confidential evidence filed by the respondent in these proceedings is prohibited. (5) Pursuant to Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), s 64(1)(c) and s 64(1)(d), the transcript and recording of the hearing of those parts of the hearing which took place in private and in the absence of the Applicant are not to be published or released to the Applicant or the public. (6) Pursuant to Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013, s 64(1)(c) and s 64(1)(d), the contents of all paragraphs in these Reasons marked "[NOT FOR PUBLICATION]" are not to be published or released to the Applicant or the public. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — Government Information (Public Access) — Grounds for refusing access — Balancing competing public interest factors for and against disclosure. Legislation Cited: Administrative Decisions Review Act 1997 (NSW) Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW), Ch 16A, s 29 Children's Guardian Act 2019 (NSW), Part 4, ss 245F, 254 Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 118, 119, 125 Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), s 121 Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW), ss 3, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 53, 55, 58, 80, 100, 105, 107, Sch 1, cll 5, 6, 10, Sch 2, cll 2, 4 Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), s 72 NSW Health Services Act 1997 (NSW), ss 120A, 122, 123 Ombudsman Act 1974 (NSW) Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), s 18 Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994 (NSW), Part 2, ss 20, 22 Crimes Act 1990 (NSW), s 91Q Cases Cited: Amcor Ltd v Barnes [2011] VSC 341 APD v Commissioner of Police [2012] NSWADT 42 AQJ v University of NSW [2013] NSWCATAD 306 AWB Ltd v Cole & Anor (No. 5) (2006) 155 FLR 30; [2006] FCA 1234 Battin v University of New England [2013] NSWADT 73 Betzis v Commissioner of Police [2020] NSWCATAD 71 Camilleri v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2013] NSWADT 80 Carbotech-Australia Pty Ltd v Yates [2008] NSWSC 1151 Carrafa v Asfar (No 3) [2023] NSWSC 24 Clements, Dunne and Bell Pty Limited v Australian Federal Police [2001] FCA 1858 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Propend Finance Pty Ltd (1997) 188 CLR 501 Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force v Camilleri (GD) [2012] NSWADTAP 19 Cousins v Ambulance Service (NSW) [2014] NSWCATAD 48 Crescent Farm (Sidcup) Sports Ltd v Sterling Offices Limited [1972] Ch 553 Danis v Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force [2020] NSWCATAD 138 Director General, Department of Education and Training v Mullet and Randazzo (No 2) [2002] NSWADTAP 29 Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v Stanizzo (2019) 367 ALR 256; [2019] NSWCA 12 Esso v Commissioner of Taxation (1991) 201 CLR 49 Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd v Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 303 Fire Brigade Employees' Union v Fire & Rescue (NSW) [2014] NSWCATAD 113 Flack v Commissioner of Police, New South Wales Police [2011] NSWADT 286 Gene Simring v Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force [2009] NSWSC 270 Grant v Downs (1976) 135 CLR 674 Hodgson v Amcor No. 2 [2011] VSC 295 Hurst v Wagga Wagga City Council [2011] NSWADT 307 Ibrahim v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2004] NSWADTAP 8 Idoport Pty Ltd v National Australia Bank [2001] NSWSC 222 Kang v Kwan [2001] NSWSC 698 Kaye v Woods (No 2) (2016) 309 FLR 200; [2016] ACTSC 87 Klaric v Commissioner of Police [2020] NSWCATAP 153 Kreutzer v University of Sydney [2015] NSWCATAD 270 Leech v Sydney Water Corporation [2010] NSWADT 198 Lipscombe v Blue Mountains City Council [2020] NSWCATAD 121 Mansfield v Department of Family and Community Services (NSW) [2014] NSWCATAD 43 McCrystal v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2020] NSWCATAD 122 McDonald v Ku-ring-gai Council [2022] NSWCATAD 17 Murphy v Broken Hill City Council [2015] NSWCATAD 135 Neary v State Rail Authority [1999] NSWADT 107 R v Cox and Railton (1884) 14 QBD 153 Raven v The University of Sydney [2015] NSWCATAD 104 Roberts v Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force [2018] NSWCATAD 127 Robinson v Director General, Department of Health [2002] NSWADT 222 Saggers v Attorney General's Department [2005] NSWADT 193 Selby v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2013] NSWADT 61 Smolenski v Commissioner of Police [2015] NSWCATAP 235 South Dural Residents and Ratepayers Group Inc v Roads and Maritime Services [2019] NSWCATAD 83 Talako v Talako [2014] VSC 328 Taylor v Destination NSW [2017] NSWCATAD 272 Transport for NSW v Robinson [2018] NSWCATAP 123 Transport for NSW v Searle [2018] NSWCATAP 93 Van Der Lee v New South Wales [2022] NSWCA 286 Watson v McLernon [2000] NSWSC 306 Watts v Department of Planning and Environment [2016] NSWCATAD 42 Wojciechowska v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2020] NSWCATAP 173 YG & GG v Minister for Community Services [2002] NSWCA 247 Texts Cited: None cited Category: Principal judgment Parties: FKH (Applicant) Murrumbidgee Local Health District (Respondent) Representation: Solicitors: Applicant (Self-Represented) Crown Solicitor (Respondent) File Number(s): 2022/00096051 Publication restriction: Pursuant to Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013, s 64(1)(c) and s 64(1)(d), the contents of all paragraphs in these Reasons marked "[NOT FOR PUBLICATION]" are not to be published or released to the Applicant or the public