Edwards v Department of Family and Community Services [2012] NSWADT 60

Administrative Decisions Tribunal New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Edwards v Department of Family and Community Services [2012] NSWADT 60 Hearing dates: On the papers Decision date: 05 April 2012 Jurisdiction: General Division Before: N Isenberg, Judicial member Decision: The Tribunal grants an extension of time for the filing of the application for review to 27 January 2012. Legislation Cited: Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Patricia Edwards (Applicant) Department of Family and Community Services, Housing NSW Representation: Legal Aid NSW (Applicant) Department of Family and Community Services (Respondent) File Number(s): 123025

Reasons for decision 1Applications for review of reviewable decisions by this Tribunal under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (the GIPA Act) must be lodged within 8 weeks after notice of the decision is given to the applicant: section 101 of the GIPA Act. The applicant seeks, pursuant to section 57 of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997, and S101(4) of the GIPA Act, an extension of time for lodging her application for review in relation to a reviewable decision made by the respondent.

Background 2The Applicant has been an ongoing tenant of properties managed by the respondent since 1 July 1996. 3She lodged an application under GIPA Act seeking: * Correspondence to the Minister from neighbours * Complaints from neighbours * Why Ms Edwards was declined the property at 2 Trinity Drive, Kelso 4A decision was made on 1 August 2011. As far as I can ascertain she may have been provided with some complete documents, but was provided with some with redactions. Some other documents were not provided at all, on the basis of claimed exemptions. 5On 30 August 2011, on her behalf, a solicitor from Dubbo Legal Aid (the solicitor) lodged an application for internal review of the decision. 6On 20 September 2011 the respondent sent its internal review decision to the applicant. 7On 27 January 2012 the solicitor, on behalf of the applicant, filed an application for review of the respondent's internal review decision, some 10 weeks out of time.