FOI Ref: FOI202324/03
Alex Pentland
e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Alex,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST: ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 26 August 2023 at
Attachment A in which you sought access to information under
the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The
Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can be
levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations and are
for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and I have decided that you are liable
to pay a charge in respect of the processing of your request. My preliminary assessment of the charge
is $118.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$108.00
• search of relevant ABS holdings
• conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 7.2 hours
Decision-making (
after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per hour $10.00
• time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
• examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and pages
released with redactions)
• consultation with other parties
• redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required: 0.5 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$118.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved in
processing this request.
The charges are not
indicative of the level of access that
may be granted to the documents sought
.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which may
result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit of up
to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of charges for
your request, which is $118.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $29.50 before work on your request
commences.
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
• pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
• pay the charge.
• contend the charge; or
• withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it will be
taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at
Attachment B.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed (see
Attachment C). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to consider
reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
• the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or person
on whose behalf the application was made; or
• access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests (other
than personal or business information that would be unreasonable to publish) on the ABS website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
Deborah Wallace
A/g Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
2 October 2023
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au
ATTACHMENT A
Dear Australian Bureau of Statistics,
This is a Freedom of Information Request for the purposes of the Freedom
of Information Act 1982.
I request access to the Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides currently
used for the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Yours faithfully,
Alex Pentland
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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #10617 email]
Is [ABS request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Australian Bureau of Statistics? If so, please
contact us using this form:
[5]
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttok
now.org.au%2Fchange_request%2Fnew%3Fbody%3Dabs&data=05%7C01%7Cpolicy.and.legis
lation.section.wdb%40abs.gov.au%7Cc76d9912897f4e3e63cb08dba8de03a4%7C34cdb737c
4fa4c219a3488ac2d721f88%7C1%7C0%7C638289443718865218%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8e
yJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C
%7C&sdata=E9FAHTphmY8%2BLj%2BFIhFK%2BYu8nB4CTMmr93u3x6jVHZU%3D&reserved=0
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[6]
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttok
now.org.au%2Fhelp%2Fofficers&data=05%7C01%7Cpolicy.and.legislation.section.wdb
%40abs.gov.au%7Cc76d9912897f4e3e63cb08dba8de03a4%7C34cdb737c4fa4c219a3488ac2d7
21f88%7C1%7C0%7C638289443718865218%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDA
iLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=xTXSyquO
SQzyhdojMEXKGrEuyXMTxt6X9CelaWVJyDM%3D&reserved=0
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message
and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More
information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttok
now.org.au%2Fhelp%2Fofficers&data=05%7C01%7Cpolicy.and.legislation.section.wdb
%40abs.gov.au%7Cc76d9912897f4e3e63cb08dba8de03a4%7C34cdb737c4fa4c219a3488ac2d7
21f88%7C1%7C0%7C638289443718865218%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDA
iLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=xTXSyquO
SQzyhdojMEXKGrEuyXMTxt6X9CelaWVJyDM%3D&reserved=0
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be
delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager
to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Pentland <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2023 9:05 PM
To: Angalea Turnbull <xxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
Subject: Re: Acknowledgement of your FOI request [SEC=OFFICIAL]
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Dear Angalea Turnbull,
Thank you for the notice and follow up.
Dear Alex,
I refer to your application in which you seek access to documents under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act)(ABS reference FOI 202324/03)
regarding:
"I request access to the Style Guides/Brand Guides/Writing Guides
currently used for the Australian Bureau of Statistics"
Your request was received by the ABS on 26/08/2023 and the 30 day
statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after
that date.
Before I commence processing your request can you please confirm the
following via return e-mail:
1. Whether your request is only seeking the Style/Brand/Writing guides
which are corporately supported and used by the ABS;
2. Whether you agree to the names and contact details of non-Senior
Executive public servants, and the mobile phone numbers of Senior
Executive public servants being excluded from the scope of this request;
and
3. Where there are a number of drafts of a document, whether you are
seeking access to those drafts, or only the final version of documents
(this includes the latest version where no 'final' version was issued).
It is ABS policy to impose charges consistent with section 29 of the
FOI Act. We we will inform you of our decision in this respect once we
have conducted a search for documents.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns
regarding this email.
Kind regards
Angalea Turnbull
Freedom of Information
Policy & Legislation Section | Legislative Compliance & Parliamentary
Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(E) [1][email address] (W) [2]www.abs.gov.au
To answer your questions with respects to the request:
1). Yes, only the guides supported and used.
2). Yes, I agree to exclude those below that level of clearance.
3). Only the current/most recent version applicable for each of the relevant
cases.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
-----Original Message-----
ATTACHMENT B
Australian Bureau of Statistics Payment Options - FOi
Please complete the following information and return to the FOi Contact Officer:
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
By post:
FOi Contact Officer
Policy and Legislation Section
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Locked Bag 10
Belconnen ACT 2617
Customer Name:
Customer Address:
Option 1: Bank Cheque or Australian Money Order - made out to "Collector of Public Monies"
Attached
7
OR Option 2: Please debit my credit card as follows:
AMEX
VISA
Mastercard
Card Number
I
$
Expiry Date
CCV Number
Total Amount
Name on Card
Signature of card holder
OR Option 3: EFT Payment:
Reserve Bank of Australia
BSB: 093 003
Account No. 317716
Account Name: ABS Official Receipts Account
Reference Code: FOI202324/03
Note: When paying by EFT please use the reference code
and email a copy of your remittance
FOI202324/03
advice to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
Privacy Statement: Personal information contained on this form that is provided to the ABS will only be used to process the
payment in relation to your freedom of information request, and to provide confirmation and receipt of the payment. The
information will not be used for any other purpose, and will not be disclosed to any third party. You may access and update the
information provided on this form prior the payment being processed, by contacting the ABS Freedom of Information Contact
Officer on: (02) 6252 7203 or by email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
For information on the ABS' information handling practices please see our privacy policy: www.abs.gov.au\privacy
ATTACHMENT C
ATTACHMENT C: RIGHTS OF REVIEW, WHERE CHARGES IMPOSED
INFORMATION ON RIGHTS OF REVIEW
1. APPLICATION FOR A REDUCTION OR WAIVER OF THE CHARGE
Section 29 of the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) gives you the right to apply to the ABS
to have the charge reduced or waived entirely.
Application for a reduction or waiver of the charge must be made in writing within 30 days of
receiving this letter. You must set out your reasons for contending that the charge has been wrongly
assessed or should otherwise be reduced or waived.
Application for a reduction or waiver of the charge should be emailed to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or sent by post to:
ABS FOI Contact Officer
Policy, Legislation and Assurance Section
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2617
2. APPLICATION FOR INTERNAL REVIEW OF DECISION
Section 54 of the Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of the decision to impose a
charge for documents in accordance with your request. The ABS will appoint a new officer to your
review. To the extent possible, the officer will not have been involved in the making of the original
decision. This is to ensure that the review is considered by a fresh, independent and impartial mind.
Application for a review of the decision must be made in writing within 30 days of receipt of this
letter. No particular form is required but it would assist the decision-maker if you could set out in
the application the grounds on which you consider that the decision should be reviewed.
Application for an internal review of the decision should be emailed to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or sent by post to:
ABS FOI Contact Officer
Policy, Legislation and Assurance Section
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2617
OR
3. APPLICATION TO AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER (INFORMATION
COMMISSIONER) FOR REVIEW OF DECISION
Section 54L of the Act gives you the right to seek a review of the decision from the Information
Commissioner. An application for review must be made within 60 days of receiving the decision.
Applications for review must be in writing and must:
• give details of how notices must be sent to you; and
• include a copy of the notice of decision.
You should email your application for review to
xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or sent by post to:
The Information Commissioner
Office of the Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2001
AND/OR
4. COMPLAINTS TO THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
Section 70 of the Act provides that a person may complain to the Information Commissioner about
action taken by an agency in the exercise of powers or the performance of functions under the Act.
A complaint to the Information Commissioner must be in writing and identify the agency the
complaint is about. It should be directed to the following address:
The Information Commissioner
Office of the Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2001
The Information Commissioner may decline to investigate the complaint in a number of
circumstances, including that you did not exercise your right to ask the agency, the Information
Commissioner, a court or tribunal to review the decision.
Document Outline
