OFFICIAL
EPA ref: FOI-003-2024
Jarred Crowe
By email
: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Jarred,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DEPOSIT CHARGES
I refer to your request for documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act), the terms
of which are:
1. Statistical reports that detail the number of vehicle testing notices issued for the above period
indicating the required tests (smoke or noise), per suburb, postcode or local government area.
2. Statistical reports for the above period, that detail the outcomes of issued vehicle testing
notices, indicating the percentage of passed/failed vehicles tested, or the percentage of notices
that returned a certificate of compliance.
3. EPA authorised officer handbook/training information, Only sections relating to processes and
requirements for issuing vehicle testing notices and related best practices.
4. All informational papers that are sent to vehicle owners who receive a vehicle testing notice,
explaining noise or smoke tests, legislation, CoC process and associated fees.
I advise that access charges exceeding $50.00 are likely to apply to your request. Access charges are
separate from the FOI application fee.
I have calculated the estimated charge of
$138.30 in accordance with the
Freedom of Information
(Access Charges) Regulations 2014 (the Regulations).
Creation of a document
EPA can create a document to satisfy points 1 and 2 of your request in accordance with section 19 of the
FOI Act. EPA must estimate access charges based on the reasonable costs incurred in creating this
document. These costs take into consideration the time taken by an officer to query a database,
generate the data and produce a document that meets your request.
In accordance with section 22 of the Act and the provisions of the Regulations, EPA is entitled to seek
from you charges for access to documents, including for:
Reasonable costs incurred Officer Victorian Public Service grade /rate per hour
Time required
Charge
4.1 /$46.10
3 hours
$138.30
Total charges
$138.30
Deposit to be paid (50% of total charges)
$69.15
epa.vic.gov.au
Environment Protection Authority Victoria
GPO Box 4395, Melbourne VIC 3001
1300 372 842
OFFICIAL
You are required to pay a 50 per cent deposit on the estimated access charges before EPA can process
your request. You may wish to consult with me about altering your request to reduce the estimated
charge or, if you wish to proceed, please pay a deposit of
$69.15, which is 50 per cent of the estimated
charge.
Please note that the 30-day period for processing your request will only begin once a deposit is
received.
How to pay the deposit Please make a credit card payment of the required deposit online by using the following link:
https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/online-payments/pay-an-invoice
From this page, please:
1. Input the reference number ‘00032024’
2. Inputting the amount of $69.15
3. Proceed to make payment
If you require alternative means of payment, please contact our office using the details included in this
letter.
Your right to complain You have the right to make a written complaint to the Victorian Information Commissioner about the
access charges. A complaint must be made within 60 days of the date of this letter. You can submit a
complaint in the following ways:
Email
: xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Post: Victorian Information Commissioner
Freedom of Information Reviews
PO Box 24274
MELBOURNE VIC 3001
If you have any queries regarding this matter, please email me a
t xxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx, or through EPA’s
General Enquiry line on 1300 372 842.
Please respond within 28 days of receiving this letter, otherwise the EPA will take no further action on
this request.
Yours sincerely,
Julia Begley
Freedom of Information Officer
2 February 2024
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