FOI 003/15/16
CD
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear CD
PRELIMINARY ASSSESMENT OF CHARGES FOR FREEDOM OF
INFORMATION ACT 1982 REQUEST NO: 003/15/16
I refer to your request of 7 July 2015 in which you requested access, under the
Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), to:
"1. Cocos Island Surveillance System -Concepts and Capability - 2013/2014,
Strategic Management - Research", and
2.
. "Cocos Island Surveillance System -Trials and Reports - 2013/2014,
Strategic Management - Research - Projects".
Revised scope
By email of 13 July 2015, you agreed to the following revised scope:
“access under the Freedom of information Act 1982 (FOI Act), to documents from
Defence Science and Technology Organisation to the Department of Border Force Control
(formerly Department of Immigration and Border Protection) in relation to the Cocos
Island Surveillance System Trials, created during the period 1 June 2013 to 31 December
2014."
LIABILITY TO PAY CHARGES
In accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act, Ms Natalie Carpenter, Assistant Director
FOI, deemed that you are required to pay a charge for processing your request.
2
The decision regarding payment of a charge does not mean that you are required to pay
now. You will only be required to pay if, after consideration of your response to this letter,
the decision is made to impose a charge.
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF CHARGES SCHEDULE
The preliminary assessment of the charge is
$225.00. You are required to pay a deposit of
$56.25. Further breakdown of the charges is at Enclosure 1.
DEPOSIT REQUIRED
If you wish to proceed with your request, and agree to pay the charge, a deposit is required
as indicated above. The deposit is not refundable except in some limited circumstances (for
example, if Defence fails to make a decision on your request within the statutory time
limit).
Please complete the authorisation form at Enclosure 2 and return it. Processing will
recommence on receipt of the deposit payment.
RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE
Under the FOI Act 1982 you have 30 days of receipt of this letter, to notify the Department
of your decision to:
withdraw your request (you will not be required to pay any charges); or
agree to pay the charges as set out in the preliminary assessment of charges
schedule; or
contest that the charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or
not imposed (you should give your full reasons for doing so); or
reduce the scope of your request. Defence will offer you one opportunity to
consult our office to reduce the scope of your request and revise the
preliminary assessment of charges.
If you require additional time to respond, please contact this office.
If you do not respond to this letter within 30 days or by the extension date provided by this
office, it will be assumed you have withdrawn your request.
CHALLENGING ASSESSMENT OF CHARGES
If you wish to contest the charges for your request, the decision maker will consider all
relevant reasons which include the following:
whether payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause you financial
hardship; and
whether the giving of access to the documents requested is in the general
public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
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FURTHER INFORMATION
In accordance with the requirements of section 11C of the FOI Act, Defence is required to
publish, on its website, information released under the FOI Act within 10 working days of
the applicant being given access to documents. Defence will also publish the decision
notice, with personal and business information deleted.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this matter.
Yours sincerely
John Peterson
Case Officer
Freedom of Information
15 July 2015
CP1-6-001
PO Box 7910
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
Tel: 02 626 62200
Fax: 02 626 62112
xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Enclosures: 1. Breakdown of FOI Charges
2 FOI Deposit Authorisation
4
Enclosure 1 – Breakdown of FOI Charges
Search and retrieval time
7 hours @ $15 per hour
$ 105
.00
Decision-making time:
Examination of documents
3 hours @ $20 per hour
$
60
.00
Consulting outside of Defence
1 hour & 30 minutes @ $20 per hour
$
30
.00
Making copies of documents
2 hours @ $20 per hour
$
4
0.00
Preparing decision notice
4 hours @ $20 per hour
$
8
0.00
Other decision making tasks
@ $20 per hour
$
-
Copying of documents
100 pages @ 10 cents per page
$
10
.00
production of CD
$
-
GST (Exempt):
Nil
Sub total:
$ 325.0
0
Less
5 hours of free decision making time
$ 1
00.00
Total
$ 225.0
0
Deposit required
$
5
6.25
(The rates of charges are set by the Freedom of Information Charges Regulations.)
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has compiled a Fact Sheet on FOI
charges, which is available at: http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/foi-
resources/freedom-of-information-fact-sheets/foi-fact-sheet-7-freedom-of-information-
charges
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Enclosure 2
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST ‐ DEPOSIT AUTHORISATION
FULL NAME or ORGANISATION
Service or PMKEYS ID (if applicable)
POSTAL ADDRESS:
CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS:
H
M
B
EMAIL:
FOI REFERENCE :
AMOUNT $
$56.25
By signing this form you are agreeing to pay the charges notified to you by the Freedom of
Information Directorate. Once you have signed this form the charges are considered imposed.
The deposit is not refundable except in some limited circumstances (for example, if Defence
fails to make a decision on your request within the statutory time limit), or may be refundable
in part if the final charge is less than the deposit paid:
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CHEQUES OR MONEY ORDERS TO FOI
Once our office receives this form, the Department of Defence will generate an invoice in
order for you to make payment of the agreed charges via one of the payment options
made available.
Our office will not proceed to process your request until a receipt has been received in our
office notifying that the deposit amount has been paid.
Please sign below and return this form by one of the following:
via email to xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
via fax 02 6266 2112
by post to the address noted above.
Signature: ____________________________________________________
