OFFICIAL
Our ref: FOI 300058
Christian Heinrich
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Christian
Freedom of Information Act 1982 – Notice of charges
I refer to your 23 June 2025 request, to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (the
department), to seek access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to:
all documents related to the Australian Cyber Security Professionalisation (ACSP), announced
at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/australian-cyber-security-growth-network-
ltd_australian-cyber-security-professionalisation-activity-7063769978306531329-iEbl/
Program lead by AustCyber, who are listed at https://www.industry.gov.au/science-
technology-and-innovation/technology
This request includes all correspondence between the Department of Industry, Science,
Energy & Resources and AustCyber and to/from:
– Matt Warren (RMIT University)
– Jo Cave MAICD (TAFEcyber)
– Jill Slay. (ISC2)
– Jo Stewart-Rattray (ISACA)
– Damien Manuel (Australian Information Security Association (AISA)), including the events
leading to https://aisa.org.au/public/An_Update_on_the_ACSP_Program.aspx – Rupert Grayston (ACS (Australian Computer Society))
– Tony Vizza (KordaMentha)
– Rachel Bailes (AIIA)
– Scarlett McDermott (Tech Council of Australia)
– Kathleen Moorby (AustCyber)
I request that you exercise your discretion to waive any charges in the belief that disclosure
of these documents is in the public interest.
| industry.gov.au
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 ABN: 74 599 608 295
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FOI 300058
Notice of Liability to Pay a Charge
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act.
In accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act, I have decided that you are liable to pay a charge in
respect of the processing of your request, being
$793.50.
Estimate of charge
My preliminary assessment of that charge is based on approximately 42 documents (consisting of
600 pages) falling within the scope of your request and two third parties who require consultation
under section 27 of the FOI Act. I have also taken into account the fact that the first five hours of
decision making time are free to all applicants requesting documents other than their own personal
information.
Search and Retrieval – 6.10 hours at $15 per hour
$
91.50
Decision making time – 40.10 hours at $20 per hour
$
802.00
Total
$
893.50
First 5 hours free
$
-100.00
Final amount
$
793.50
Deposit
$
198.38
Payment of the charge will mean that the department will continue to process and make a decision
on your request. It does not, however, guarantee that a decision to release documents wil be made.
If you pay a deposit and the FOI decision maker decides to grant access to documents (either in full
or with deletions), you wil be required to pay the balance of the charge before copies of those
documents wil be provided to you. Payment will only entitle you to a decision.
Processing your FOI request
Please note that the department wil not make a decision in respect of your request until charges are
paid to, or remitted by, this department, whether in the form of a deposit or payment in full. In
accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the time limit for processing your request is suspended
from the day you receive this notice and will resume on either the day the charge or deposit is paid,
or on the day on which the department makes a decision not to impose a charge.
Your rights and alternatives
You may contend that the charge has been wrongful y assessed, should be reduced or waived. In
deciding whether to reduce or waive a charge the decision maker must, among other things, take
into account whether payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause you financial hardship and
whether the giving of access to the documents is in the general public interest.
I note that you have requested for charges to be waived, in the belief that disclosure of the
documents is in the public interest. The FOI Act requires the department to consider whether the
provision of access is in the general public interest, or, in the interest of a substantial section of the
public. Without further information from you as to how access to the requested documents is for
the general public interest and/or for a substantial section of the public, I have determined that
charges are currently liable for this request. If you would like to seek a reduction or non-imposition
of the charge, I invite you to identify or specify the general public interest or the substantial section
of the public that will benefit from the disclosure of the requested documents consistent with
paragraph 4.107 of the Guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under s 93A of
the FOI Act (FOI Guidelines). Further information for seeking a reduction or non-imposition of the
charge is set out below.
| industry.gov.au
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 ABN: 74 599 608 295
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FOI 300058
If you would like the department to continue processing your request, you must notify the
department in writing within 30 days of receiving this notice that you:
A.
agree to pay the charge;
B.
wish to contend that the charge:
(i) has been wrongly assessed; or
(ii) should be reduced or waived; or
(iii) both
C.
withdraw the request for access.
Further information on options A, B and C are set out below.
Option A – pay the charge
As the charge exceeds $100, you are required to pay a deposit of $198.38 which is 25% of the total
amount, within 30 days of receiving this notice. You may, of course, elect to pay the charge in full at
this point.
Payment
If you accept liability for the estimated charge for your request, payment can be made via one of the
following three options:
•
Cheque:
Please make the cheque payable to the Col ector of Public Monies and mark it attention to:
The FOI team
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
GPO Box 2013
CANBERRA ACT 2601
•
Credit card:
The department accepts visa or master card. If you would like to pay by credit card please
complete the enclosed credit card payment request form, return a scanned copy to the
xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx and copy the FOI team in your email at xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
•
Electronic Funds Transfer:
The department also accepts EFT payments. Please see bank details below:
Bank Name: Reserve Bank of Australia
Bank Address: 20-22 London Circuit
Canberra ACT Australia
Account Name: Department of Industry, Science and Resources
BSB No: 092-009
Account No: 118689
Please include reference to FOI 300058 in all forms of payment, and notify the FOI team at
xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx once payment has been made. Failure to include your reference number and
notify the FOI team of payment wil result in delays of the processing of your FOI request.
Option B – seek reduction or non-imposition of the charge
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or waived.
Subsection 29(5) of the FOI Act provides that in deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a
| industry.gov.au
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 ABN: 74 599 608 295
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FOI 300058
charge, the decision maker must take into account any relevant reasons. This includes whether
payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause you financial hardship, and whether the giving of
access to the documents is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of
the public.
If you wish to contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not
waived, please set out your reasons and the evidence in support of your reasons as clearly as
possible. If you believe that payment of the charge would cause you financial hardship, please
provide sufficient details of your financial circumstances to enable the decision maker to make a
well-informed decision in this regard.
Option C – withdraw your request
If you wish to withdraw your request you may do so in writing.
If you fail to notify the department in a manner mentioned above within 30 days of receipt of this
notice it wil be taken that the request has been withdrawn.
Should you have any queries in relation to this matter please contact the FOI team by e-mail at
xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
TinYan Wong
Senior Legal Counsel
Corporate and Information Law Branch
14 July 2025
| industry.gov.au
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
GPO Box 2013 Canberra ACT 2601 ABN: 74 599 608 295
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