If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
21 January 2016
Mr Ben Fairless
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Our reference: LEX 16765
Dear
Mr Fairless
Your Freedom of Information Request - Charges
1. I refer to your request dated 11 December 2015 and received by the Department of Human
Services (the
department) on that date, for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(the
FOI Act) to the following:
‘Can you please provide, under either Administrative access or Freedom of Information,
documents which contain:
-
Details on the number of calls made to the Department's "Technical Support" hotline
132 307 in the previous 6 months
-
Details on the number of issues that were "escalated" by staff on the above hotline,
separated by the category of issues
-
Details of any official communication to Departmental staff (specifically Technical
Support staff) on issues with MyGov
-
Details of any official communication to Departmental staff (specifically Technical
Support staff) on issues with Centrelink online services
-
the difference between a Customer Access Number and a Customer Reference
Number
-
Troubleshooting steps used by Departmental staff on MyGov and Centrelink Online
services’
2. On 13 January 2015, you revised your scope to:
-
Details on the number of calls made to the Department's "Technical Support" hotline
132 307 in the previous 6 months
-
Details on the number of issues that were "escalated" by staff on the above hotline,
separated by the category of issues
-
Details of any official communication to Departmental staff (specifically Technical
Support staff) on issues with MyGov
-
Details of any official communication to Departmental staff (specifically Technical
Support staff) on issues with Centrelink online services
-
the difference between a Customer Access Number and a Customer Reference
Number
PAGE 1 OF 4
-
List of the documents used by Departmental staff to troubleshoot MyGov and
Centrelink Online services (with just the titles of the documents)
Preliminary Assessment of the Charge
2. In accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act, I have decided that you are liable to pay a charge
for the processing of your request. My preliminary assessment of that charge is $625.
calculated as follows:
Search and retrieval time: 11 hours, at $15.00 per hour:
$165
Decision-making time (*after deduction of 5 hours): 23 hours, at
$20.00 per hour
$460
TOTAL
$625
Deposit required
$156
*The FOI Act provides that the first five hours of decision-making time are free of charge and this is reflected in the
calculation.
3. I am advised that the department has in its possession approximately 600 pages relevant to
your request.
Required Action
4. 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 not imposed; or
iii. both
c) withdraw the request for access.
5. If you do not provide a written response in accordance with one of Options A, B or C above
within 30 days of receiving this notice, your request will be taken to have been withdrawn under
section 29(2) of the FOI Act.
6. Alternatively you may wish to refine the scope of your FOI request. If you would like to discuss
this please contact me for assistance.
7. Further information on options A, B and C is set out below.
Option A - pay the charge
8. As the charge exceeds $25, you are required to pay a deposit of $156 within 30 days of
receiving this notice. You may, of course, elect to pay the charge in full at this point.
PAGE 2 OF 4
Department of Human Services
9. The amount due should be paid by cheque or money order made out to the Collector of Public
Monies. Please quote the reference number FOI LEX 16765 with your payment.
10. Should you elect to pay the charge please
email xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
once you have posted your cheque or money order to advise us of your payment.
Option B - seek reduction or non-imposition of the charge
11. You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or not
imposed. Section 29(5) of the FOI Act provides that, in deciding whether to reduce or not to
impose a charge, the decision-maker must take into account any relevant reasons, including
whether payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause your organisation 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.
12. If you wish to contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not
imposed, 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 your organisation 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
13. If you wish to withdraw your request you may do so in writing.
Time limits for processing your request
14. Section 31 of the FOI Act provides that where a notice is sent to an applicant regarding the
payment of a charge in respect of a request, the time limit for processing the request is
suspended from the date the notice is received until either:
(a) the day following payment of the charge (in full or the required deposit); or
(b) if applicable, the day following the notification to the applicant of a decision not to impose the
charge.
Address for correspondence
15. Please send all correspondence regarding your FOI request to me at the following address:
Freedom of Information team
Department of Human Services
PO Box 7820
CANBERRA ACT 2610
Or by email to
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
16. Should you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please contact me. If you are phoning
long-distance, you may reverse the charges.
PAGE 3 OF 4
Department of Human Services
Publication of information in the FOI disclosure log
17. Information released under the FOI Act may be published in a disclosure log on the
department's website. Section 11C of the FOI Act requires this publication, subject to certain
exceptions, including where publication of personal, business, professional or commercial
information would be unreasonable.
18. Should you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please contact me. If you are phoning
long-distance, you may reverse the charges.
Yours sincerely
FOI Delegate
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
PAGE 4 OF 4
Department of Human Services
