This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Scoping study into future ownership options for the operation and ownership of the registry functions of the ASIC Registry'.


 
 
 
Reference: 
FOI 16/97 
Contact: 
FOI Team 
Telephone: 
(02) 6215 1783 
e-mail: 
xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
Mr James Horton 
 
via emailxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx  
 
Dear Mr Horton, 
 
Freedom of Information Request – FOI 16/97 
Thank you for your email to the Department of Finance (Finance) in which you sought 
access to the following under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). 
 
... a copy of the independent “scoping study into future ownership options for the 
operation and ownership of the registry functions of the Australian Securities and 
Investments Commission (ASIC) Registry” as announced in the 2014-15 Federal 
Budget and upon whose findings a subsequent tender process was announced in the 
2015-16 Federal Budget.  

 
Liability to pay a charge 
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.  My preliminary assessment of that 
charge is as follows: 
 
Task
Rate
Units
Charge
Search & retrieval
$15 per hour
1.05 hours $
15.30
Decision-making
$20 per hour
128.05 hours $
2,561.00
less first 5 hours free
5 hours $
-100.00
Photocopies
0.10 per page
0 pages $
0.00
TOTAL
$
2,476.30  
 
In accordance with the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 1982, this estimate 
has included five hours of decision making time free of charge.   
 
You can agree to pay the charge.  If you agree, processing of your request will resume as 
soon as Finance receives a payment, either in full or a deposit.   
 
Payment in full is $2476.30.  Payment in full entitles you to receive a decision in relation to 
your request, a schedule which lists the documents relevant to your request, and any 
documents released.   

One Canberra Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603  Telephone 02 6215 2222 
Internet www.finance.gov.au 
 

 
 
Regulation 12 of the Charges Regulations provides that Finance can receive a deposit.  The 
required deposit for this request is $619.06.  Payment of a deposit entitles you to receive a 
decision in relation to your request and a schedule which lists the documents relevant to 
your request.  Relevant documents would only be released on payment of the balance of 
charges.  Regulation 14 provides a deposit paid by an applicant is not refundable unless 
Finance decides to waive the charge or fails to make a decision on the applicant’s FOI 
request within the statutory time limit, including any extension. 
 
Your cheque/money order should be made payable to the Collector of Public Monies and 
addressed to: 
FOI Coordinator 
Legal Services Branch 
Department of Finance  
One Canberra Avenue 
FORREST  ACT  2603 
 
If you wish to pay by credit card, you should forward a letter which sets out the credit card 
details and authorises Finance to charge that amount to the card.  Please note that Finance 
only accepts Mastercard and Visa. 
 
If you wish to pay by direct debit, please direct your payment to: 
  DoF – Official Departmental Bank Account 
  BSB: 062-900 
  Account number: 10139661 
 
In accordance with paragraph 29(1)(f) of the FOI Act, within 30 days of the date of this 
notice, you need to either: 
  agree to pay the charge indicated above and forward the deposit; or 
  contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or not 
imposed (you should provide full reasons for your contention); or 
  withdraw your request. 
 
If you contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or not 
imposed, such a contention is not a request for internal review.  You will be advised of your 
review rights under section 54 of the FOI Act following my consideration of your 
contentions.  In deciding whether to reduce or not impose a charge, I must, amongst 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. 
 
If you fail to notify Finance in a manner described above within 30 days of the date on this 
notice, it will be taken that you have withdrawn your request. 
 
Please note that should you forward a deposit in accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act, 
you will then accept liability for settlement of the debt with Finance upon completion of 
processing the FOI request.  The outstanding charge amount is a debt created in favour of 
the Commonwealth and therefore, Finance is obliged to pursue recovery of the debt in 
accordance with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
 
 
 

 


 
Cabinet Documents 
Scoping studies are comprehensive reports prepared for internal use by the Government to 
consider options for the future ownership of Government owned entities.  These studies are 
likely to be documents that may be considered by Cabinet and that may attract a Cabinet 
exemption (section 34 of the FOI Act).   
 
Processing Time 
In relation to the preliminary assessment of charges, in accordance with section 31 of the 
FOI Act, the time period for processing your request is suspended from the date of this 
notice and resumes on either the day you pay the deposit or the day on which Finance makes 
a decision not to impose a charge.  However, the actual processing time may also be affected 
by third party consultation. 
 
Policy to Exclude Junior Officer Details 
Finance has adopted a policy to generally exclude the names and contact details of junior 
staff (non-SES officers) and staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 
1984
 (adviser level and below) from any documents released under FOI.  Finance’s 
preference is to reach agreement with FOI applicants to exclude these details from the scope 
of the request.  Where there is no objection, the names and contact details of junior officers 
are redacted under section 22 of the FOI Act, on the basis that these details are irrelevant to 
the request.  
 
Publication 
The FOI Act requires Commonwealth agencies to publish: 
  information in documents to which the agency routinely gives access in response to 
FOI requests except where that information is exempt under the FOI Act; and 
  information in documents released under the FOI Act. 
 
Subject to certain exceptions, any documents provided to you under the FOI Act will be 
published on Finance’s FOI Disclosure Log (www.finance.gov.au) as soon as possible.  
Finance’s policy is to publish the documents within one working day after they are released 
to you. 
 
Please contact the FOI Team on the above contact details if you wish to discuss your 
request. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
Suzanne Pitson 
Assistant Secretary 
ASIC Registry Project Branch 
Department of Finance 
 8 September 2016