Freedom of Information
CP1-6-001
PO Box 7910
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
Tel: 02 626 62200
Fax: 02 626 62112
xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Our reference: FOI 078/16/17
Mr Dan Monceaux
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Monceaux
NOTICE OF PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF CHARGES
1.
I refer to your request of 14 September 2016 in which you requested access, under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), to:
“… the minutes of all meetings of the Australian Maritime Defence Council, from its
establishment in 1982 to present. I understand that the Council was previously named the
Australian Shipping and Defence Council. As such I wish to extend this request to cover any
of the Council's former guises.”
2.
Please note that the FOI Act does not cover documents in the open access period. Any
documents created prior to 31 December 1991 will not be considered under the FOI Act and
must be sought through the National Archives of Australia.
3.
The Department excludes personal email addresses, signatures, personnel (PMKeyS)
numbers and mobile telephone numbers, contained in documents that fall within the scope of
a FOI request unless you specifically request such details. Defence also excludes duplicates of
documents.
4.
If you do require these personal details, please inform us within five days of receipt of
this email so that the decision maker can consider your request.
LIABILITY TO PAY CHARGES
5.
In accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act, Theresa Stinson, Assistant Director
Freedom of Information, deemed that you are required to pay a charge for processing your
request.
6.
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
7.
The preliminary assessment of the charge is $430.00. You are required to pay a deposit
of $107.50. A breakdown of the charges is at Enclosure 1.
2
DEPOSIT REQUIRED
8.
If you wish to proceed with your request, and agree to pay the charge, a deposit is
required as indicated above in the preliminary assessment of charges.
9.
Please complete the authorisation form at Enclosure 2 and return it. Processing will
recommence on receipt of the deposit payment.
RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE
10. Under the FOI Act 1982 you have 30 days of receipt of this letter, to notify the
Department of your decision to:
a.
withdraw your request (you will not be required to pay any charges); or
b.
agree to pay the charges as set out in the preliminary assessment of charges;
or
c.
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
d.
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.
11. If you require additional time to respond, please contact this office.
12. 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
13. If you wish to contest the charges for your request, the decision maker will consider all
relevant reasons which include the following:
a.
whether payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause you financial
hardship; and
b.
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.
FURTHER INFORMATION
14. If you proceed with the request, when a decision letter is sent to you, an invoice for the
outstanding balance of charges will be raised and forwarded to you within 5 working days.
Documents will not be released until we receive your proof of payment.
15. 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.
16. Please contact me if you have any questions about this matter.
3
Yours sincerely
Digitally signed by
melanie.b melanie.beacroft
DN: c=AU, o=GOV, ou=DoD,
ou=PKI, ou=Personnel,
eacroft
cn=melanie.beacroft
Date: 2016.09.21 14:21:05 +10'00'
Dr Melanie Beacroft
Case Manager
Freedom of Information
21 September 2016
Enclosures:
1.
Breakdown of Charges
2.
FOI – Deposit authorisation
Freedom of Information
CP1-6-001
PO Box 7910
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
Tel: 02 626 62200
Fax: 02 626 62112
xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Enclosure 1
BREAKDOWN OF CHARGES
Search and retrieval time
2 hours @ $15 per hour
$ 3
0.00
Decision-making time:
Examination of documents
18 hours @ $20 per hour
$ 360
.00
Consulting outside of Defence @ $20 per hour
$ -
Making copies of documents
6 hours @ $20 per hour
$ 120
.00
Preparing decision notice
1 hour @ $20 per hour
$ 20
.00
Other decision making tasks
@ $20 per hour
$ -
Copying of documents
0 pages @ 10 cents per page
$ -
production of CD
$ -
GST (Exempt):
Nil
Sub total:
$ 530
.00
Less
0 percent reduction for personal informatio $ -
Less
5 hours of free decision making time
$ 100
.00
Total
$ 430
.00
Deposit required
$ 107.50
Freedom of Information
CP1-6-001
PO Box 7910
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
Tel: 02 626 62200
Fax: 02 626 62112
xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Enclosure 2
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST - PAYMENT AUTHORISATION
FULL NAME or ORGANISATION
Mr Dan Monceaux
POSTAL ADDRESS:
CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS
H/B
M
EMAIL:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
FOI REFERENCE :
FOI 078/16/17
DEPOSIT AMOUNT $
107.50
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:
On completion of your request a final invoice will be generated for the outstanding balance of
charges.
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.
The FOI Directorate 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: ____________________________________________________
