If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
16 February 2017
Our reference: LEX 25282
Mr Justin Warren
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx Dear Mr Warren
Freedom of Information Request - Charges
I refer to your revised request dated 6 February 2017 and received by the Department of Human
Services (the
department) on the same day, for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(the
FOI Act) to the following:
' - The business case document(s) for the Pay As You Go (PAYG) data matching initiative
that is the subject of Question on Notice HS 15 from the Senate Community Affairs
Legislation Committee Budget Estimates hearing on 3 June 2015.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_Estimates/clacctte/estimates/bud15
16/DHS/index
- Documents that describe the algorithm or process used to perform the data matching that
identified the "approximately 1,080,000" discrepancies between PAYG data and data
reported by DHS customers, as referred to in the Answer to Question HS 15.
- Documents that describe the analysis process for how the value of "historical
discrepancies", as described in the Answer to Question HS 15, was determined. Such
documents should describe the statistical method, the sampling process used, statistics
returned (standard error, mean, confidence interval, etc.), how the likely average debt value
was determined, etc.
- [the final version of the Requirements Specification (or similar document)] containing the
program specifications/requirements used to define how the data matching process should
be implemented by programmers. Such [a document] would refer to, for example, the use of
certain fields to match on such as ABN, Business Name, Customer Name, etc
Where multiple revisions of documents exist, I am only interested in the version current at
the time the Department refers to in its answer to HS15'
Preliminary Assessment of the Charge
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 $600.00 calculated as
follows:
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Search and retrieval time: 4 hours, at $15.00 per hour:
$60.00
Decision-making time (*after deduction of 5 hours): 27 hours, at
$20.00 per hour
$540.00
TOTAL
$600.00
*The FOI Act provides that the first five hours of decision-making time are free of charge and this is reflected in the
calculation.
I am advised that the department has in its possession 37 documents with 355 pages relevant to
your request.
Required Action
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.
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.
Alternatively you may wish to refine the scope of your FOI request. If you would like to discuss this
please contact me for assistance.
Further information on Options A, B and C is set out below.
Option A - pay the charge
As the charge exceeds $100, you are required to pay a deposit of 25%, being $150.00, within
30 days of receiving this notice. You may, of course, elect to pay the charge in full at this point.
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 25282 with your payment.
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
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 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.
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Department of Human Services
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 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.
Time limits for processing your request
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
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
Publication of information in the FOI disclosure log
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.
Further assistance
If you have any questions please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Authorised FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Team
FOI and Litigation Branch Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
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Department of Human Services
