If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610 
 
 
 
16 March 2017 
 
 
 
 
 
Our reference:  LEX 27879 
Mr Geordie Guy 
 
 
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 
Dear Mr Guy,  
 
Freedom of Information Request - Charges 
 
I refer to your request dated 27 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: 
 
‘copies of any briefing information Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, was given in 
advance of being on ABC's RN Breakfast on the 3rd of January this year, as well as any 
responses, or questions about it the minister replied with’. 
 
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. The preliminary assessment of that charge is $197.10 calculated as 
follows: 
 
Search and retrieval time: 5.58 hours, at $15.00 per hour: 
$83.70  
Decision-making time (*after deduction of 5 hours): 5.67 hours, at 
 
$113.40 
$20.00 per hour 
 
 
 
 
TOTAL 
     $197.10 
 
*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 20 documents with 79 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 
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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30 days of receiving this notice, your request will be taken to have been withdrawn under 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 us 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 $49.30 (25% of the total charge) 
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 27879 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 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. 
 
For example, in your email dated 27 February 2017 you stated the following: 
 
‘I further contend that this information is in the substantial public interest, and request that 
any fees be waived. 
 
If you wish to contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not 
imposed, as you have indicated above, 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 
 
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. 
 
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Department of Human Services 
 

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Address for correspondence 
 
Please send all correspondence regarding your FOI request to 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 
 

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