This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Costs/Invoice for undertaking a Cost Benefit Analysis for the relocation of the APVMA'.



Ref:FOI2016/17‐58


MrAdamPresnell
RighttoKnow

viaemail:foi+request‐3219‐xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx




DearMrPresnell

Yourrequest–chargesnotice

Iamwritingaboutyourinitialrequest,receivedbythedepartmenton10March2017,foraccess
undertheFreedomofInformationAct1982(FOIAct)todocumentsasfollows:

ThecostsofpreparingtheCostBenefitAnalysisbyanexternalconsultantispartofthecost
ofproposingtomovingtheagencytoaruralarea.Itisinthepublicinteresttounderstand
thetruecostofthismove.TheinvoicebyErnstandYoungissoughtandthebudgetfor
externalconsultingonthismoveissought.


Preliminaryassessmentofthecharges

Section29oftheFOIActauthoriseanagencytoimposeachargeinrespectofarequestfor
accesstoadocument.

Thedepartmenthasnowcompletedasearchfordocumentsandidentifieddocumentsasfalling
relevanttoyourrequest.Ourpreliminaryassessmentofthedepartment’schargetoprocess
yourrequestis$101.30,calculatedasfollows:

1.42hours
Searchandretrievaltime,at$15perhour
$ 21.30
9hours
Documentpreparationanddecisionmakingtime*,at $20perhour
$ 180.00 
(*thereisnochargeforthefirstfivehoursofdecisionmakingtime)
($100.00)
TOTAL

$101.30 

Pleasebeawarethatthedepartment’schargesrelatetotheprocessingofyourrequest,
includingsearch,retrievalanddecisionmaking,andarenoguaranteethatadecisionwillbe
madetograntaccesstothedocuments.

Seekingreductionornon‐impositionofthecharge

Youmaycontendthatthechargehasbeenwronglyassessed,orshouldbereducedornot
imposed.TheFOIActprovidesthat,indecidingwhethertoreduceornottoimposeacharge,the
decisionmakermusttakeintoaccountanyrelevantreasons,includingwhetherpaymentofthe
charge,orpartofit,wouldcauseyoufinancialhardship,andwhetherthegivingofaccesstothe
documentsisinthegeneralpublicinterestorintheinterestofasubstantialsectionofthepublic.

YoumayfindfactsheetsandguidelinesonchargesavailableontheOfficeoftheAustralian
InformationCommissioner’s(OAIC)webpagehelpful.


T +61 2 6272 3933 
18 Marcus Clarke Street
GPO Box 858
agriculture.gov.au 
F +61 2 6272 5161 
Canberra City ACT 2601 
Canberra ACT 2601 
ABN 24 113 085 695 




Thetimeyouhavetorespondandwhatyouneedtodo

Ifyouwouldlikethedepartmenttocontinueprocessingyourrequest,youmustnotifythe
departmentinwritingwithin30calendardaysafterthedayyoureceivethisnoticethatyou:

a) 
agreetopaythecharge
b) 
wishtocontendthatthecharge
(i)  shouldbereducedornotimposed;or
(ii)  both;or
c) 
withdrawtherequestforaccess.

Ifyoudonotprovideawrittenresponseinaccordancewithoneofoptionsa,borcabovewithin
30calendardaysofreceivingthisnotice,yourrequestwillbetakentohavebeenwithdrawn
undersubsection29(2)oftheFOIAct.

Payingthecharge

Ifyouagreetopaythecharge,youarerequiredtopaythewholecharge,oradepositof$25.00
within30calendardaysofreceivingthisnotice.Ifyouelecttopayadeposit,pleasenote
documentswillnotbereleaseduntiltheassessedchargeisreceivedinfull.

Paymentcanbemadeby:

  creditcardbycompletingtheattachedformandsendingascannedcopyto
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.auorpostingittotheaddressbelow

  chequeormoneyordermadepayabletothe‘CollectorofPublicMonies’,andforwarded
tothefollowingaddress:

FOICoordinator
DepartmentofAgricultureandWaterResources
GPOBox858
CANBERRACITY ACT 2601

  directdepositto:

A/CName:
DAWRDepartmentalAccount
Branch:
LondonCircuit,Canberra
Bank: 
ReserveBank
BSB: 
092009
A/CNo.
111698
ABNNo:
24113085695.


Ifpaymentismadebydirectdeposit,pleaseincludetheFOIreferencenumber
(FOI2016/17‐58)inthesubjectfield,andsendanemailwithnotificationofpaymentto
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.auassoonithasbeenmade.





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Timelimitsforprocessingyourrequest

Section31oftheFOIActprovidesthatwhereanoticeissenttoanapplicantregardingthe
paymentofachargeinrespectofarequest,thetimelimitforprocessingtherequestis
suspendedfromthedatethenoticeisreceiveduntileither:

  thedayfollowingpaymentofthecharge(infullortherequireddeposit);or
  ifapplicable,thedayfollowingthenotificationtotheapplicantofadecisionnotto
imposethecharge.

Thirdpartyconsultation

Therelevantdocumentscontaininformationaboutthebusinessaffairsofanorganisationor
informationaboutthebusinessorprofessionalaffairsofoneormorethirdparties.

Toinformthedecisiononreleaseofdocuments,theFOIActrequiresthattheabovethirdparties
areconsulted,andprovidesafurthertimeperiodfortheconsultationprocess.Subsection15(6)
oftheFOIActextendsthestandardstatutory30‐daytimelimitforprocessingrequestsby
another30calendardays.Accordingly,thiswillgivethedepartment60calendardayswithin
whichtonotifyyouofitsdecisiononaccesstothedocuments.

Contactdetails

Shouldyouwishtodiscussanyissuesarisingfromthisletter,pleaseemail
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.

Yourssincerely


(approvedelectronically)

CharineBennett
PrincipalGovernmentLawyer
OfficeoftheGeneralCounsel

24March2017



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