Ref:FOI2016/17‐58
MrAdamPresnell
RighttoKnow
viaemail:foi+request‐3219‐xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
DearMrPresnell
Yourrequest–chargesnotice
Iamwritingaboutyourinitialrequest,receivedbythedepartmenton10March2017,foraccess
underthe
FreedomofInformationAct1982(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
ThetimeyouhavetorespondandwhatyouneedtodoIfyouwouldlikethedepartmenttocontinueprocessingyourrequest,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
$25.00within30calendardaysofreceivingthisnotice.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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TimelimitsforprocessingyourrequestSection31oftheFOIActprovidesthatwhereanoticeissenttoanapplicantregardingthe
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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