Search and Retrieval
The sample consists of emails comprising 52 pages and attachments comprising 284
pages.
I estimate that it would take 16.8 hours to search, retrieve and schedule the
documents. The number of hours is calculated based on the following:
2 minutes to review each page and tag the relevant pages falling within the
scope of the request (11.2 hours); and
1minute per document for preparation of the schedule of documents (5.6
hours) for review by the decision maker.
This means that it would take a Departmental officer working on the task full time
approximately 2.24 business days to complete the search and retrieval of documents,
as identified in the preliminary assessment. As this assessment was made on a
representative sample of 9% of emails and 11% of attachments, it would take
approximately 22.4 business days for search and retrieval of all documents (100%)
which fall within the scope of the request. During this period, other duties expected
of that officer would not be attended.
Decision Making
To discharge my responsibility as decision maker, having regard to the complexity
of the documents, it would take me, on a conservative estimate, an average of 3
minutes to examine and make a decision about each page. This could take up to 16.8
hours of my time (or approximately 2.24 business days). As this assessment was
made on a representative sample of 9% of emails and 11% of attachments, it would
take approximately 22.4 business days for examining and making a decision about
each page.
Additional time may be required to undertake consultation with any identified third
parties and draft my decision.
It is estimated your request in its current form would take, at a minimum, 44.8
business days to process.
As a senior executive officer in the Department and the decision maker for your
request, if I were to work on nothing other than your FOI request, this would
unreasonably divert me from my other tasks.
Please note that the above estimate is based on a sample of emails and attachments
to emails alone. In addition, there are at least 295 additional individual pieces of
correspondence in response to the private health insurance premium changes this
year (up to the date of the FOI request). We also have other records held in our
recording system.
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Unreasonable diversion of resources
Having formed the view that processing your FOI request would substantially
divert the Department’s resources from its other operations, I have considered
whether this substantial diversion of resources would be ‘unreasonable’ in the
circumstances.
The Private Health Insurance Branch works to ensure Australians continue to have
access to affordable and appropriate private health insurance. The branch oversees a
wide range of insurance programs ranging from the visitor, parent and overseas
student health cover policies through to lifetime health cover, private health
insurance round, industry compliance and implementation of government reforms.
Reallocation of limited staff resources to deal specifically with your FOI request
would compromise the Department’s ongoing divisional work set out above. This
would need to be significantly altered as a result if the work of your request is to
proceed in its current form.
I am therefore of the opinion that utilising adequate resources to process your
request would result in an unreasonable diversion of resources of the Department
from its other operations.
Having regard to the volume of documents falling within the scope of your request,
the amount of available resources that would be required and the impact on the
administration of the Department’s usual activities, processing your request would
involve both a substantial and unreasonable diversion of resources from the
Department’s other operations.
On this basis, I am satisfied that a practical refusal reasons exists for the purposes of
paragraph 24AA(1)(a) of the FOI Act.
It should be noted that in the event that the Department was to process this request,
the content of a vast number of the documents would be such that the material
would likely be exempt from release under s38 of the FOI Act.
Consultation period
The consultation period during which you can consult the below contact person is
14 days commencing after today and ending on
5:00pm on Wednesday 18 July 2018.
Contact person
The contact person whom you may consult is Mr Pierre Nijssen who can be
contacted by telephone on (02) 6289 1508 or by email at
xxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx.xx.
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