5 June 2019
Mr A Hirsch
BY EMAIL: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
In reply please quote:
FOI Request:
FA 19/05/01605
File Number:
OBJ2019/32497
Dear Mr Hirsch
I refer to your request dated 24 May 2019 in which you have sought access to documents held
by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department ) under the
Freedom of Information Act
1982 (the FOI Act).
You have requested access to:
How many refugees who have been resettled in Australia through the offshore
Refugee and Humanitarian Program have been referred by UNHCR?
Please provide a breakdown by visa subclass, for the financial year 2016/17.
I note you have previously provided this information in FA 17/03/00312 and FA
19/03/01333. However, you have not provided details for the full 2016/17
financial year.
This letter is to notify you that a preliminary assessment has been made that you are liable to
pay a charge for the processing of this request.
As provided under section 29 of the FOI Act and the
Freedom of Information (Charges)
Regulations 1982 (the Regulations), my preliminary assessment of the amount of charges you
are liable to pay is $15.00.
Preliminary assessment of charges
The Department has identified one document which falls within the scope of your request.
I have assessed the work the Department would need to do to process your request, taking
into account time spent by the relevant area to conduct the search and retrieval of documents,
and have calculated the following breakdown of charges.
Search and Retrieval - 1 hour @ $15 per hour
$ 15.00
Decision Making - 1 hour (5 hours free of charge)
$ 0.00
Total
$ 15.00
6 Chan Street B 1
el
connen ACT 2617
PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616 • Telephone: 02 6264 1111 • Fax: 02 6225 6970 • www.homeaffairs.gov.au
Details of the Charge
It has taken 1 hour to search, identified and retrieve the document which falls within the scope
of your request. The document will require a decision to be made on access, and it is
estimated that this will take 1 hour (noting that the first 5 hours are free of charge).
As the charge is less than $25.00 the full amount will be sought if the charge is imposed.
Please note that by paying the charge you are deemed to have accepted the charge.
Timeframe for your response and next steps
The FOI Act provides you with 30 days to respond, in writing, to this notice, which is
Friday, 5 July 2019.
By this date you
must do one of the following:
• agree to pay the charge;
• contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed; or should be reduced or
not imposed; and explain your reasons; or
• you may withdraw your request.
If you seek to contend the assessment of charges the Department may make a decision on
whether a charge should be reduced or not imposed and
must take into account:
• whether payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause you financial hardship
• whether giving access to the documents is in the general public interest or in
the interest of a substantial section of the public
This is not an exhaustive list and the Department may consider any other relevant matters.
Please note that if you do not provide a written response within the 30 day timeframe your
request will be taken to have been withdrawn (by you) under section 29(2) of the Act.
Payment
To indicate your agreement to pay the charge you are required to pay the deposit, or pay the
charge in full.
The Department has a number of payment options available, including an online payment
facility for credit/debit cards; automated telephone payment system and BPay. You may also
pay the charge by cheque or money order.
Electronic funds transfer/credit card payment
If you wish to pay the charges using a credit card, the online payment facility, telephone
payment system or BPay, please advise the FOI Section, and a tax invoice will be provided to
you which will include full details of how the payment can be made.
Payment by cheque/money order
If you wish to pay by cheque or money order, please make the cheque/money order payable
to ‘
Collector of Public Monies Home Affairs’; and send via post to:
Department of Home Affairs
PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616
If the Department fails to make a decision on your request within the statutory time limit, the
payment will be refunded.
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Processing period suspended
The period for processing your request is suspended from the day that you are deemed to
have been ‘notified’ of the charge and resumes on:
• the day you indicate that you agree to pay the charge; or
• the day on which this agency makes a decision not to impose a charge.
Legislation
A copy of the FOI Act is available at https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562.
If you are unable to access the legislation through this website, please contact our office for a
copy.
Contact
If you have any enquiries concerning this matter, please contact the FOI Section at
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Signed electronically
Position number: 60006174
Authorised Decision Maker
Department of Home Affairs
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