If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
27 November 2019
Our reference: LEX 48935
Mr Ben Fairless
Only by email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Freedom of Information Request - Charges
I refer to your revised request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982
(
FOI Act). You requested access to:
‘Operational Blueprints that are not already publicly available from the list contained on the
following UR
L: http://operational.humanservices.gov.au/public/Pages/SiteMap/debts.html.’
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. Please note that the payment of the charge does not guarantee
access to the requested documents, in full or in part, it is a charge to process the request under the
FOI Act. My preliminary assessment of that charge is $777.00 calculated as follows:
Search and retrieval time: 5 hours, at $15.00 per hour:
$75.00
Decision-making time (*after deduction of 5 hours): 35.10 hours,
at $20.00 per hour
$702.00
TOTAL
$777.00
*The FOI Act provides that the first five hours of decision-making time are free of charge and this is
reflected in the calculation.
The department has identified 60 documents within the scope of 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
Alternatively, you may wish to withdraw your request for access.
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If you do not provide a written response in accordance with one of options a) or b) 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days of receiving this notice, your request will be taken to have been withdrawn under section 29(2)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.
Further information on options a) and b) are set out below.
Option a) - pay the charge
As the charge exceeds $25, you are required to pay a deposit of $194.25 within 30 days of
receiving this notice. You may, of course, elect to pay the charge in full at this point.
You may select from one of the following payment methods:
1. Online payment via Government EasyPay - follow
this link and enter the relevant details.
You will need your FOI LEX reference number,
LEX 48935; or
2. Cheque made out to the Collector of Public Monies and posted to Freedom of Information,
Department of Human Services, PO BOX 7820, Canberra BC, ACT 2610; or
3. Money order made out to the Collector of Public Monies and posted to Freedom of
Information, Department of Human Services, PO BOX 7820, Canberra BC, ACT 2610.
If you elect to pay the charge, please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx to advise us
of your payment. Please quote reference number
LEX 48935 in this correspondence.
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 you or 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.
If you wish to contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not
imposed, 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 you or 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.
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.
Address for correspondence
Please send all correspondence regarding your FOI request to me at the following address:
Freedom of Information team
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Department of Human Services
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 FOI questions please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
Robert
Authorised FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Team
Employment Law and Freedom of Information Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
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Department of Human Services
