This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Number of approved citizenship applicants in Waverley Council, NSW awaiting a citizenship ceremony'.


 
 
 
7 March 2022 
Damien 
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
In reply please quote: 
FOI Request:  FA22/02/00359 
File Number: 
OBJ2022/2954 
Dear Damien 
I  refer to your request dated 3 February 2022 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: 
1) The number of people waiting to be allocated to an Australian citizenship 
ceremony (who have been approved) in Waverley Council NSW. 
2) The number of people allocated to an Australian citizenship ceremony (who 
have been approved) in Waverley Council NSW. 
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 
Preliminary assessment of charges 
Under section 17 of the FOI Act, the Department has used its computer system to produce a 
document containing information relevant to the terms of you request.  
I have assessed the work the Department would need to do to process your request and have 
calculated the following breakdown of charges. 
 
Search and Retrieval – 1 hour @ $15 per hour 
$ 15.00 
Decision Making – 1 hour (first 5 hours free of charge) 
$ 00.00 
Total 
$15.00 
 
 
 
 
6 Chan Street B 1
el  connen ACT 2617 
PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616 • Telephone:  • w ww.homeaffairs.gov.au 
 
 


 
Details of the Charge 
It has taken 1 hour to search for, retrieve and produce the document(s) which fall within the 
scope of your request. The 1 document consisting of 1 page wil  require a decision to be 
made on access and it is estimated that this wil  take 1 hour. The 1 document wil  require a 
decision to be made on access, and it is estimated that this wil  take 1 hour (noting that the 
first 5 hours are free of charge).   
 
Timeframe for your response and next steps 
The FOI Act provides you with 30 days to respond, in writing, to this notice. The due date for 
your response is Wednesday, 6 April 2022.  
By this date you must do one of the following: 
• 
agree to pay the full 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 agree to pay the charge, please note that by paying the $15 charge you are deemed to 
have accepted the charge and wil  be liable for the full amount once a decision has been made 
on the documents. 
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 wil  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 $15 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 wil  be provided to 
you which wil   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: 
Freedom of Information Section 
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 wil  be refunded. 
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 
 
 
 
Kel 
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section 
FOI and Records Management Branch 
Data Division | Strategy & Law Enforcement Group 
Department of Home Affairs