PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
29 June 2022
Our reference: LEX 68161
OpenWelfare
Only by email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear OpenWelfare
Freedom of Information Request – Charges
I refer to your revised request received by Services Australia (the agency) on 15 June 2022,
for access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), made in the following
terms:
As of writing 520 out of 5230 (About 10%) of all Operational Blueprint pages feature a
warning at the top:
"This procedure is under review. An Operational Message about this content exists."
eg
https:/ operational.servicesaustralia.gov.au/public/Pages/job-seekers/001-09040120-
01.html
Normally, outside of Centrelink - reviews are made for reasons. This message is
obtuse - as an outsider I don't fully understand what this message means.
Could you please, in an administrative fashion, not under the FOI act - briefly explain
these messages and why they exist to me and the rest of the public on right to know?
in addition -
I request under the Freedom of Information act 1982, copies of the following
documents:
*Internal documents providing advice on how to use this message should that exist
*Writ en records of internal discussion (memo, email, etc) where a blueprint status
was changed to “This procedure is under review. An Operational Message about this
content exists”, for the two most recent operational blueprints where this change has
occurred with documentation to support them.
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. My preliminary assessment of that charge is
$311.48 calculated as follows:
Search and retrieval time: 10 hours, at $15.00 per hour:
$150.00
Decision-making time (*after deduction of 5 hours): 8.07 hours,
at $20.00 per hour
$161.48
TOTAL
$311.48
*The FOI Act provides that the first five hours of decision-making time are free of charge and this is reflected in
the calculation.
I am advised the agency has in its possession 16 documents with 63 pages relevant to your
request.
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Required Action
If you would like Services Australia to continue processing your request, you must notify
Services Australia 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.
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 wil 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
$77.87 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 wil need your FOI LEX reference number,
LEX 68161, or
2. Cheque made out to the Collector of Public Monies and posted to Freedom of
Information, Services Australia, 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, Services Australia, PO BOX 7820, Canberra BC, ACT 2610.
If you elect to pay the charge, please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx to
advise us of your payment. Please quote reference number
LEX 68161 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.
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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 by email to
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Publication of information in the FOI disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published in a disclosure log on Services
Australia'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 questions please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Patricia
Authorised FOI Decision Maker
Freedom of Information Team
Information Access Branch Legal Services Division
Services Australia
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