Dear Ms Somerville

I refer to your application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
Act) requesting access to:

"I hereby request, under the Freedom of Information Act (1982) copies of
the following documents, available as of the date of this letter:

 a. All documents pertaining to the selection of clinics chosen to
distribute the monkeypox vaccine"

Your application was received on 28 August 2022.

Invalid request – Application fee required

The Act provides that an application fee of $30.60 must accompany each
request.

The Act also provides that the application fee may be waived or reduced if
payment of the fee would cause financial hardship. If you consider this to
be the case the fee may be waived or reduced on production of evidence of
how the payment of the application fee would cause you hardship. 

As stated on the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner’s
website, an applicant should provide evidence of hardship when they are
requesting an agency to waive or reduce the application fee:

‘If you request the application fee to be waived or reduced, you should
provide evidence of hardship – for example, a concession or health care
card, a bank statement, or statutory declaration outlining why payment
would cause you hardship.’

If payment of the fee would not cause you hardship, you are required to
pay the fee in order for your request to proceed. The department's
preferred method of payment is via the Victorian Government's online FOI
portal at the below link:

[1]https://online.foi.vic.gov.au/foi/reques...

Please quote your reference number (F22/1598) in the "Request Details"
section of the online form. You do not need to provide the wording of your
request again.

Please note, your request cannot proceed until the application fee or
evidence of hardship has been received as it is not a valid request.

I would appreciate it if you would respond by 21 September 2022, otherwise
I will assume that you do not wish to proceed.

If you have any questions in relation to your request, please direct all
correspondence relating to your request to [2][email address].

Kind regards,

Authorised Officer | Freedom of Information unit 
Legal, Privacy and Integrity 
Department of Health 

[3]www.health.vic.gov.au 

This email contains confidential information intended only for the person
named above and may be subject to legal privilege. If you are not the
intended recipient, any disclosure, copying or use of this information is
prohibited. The Department provides no guarantee that this communication
is free of virus or that it has not been intercepted or interfered with.
If you have received this email in error or have any other concerns
regarding its transmission, please notify [email address]

This email and/or attached documents may include Victorian protective
markings as set out by the Office of the Victorian Information
Commissioner (OVIC). More information on protective markings can be found
[4]here

References

Visible links
1. https://online.foi.vic.gov.au/foi/reques...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/
4. https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/protective-m...

Good afternoon Ms Somerville

I refer to your application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
Act) requesting access to:

"I hereby request, under the Freedom of Information Act (1982) copies of
the following documents, available as of the date of this letter:

(a) All documents pertaining to the selection of clinics chosen to
distribute the monkeypox vaccine"

I also refer to the department’s correspondence dated 30 August 2022
(below) in which the department outlined what is required in order to
satisfy the application fee-waiver requirements.

As you have not made application fee payment, nor provided evidence of
hardship so as to satisfy the fee-waiver requirements, I formally advise
you that I am finalising your application under section 17(2) of the Act,
as it is not a valid FOI request.

Complaint Rights

If you are not satisfied with my decision you have the right to apply to
the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (the Commissioner)
and make a complaint. A complaint needs to be made in writing within 60
days.

I have attached a fact sheet providing further information on making a
request for a complaint to the Commissioner.

Kind regards,

Authorised Officer | Freedom of Information unit 
Legal, Privacy and Integrity 
Department of Health 

[1]www.health.vic.gov.au 

From: FOI Health (HEALTH)
Sent: Tuesday, 30 August 2022 8:32 PM
To: [FOI #9318 email]
Subject: Freedom of Information - F22/1598 - Section 17 Invalid request -
Application fee required

Dear Ms Somerville

I refer to your application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
Act) requesting access to:

"I hereby request, under the Freedom of Information Act (1982) copies of
the following documents, available as of the date of this letter:

 a. All documents pertaining to the selection of clinics chosen to
distribute the monkeypox vaccine"

Your application was received on 28 August 2022.

Invalid request – Application fee required

The Act provides that an application fee of $30.60 must accompany each
request.

The Act also provides that the application fee may be waived or reduced if
payment of the fee would cause financial hardship. If you consider this to
be the case the fee may be waived or reduced on production of evidence of
how the payment of the application fee would cause you hardship. 

As stated on the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner’s
website, an applicant should provide evidence of hardship when they are
requesting an agency to waive or reduce the application fee:

‘If you request the application fee to be waived or reduced, you should
provide evidence of hardship – for example, a concession or health care
card, a bank statement, or statutory declaration outlining why payment
would cause you hardship.’

If payment of the fee would not cause you hardship, you are required to
pay the fee in order for your request to proceed. The department's
preferred method of payment is via the Victorian Government's online FOI
portal at the below link:

[2]https://online.foi.vic.gov.au/foi/reques...

Please quote your reference number (F22/1598) in the "Request Details"
section of the online form. You do not need to provide the wording of your
request again.

Please note, your request cannot proceed until the application fee or
evidence of hardship has been received as it is not a valid request.

I would appreciate it if you would respond by 21 September 2022, otherwise
I will assume that you do not wish to proceed.

If you have any questions in relation to your request, please direct all
correspondence relating to your request to [3][email address].

Kind regards,

Authorised Officer | Freedom of Information unit 
Legal, Privacy and Integrity 
Department of Health 

[4]www.health.vic.gov.au 

This email contains confidential information intended only for the person
named above and may be subject to legal privilege. If you are not the
intended recipient, any disclosure, copying or use of this information is
prohibited. The Department provides no guarantee that this communication
is free of virus or that it has not been intercepted or interfered with.
If you have received this email in error or have any other concerns
regarding its transmission, please notify [email address]

This email and/or attached documents may include Victorian protective
markings as set out by the Office of the Victorian Information
Commissioner (OVIC). More information on protective markings can be found
[5]here

References

Visible links
1. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/
2. https://online.foi.vic.gov.au/foi/reques...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/
5. https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/protective-m...